About Simtech, A creativity software developer

Dear Mind Mappers:

As I began reflecting on my 30-year career at SimTech, I decided that – because you have been a significant part of my journey and my successes – I wanted to share the milestones with you, both big and small, that led us here today.

In my twenties and thirties, I was fascinated by simulation. After leaving Korea to study in the United States, I went on to land a job in Silicon Valley. For my first project, I oversaw a production scheduling simulator for Motorola’s semiconductor factory. While I was fortunate to have been involved in many exciting simulation projects in the years that followed, the most valuable lessons I learned actually came from observing the methods and working assumptions of America’s top engineers.

When I returned to Seoul, South Korea, in my early thirties to establish a simulation company, I ended up leading over 120 simulation projects both domestically and abroad in the automotive, electronics, and semiconductor fields. On a particularly memorable day back in 1993, a question came into my mind that I couldn’t put to rest, namely: “Why isn’t there a program that helps people to clear up their disorganized ideas?” Although it was innocent enough on the surface, this question ended up changing my entire career trajectory, my fate.

Just four years later, after I released Thinkwise in Korea (MindMapper is the brand marketed outside of Korea), I met with Tony Buzan – the inventor of mind mapping. Following our discussion, I sought out a gap in the market and ended up filling it by developing the world’s first feature that could convert mind maps into MS Word documents. After a highly successful presentation at the COMDEX in 2001, my work began to attract global attention. Fast forward to 2010, MindMapper had developed the world’s first mind map-based collaboration and, in 2015, we went on to launch a project quotient concept that linked maps and planners.

I am pleased to share that we have never stopped evolving, growing, and improving as a company. In fact, we have rolled out new products every five years on average and, true to form, are scheduled to debut our next one later this year.

Just a few years ago, a futurist predicted that 50% of Korea’s workforce would be freelancers by 2050. Although nobody can fully predict the future, in my view, if you have to plant an apple tree today that will bear fruit tomorrow, the wisest investment you can make is in education. The best way for all of us to meet the future demands of our complex lives is to refine our digital competencies and give our minds the tools they need to think clearly, communicate, manage, and learn.

With that being said, I would like to extend a sincere “thank you” to our colleagues, shareholders, and users for all your support and encouragement over the years.

Sinerely,

Young G Chung