Jack Chu of JIN Kimchi: “You Better Make the Kimchi”
Sad or not, selling well or not, you still have to make the kimchi. That was Jack Chu’s advice in our original feature. The point was output: doing the work, noticing what falls short, then improving it.
The original story, slide by slide
Original Jack Chu interview carousel, in its published order. The 12-outlet headline describes the original feature, not a verified current outlet count. His advice is a personal approach, not a guarantee of profit.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all 6 slides in order. View the original on Instagram.
Do the work, then improve it
Jack’s first point is simple: a business needs output, even when motivation disappears. In our interview carousel he ties progress to repetition. That is his working philosophy, not a promise that producing more automatically makes a business profitable.
Own the gap instead of finding someone to blame
The second slide of advice is blunt about taking responsibility. Read it as a push to examine what you can change: how much you made, how consistently you posted, or how quickly you adapted. It does not mean every setback is the founder’s fault. Costs, demand and timing still matter.
Use competitors as a benchmark, not a script
Jack’s third point is to look at strong competitors and ask whether you are doing enough. That can make an improvement concrete. Compare the product, service and consistency, then choose what fits your own business rather than copying for the sake of it.
The documented starting point
In a March 2024 profile published by CNA Lifestyle, Jack described starting to sell his mother’s kimchi from home in 2020. The business took its name from her. The same report traced the move into a central kitchen and a Fernvale Hawker Centre stall in 2022.
Those are historical milestones, not a claim about how many outlets the business operates today. They show two distinct moves: making more of the product, then finding another way to sell food to customers.