Have you heard of the inner beauty startup Ownist? If so, you're likely a woman in her 20s or 30s. To be honest, before interviewing Ownist, I only knew the name, not much about the company itself.
While planning this series, I came across a Brunch article outlining Ownist's mission, vision, and core values. I was curious about Ownist, a small startup with such a clear mission, vision, and core values, and I decided to interview them the day before the end of 2025.
Among Ownist's core values, the first is "Setting uncompromisingly high standards and goals." Why did Ownist prioritize uncompromisingly high standards as its most important core value?
Q. Ownist's core values are uncompromisingly high standards. Why did you set them this way?
"When I was working, I always had high standards. It might seem trivial to some, but I focused on achieving the best results without compromise. I applied this philosophy to my company. I believed that my coworkers should follow suit."
Q. The CEO's philosophy has become the company's philosophy. I imagine this will be difficult for everyone.
“That’s how you get loved by customers. ^^”
It's a wise answer to a foolish question.
Is this enough? Everyone thinks this way. Successful people always have a story like this: "If I did what everyone else did, I would fall behind in the competition. So, when everyone else was resting, I practiced for a few more hours in the practice room."
"The moment you think, 'This is enough,' customers will feel it. Customer satisfaction isn't proportional to our efforts. If we do 80%, customers only feel 50%. Even when we say, 'I can't do better,' customers will always give us feedback. That's why we need to set high standards."
What kind of company is Ownist ?
Ownist, founded in 2020 on the belief that "health is beauty," strives to eliminate unnecessary chemical additives and create products using only pure ingredients. We create inner beauty products for healthy skin and hair.
"Triple Collagen Orange" is made with only fish collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin, which are good for the dermis. "Triple Shine Grape" is made with grape and licorice extracts, which triple-block the production of melanin, which darkens skin. "Kera-Grow Mango," released late last year, is a product made with edible keratin for healthy hair.
For more information, see “ Made with clean ingredients without chemical additives”… Ownist CEO Kim Jae-hyun talks about the standards for inner beauty . You can refer to it.
High standards for developing inner beauty products without chemical additives
It seems obvious to eliminate unhealthy chemical additives from health products, but it's not easy. Existing inner beauty and health supplement manufacturers had no choice but to include chemical additives for a number of reasons: product safety, consistent quality, and reasonable prices. Then, Ownist threw down the gauntlet, declaring, "We'll develop products using only raw materials, without any chemical additives." Naturally, development wasn't easy. As mentioned earlier, it's difficult to create a product without chemical additives. Industry experts and those with extensive experience in the field all opposed the idea.
“Absolutely impossible without chemical additives.”
"There's a wall called 'common sense' in the industry. So-called experts all accept this common sense. However, rather than tearing down our own standards, we constantly questioned and challenged ourselves by asking, 'Can't we do this? Can't we do that?' We were able to do this because we weren't experts. As non-experts, we asked experts the questions we could. Things that had been conventional and common sense, the impossible, became possible thanks to our constant questioning. I think these questions ultimately led to innovation. It's just that no one had tried it before."
Ownist's uncompromising high standards stem from its principle of not adding unhealthy chemical additives to its inner beauty products. To uphold this principle, Ownist has transcended and uncompromised established practices and common sense. These practices and common sense are like a fortress built by experts, difficult to tear down. Ownist has explored every possibility to break down this fortress.
Ownist has conducted repeated research to achieve effects with just the raw materials. And we have discovered that a sufficiently healthy product can be created by mixing the raw materials. For example, if you have raw materials A, B, and C, the optimal combination would be A at 00%, B at 00%, and C at 00%. Even if you calculate it as an integer from 1 to 100, if there are 3 raw materials, there are 1,000,000 combinations (I am a novice, so I may make mistakes in the calculation, but please just understand that it is a very large number). Ownist holds patented technology related to raw material mixing.
They say it usually takes three months to develop a single inner beauty product, but because of this research and development approach, Ownist has only developed three products in its six-year history. In other words, it took two years to develop a single product. Some products were even abandoned at the last minute, just before completion. This uncompromising commitment to high standards is evident in this approach. Furthermore, this principle is adhered to through all channels, including the product details page and Instagram, where we disclose to customers all the ingredients and the reasons for their use.
I think uncompromising high standards are the strength to push forward without backing down from the principles you've set . It's the strength to keep pushing forward even when experts say you can't do it .
Constantly struggling with 'ah' and 'eo'
Ownist has uncompromising standards across all touchpoints that create brand value. Just look at their Instagram operations.
Ownist says he constantly reviews the nuances created by even a single letter, "a" or "eo," when writing. This is because each sentence determines the emotions and trust a customer feels. In an age where AI mass-produces content, this might seem incomprehensible, but as a writer myself, I understand. When writing articles, I often agonize over whether to use "eun (neun)" or "i (ga)" as the nominative particle. This is because a single particle can completely change the feel of the entire piece.
"Customers react differently. I believe the reason we receive such positive feedback is because we operate with uncompromising high standards. This process not only enhances understanding among our customers, but also among our team members. I think it's especially important that the entire team operates with the same standards. These uncompromising high standards allow our team members to deeply empathize with Ownist's brand values."
I think the uncompromising high standards are all about the details . It's the tenacity to find the most accurate thing without missing even the smallest detail .
