Celebrating rePAPER’s 8th Anniversary, Every Adventure Requires a First Step

“Every adventure requires a first step.” Among other great quotes in ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ the fairy tale that inspires people with surreal symbolism and mathematical codes, this is one of my favorites.

rePAPER is always taking the first step. It seems to be a clever choice to chase after the path that is already there rather than to be the one to discover it for security and cost efficiency.
Yet, being praised for cleverness is not a reward for the adventure and pride that the REPAS: the staff of rePAPER are rooting for.

The pioneer of behavior economics Richard Thaler, 2017 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, mentions in his book ‘Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics’ that people tend not to plan or choose to take the unpredictable path since they value the pain of the losing more than the happiness of having.
In other words, in the social structure, the fear of criticism and loss when failed is greater than praise and compensation when succeeded that people would not even attempt to pursue their plan, even if the chance of success and failure is 50/50, theoretically.
Come to think of it, it actually makes sense. Thaler also mentions in this book that the psychological pressure of failure is 4 times greater than the joy of success.

rePAPER often faces the same question when we are sitting on the market to sell our harvest. ‘Neither large corporations nor global research groups have yet to commercialize, but can a small company like rePAPER can make it happen?’ I lost count of how many times I’ve been asked this question that I don’t want to answer anymore. So, these days, I’ve found a way to answer the question: ‘Well, why can’t they? You should ask THEM the question and please, I will gladly show you the way out unless you are interested in our products.

The merit of rePAPER is we are never afraid to take the first step of the new adventure.
We always put our heads together to find the way to go over the hurdle and break down the wall to fulfill our goals.
When failed, we REPAs respect and console each other and make ourselves toughen through more attempts and failures.
This is the answer of why rePAPER can while large corporations and global giants are still dawdling.

The last verse of ‘better days are coming’ by the poet Sokchu Chang reads
“Don’t ask anymore.
What fate lies before us.
No questions asked, just go.
If you came far / let’s go infinitely further.”

I can proudly say 8 years of rePAPER is our pride.


Thank you,
Cheol Yoon, C.E.O. of rePAPER