At the 2024 J-Connect Day & Local Festa (J-Connect Day), CEO Jin Kyung-Do of G-Hands delivered a compelling lecture on startup success. G-Hands is the company behind Hands Coffee, a coffee franchise that has expanded not only nationwide but also into international markets. In 2006, Jin and his wife opened a small 18-pyeong (approximately 60 square meters) café. In less than a decade, Hands Coffee had grown to over 160 locations across Korea and expanded internationally with 24 stores in China. During his talk, Jin emphasized four key factors essential for startup growth, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
Written by Won-Bok Lee | Photos by Seong-Geun Lee
Jin Kyung-Do, CEO of G-Hands
The ‘4P’ Strategy That Defined Hands Coffee’s Growth
At the second day of J Connect Day, CEO Jin Kyung-Do captivated the audience by stating, “Like all startups, those of you here today are likely focused on how to better appeal your business model to VCs and ACs. However, before that, it is crucial that we first secure sufficient competitiveness and growth potential.”
“I’d like to discuss what it takes to grow a business. Many business scholars are still studying the key factors that drive a company’s breakthrough growth. Hands Coffee also had such elements, though I only realized them about 15 years after founding the company,” said CEO Jin Kyung-Do.
He defined these elements as the ‘4Ps’: Partner (business partners), Project (challenges), Product (products), and Person (people).
① Partner – Business Partners Are Your Competitive Edge
“The key to your competitiveness lies in your business partners,” CEO Jin Kyung-Do stated as he introduced the first element. He cited the example of Elon Musk, who, after achieving success in the IT industry, founded SpaceX in 2002 to venture into the space sector. While many initially doubted him, he ultimately delivered groundbreaking results—made possible by collaborating with expert partners in the space industry.
Likewise, CEO Jin Kyung-Do emphasized that Hands Coffee has around ten crucial business partners.
“In business, we often see partners as financial negotiators or even competitors. However, their success is our company’s success—our shared path to growth. ‘2025 K-Consumer Trend Insights’ also states, ‘Companies that try to monopolize everything do not last long.’ Now, we are in an era where building cooperative networks and mutual respect lead to shared success.”
CEO Jin Kyung-Do stressed the importance of a co-evolution strategy—leveraging specialized partners as a powerful tool for business success. Hands Coffee, for instance, has enhanced its brand value through partnerships with Cellplus, Häagen-Dazs, and Hankook Ceramic.
②Project – Take on Greater Challenges
“You must attempt things beyond what you think you can do. If you don’t challenge yourself to surpass your current limits, there will come a day when you can’t even maintain what you have.”
CEO Jin Kyung-Do emphasized Project as the second key element. This means ‘challenge.’ Hands Coffee is currently operating multiple brands in China, including not only Hands Coffee but also the Vietnamese restaurant ‘Hands Cook,’ the delivery-based brand ‘Hands Song,’ and the Muslim-friendly café for Tibetans, ‘Ibex.’ The starting point was Yanji, China. It seemed like an unpromising market, but Jin Kyung-Do's perspective was different.
“I happened to give a lecture on the café business at Yanbian University of Science & Technology, which became the turning point for opening our first directly operated store on Aidan Road in Yanji, China, in 2010. When expanding overseas, cities with strong market potential like Shanghai or Qingdao are good choices, but I believed Yanji in Yanbian was the right place to go. Not only do we share the language and culture, but beyond simple overseas expansion, it also holds great significance to work alongside the descendants of independence activists. A business environment that seems underdeveloped can change—it all depends on how we approach it.”
CEO Jin Kyung-Do on Hands Coffee’s Success Strategies
③Product - A Brand Is Remembered Through Its Products
The success of Hands Coffee would not be complete without exceptional product quality. Since its founding, CEO Jin Kyung-Do has focused on enhancing coffee quality and developing diverse products tailored to customers’ tastes, in line with the brand’s identity as the world’s first hand-drip coffee franchise. This has been the driving force behind Hands Coffee’s growth.
“Above all, what we take the most pride in now is the quality of our coffee. The taste of hand-drip coffee is determined by nine key factors. If even one of these elements is lacking, the quality drops. That’s why Hands Coffee has developed a systematic approach to meticulously manage all nine factors. Today, we are known for having the best hand-drip coffee in Korea.”
Hands Coffee’s diverse menu has also been well-received by customers. One of its most beloved items since the brand’s early days is cappuccino topped with soft, chewy whipped cream.
Additionally, its signature dessert, glutinous rice waffles, was developed with the help of mentored cafés. These waffles, known for their crispy exterior and chewy interior, have become a favorite among many customers.
④Person - In the End, People Drive a Company’s Growth
Within a company, there are generally two types of people: those who find comfort in repetitive tasks and diligently perform necessary duties, and those who constantly generate new ideas. While both types are essential for a business, relying solely on the former limits breakthrough growth.
CEO Jin Kyung-Do refers to the latter as “people who make the CEO uncomfortable”—those who challenge the systems the CEO has built and point out flaws.
“Hands Coffee achieved remarkable growth because of people who made me uncomfortable. One example is my wife, who has been working with me since the company’s founding. She has been responsible for all our menu development, constantly improving and innovating our offerings.”
In addition, CEO Jin Kyung-Do emphasized that Hands Coffee's success was driven by many key individuals, including the young chef who poured everything into Hands Cook, the MD who secured a deal with Häagen-Dazs, the chief designer responsible for Hands Coffee's branding, the finance expert who meticulously managed the company's finances, the manual expert who oversaw every detail of the company's guidelines from A to Z, the developer who maintained the company's IT systems, and the director who launched the China division and played a significant role in the company's management to this day.
Finally, CEO Jin Kyung-Do emphasized that leaders of startups must respect every individual within their organization and foster a culture and atmosphere that enable collective growth. Through his lecture, he provided the audience with practical experiences and insights, delivering a compelling message on the importance of collaboration, a spirit of challenge, product competitiveness, and respect for people as key drivers of business growth.
