Interview with Mr. Josh Kim

What inspired you to create this rental service? 

I have two daughters. I bought a lot of Legos and toys for the elder one. Choosing one was not difficult since my daughter always knew what she wanted. But many of those toys was a waste of money. And most of them were thrown to the closet after a week or two. After becoming a teen, there are only two, an American girl and a LEGO boat, are left in her closet. 

Now the younger one is old enough to play with these toys. I looked into robot kits because I wanted more productive toys for her. This time, it was too hard to pick the right one since there are too many. Also, they could be quite expensive and cost hundreds of dollars. That could be a bit much, especially if you don’t know whether she would like to keep it even after two or three weeks. This made me think about the LurnBot.com, which categorizes these kits by level or skill sets and lets people rent kits only when needed. They can try it for three weeks, and if kids really want to keep, they have an option to buy the kit. You can rent kits at an affordable price, and then extend the period or even buy them if you want to have them. Kids will get more chances to experience different kits at an affordable price to buy one.

Should people, especially the younger generations, be worried about AI taking over the workforce? 

Yes and no. Robots are everywhere as a physical one or software. You can easily find the physical robots in the factory, airport, etc., and also software bots such as RPA(Robotic Process Automation) bots in banking site or in the workplace. Many jobs have been lost by those robots, and it is really happening, but some jobs could not be replaced. Kids should focus on those things. Understanding programming can be a starting point. Instead of competing with robots, leveraging them is required.

 Is programming a crucial skill that everyone should have basic knowledge in considering the times we live in?

For kids, yes, it is necessary. For adults, I am not sure. Adults may not need to understand coding. Programming is a kind of language like music. People using different languages can understand each other’s thought through their coding. Now kids who will live in a wave of devices and IT should know the principles of programming as the foundation on which the world works even if they won’t be a programmer. Programming also teaches logical thinking and helps to think step by step. 

 Could programming be helpful to people who do not want to pursue a scientific or technological job or career? 

Same as the answer above. To use a smartphone or watch TV, you don’t need to know what the OLED is or how to control the screen pixels. Since the interface is getting better and better, understanding what is beneath them is not mandatory. Of course, it’s helpful to know how it works, but it’s not essential. Nonetheless, if you can understand basic programming concept, you can have a diversified view on those systems.

Do you market this service towards adults like teachers and parents?

Most of LurnBot’s customers come to the site by having the same needs as mine. Kids want to have a robot kit, but parents don’t want to spend the unnecessary initial investment on products which they have no idea “what it is”. 

The users of the kits are, of course, kids, but the actual marketing target of the LurnBot is parents and teachers in their 30s to 50s. Initially, I targeted parents. For now, most customers are homeschool, alternative schooling, or public schools teachers who want to set up a maker space in the library or STEM program.