Negotiate even 1% more
“Should we try adding 1% here?”
The same goes for the sales team. They say they work by this principle when negotiating with partners. For example, if your negotiation standard was 10% and you ended up getting a 10% discount, what would you do? You might throw a celebration party or brag to your friends. But Ownist's sales team says not to do that. They say even if you've achieved the best possible outcome, you should consider it further.
“Being satisfied with 10% is a compromise, but consistently pursuing 11% or 12%, which is higher than 10%, is the standard of uncompromising.”
To be unsatisfied with even the best possible outcome and push yourself to the limit, you need a deep understanding of the task at hand. Just as product development teams need a deep understanding of raw materials, and marketing teams need a deep understanding of every word, sales teams need a deep understanding of negotiation. Negotiation is possible only when you understand the true needs of your customers or partners and your team's interests. When multiple variables are involved, finding the right combination that maximizes overall value is crucial for achieving a negotiation that exceeds the best possible outcome.
Once you're satisfied with a result, most people stop there . Uncompromisingly high standards mean not being satisfied with a good enough result, but seeking something better . This requires a deep understanding of the field .
Q. So, then, uncompromising high standards can only ultimately lead to good results?
"Doing a little more, the sales team adding 1%, isn't always feasible in the field. However, the very mindset behind pursuing that goal is the very essence of 'uncompromising standards.' The key is to achieve it 'somehow' without compromise. The word 'somehow' implies not being satisfied with a 'good enough' deal, but rather creating the 'best' deal, incorporating all possible factors. Therefore, the sales team doesn't have to be obsessed with simply 'selling more.' Instead, they focus on creating the 'best deal possible while maintaining the Owner's standards.'"
So far, we've explored Ownist's first core value and how its members understand and apply it to their work. However, core values shouldn't be mere slogans. They truly demonstrate their value only when they are internalized throughout the organization. So, what specific efforts is Ownist making to internalize its core values?
Ownist has its mission, vision, and core values posted on a pretty panel on the back wall of the company, and everyone shares them.
- Mission: True beauty comes from health.
- Vision: To become the No. 1 global inner beauty market in five years.
- Core Values
- Aim High (High Standards) As the market's original, we set uncompromisingly high standards and goals. (Professionalism)
- Why First: Working hard and achieving results are two different things. Dig into the "why" relentlessly, grasp the root of the problem, and focus your resources on the core tasks. (Strategic thinking, efficiency)
- We over Me (Organization before Me) Achieving the team's goals is my greatest achievement. I don't grow alone, but rather together with steadfast love (trust, teamwork).
- Make it Work (Make the Way) We take the initiative to create a path because we're taking the path no one has taken before. We're not just trying; we're ultimately making things happen (initiative).
(The core values were originally 7, but were recently reduced to 4.)
There are also behavioral indicators that help us maintain these core values. The behavioral indicators for the core value of uncompromising high standards are as follows:
- I want to achieve my goals by meeting higher standards than the set goals.
- We execute with the will to continuously improve our work and services.
Owners regularly evaluate these behavioral indicators. Through one-on-one meetings, the CEO and team leaders praise what's working well and provide feedback for improvement on what's not.
"Rather than evaluating with scores, our goal is to define how we work. That's why we use terms like 'significantly in need of improvement' and 'exceeded expectations.' These evaluations reflect our desire to continue to do what we're doing well. Behavioral indicators serve as a kind of guideline, providing feedback when someone deviates from the guidelines."
Feedback is also routinely provided through Slack, the company's internal communication tool. When a team member acts in line with core values—for example, by demonstrating uncompromisingly high standards—they praise each other with the "High Standards" emoji.
The most important criterion in selecting a team leader is also core values. Even if performance is good, if it doesn't align with core values, it's said to be a poor evaluation.
"To become a leader, first and foremost, you must embody core values. Second, you must be able to create that environment for your team members. Third, spreading this culture is a prerequisite for leadership."
You cannot be a leader at Ownist if you do not understand and practice our core values.
Ownist explains its mission and vision to new employees and regularly shares MVC through workshops. So why does CEO Kim Jae-hyun consider MVC so important?
First, MVC enhances team cohesion and initiative. Team members work with a mission in mind. They work not simply to generate sales, but to pursue Ownist's social values.
Second, all members must be aligned and aligned, serving as a reference point for decision-making. Even within a small team, without a clear MVC, each member's judgment criteria will differ, leading to fragmented opinions and slowing growth.
Third, it allows for efficient use of limited resources. Everything from the Go/No-Go decision for new projects to marketing, sales, and feedback criteria all flow from MVC.
Fourth, create consistency in how we work. Ownist defined its core values from the beginning to clarify "our way of working, our way of working, our way of working."
Finally, I asked.
Q. What is the relationship between MVC, organizational culture, and business performance?
"Good performance doesn't necessarily mean a good organizational culture. But a good organizational culture is bound to lead to good performance."
After the interview, I had a lot to think about. I recalled countless instances where I'd been satisfied with less, where I'd thought, "This is good enough." I'm filled with regret, wondering what would have happened if I had done it again.
If we maintain our uncompromising high standards, Ownist's vision of becoming the global leader in inner beauty in five years, and my dream of becoming an essayist and short story writer in five years, will come true.
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