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Gene Kwon: Pay Closer Attention to People Than to Plans

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3 months ago

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  • Gene Kwon, Salt Lake City entrepreneur and co-founder of eHub, explains why the right people matter more than the perfect strategy.

The Turnaround Nobody Planned For

Utah, USA, Jul 24, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — A few years into building what looked like a solid business, a founder realized the strategy was working, but the company was not. Every plan was being executed. Every milestone was being hit. But the team felt disconnected. Decisions took too long. Trust was low. Growth had stalled.

The shift came when the founder stopped obsessing over the next tactical move and started paying attention to who was in the room. Within six months, the company had rebuilt its leadership team, clarified who owned what, and started moving faster than ever. The plan had not changed. The people had.

“Pay closer attention to people than to plans,” says Gene Kwon, co-founder of eHub and Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. “The right people can make an average idea successful. The wrong people can make a great idea fail.”

Lessons from the Court

Kwon grew up in Oregon and Utah and became a ranked junior tennis player. He later played collegiate tennis at the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in English. Tennis taught him something most business books skip over.

“Tennis teaches you accountability,” Kwon explains. “When you’re on the court, there’s nobody else to blame. You learn how to adjust and keep moving forward.”

That mindset carried into his career. After college, Kwon co-founded Move Method and later helped launch eHub, a logistics and shipping solutions company based in Salt Lake City. Along the way, he earned recognition including the Forty Under Forty Business Award and served on the board of the Package Shippers Association.

But awards do not tell the full story.

“It has been my failures that have taught me the most,” Kwon says, “enabling a unique perspective on business and in life. A perspective of humility, gratitude and integrity.”

Why Good Businesses Start with Real Problems

Kwon believes most companies fail because they solve the wrong problem or solve it for the wrong reason.

“I’ve always believed that good businesses start by helping people solve real problems,” he says. “If you stay focused on that, growth usually follows.”

At eHub, the problem was clear. Businesses were spending too much time and money trying to manage shipping. The solution was not another platform. It was a partner that could simplify operations and help companies move faster.

“There were businesses spending too much time and money trying to manage shipping,” Kwon says. “We wanted to create solutions that made operations easier and more efficient.”

The approach worked because it started with listening, not pitching.

Copy This Framework: The Five-Phase People-First Strategy

Kwon’s approach to building businesses is less about following a rigid plan and more about building the right team, asking better questions, and staying focused on what matters. Here is how to apply it.

Phase 1: Audit Your Current Team Before you hire or fire anyone, get honest about who you have. Who makes decisions faster? Who slows things down? Who do people trust? Write it down. You cannot fix what you will not name.

Phase 2: Define What You Actually Need Stop hiring based on job descriptions. Start hiring based on gaps. Do you need someone who can execute, or someone who can think three steps ahead? Do you need a builder or a manager? Be specific.

Phase 3: Prioritize Trust Over Talent Talent gets you in the door. Trust keeps you in the room. Kwon says companies only grow when people trust each other and work toward the same goals. If you cannot trust someone with bad news, you cannot trust them with your business.

Phase 4: Ask Better Questions “The challenge isn’t finding answers anymore,” Kwon says. “The challenge is asking better questions.” Stop asking what went wrong. Start asking what you missed. Stop asking how to grow faster. Start asking what is slowing you down.

Phase 5: Build Relationships That Outlast Transactions “One conversation can completely change your perspective,” Kwon notes. “You never know where a good relationship might lead.” Invest in people before you need something from them. The best opportunities come from relationships, not networking events.

Quick Wins You Can Implement This Week

  • Schedule a 15-minute one-on-one with every person on your core team. Ask one question: What is slowing you down right now?

  • Identify one decision that has been stuck for more than two weeks. Assign it to one person with full authority to move it forward.

  • Write down the names of three people you trust completely. Make sure at least one of them is involved in every major decision.

  • Replace one status meeting with a problem-solving session. Bring the right people. Ask better questions.

  • Reach out to one person you respect but have not spoken to in six months. No agenda. Just reconnect.

Red Flags That Signal You Are Focusing on the Wrong Things

  • You can recite your strategy but cannot name the last time your team felt aligned.

  • Meetings are getting longer, but decisions are not getting clearer.

  • You are hiring to fill roles instead of solve problems.

  • People are waiting for permission instead of taking ownership.

  • You have more plans than you have people who can execute them.

  • You are proud of your idea but frustrated with your team.

  • Growth has stalled, but you keep tweaking the plan instead of evaluating the people.

Why Curiosity Beats Ambition

Kwon has a contrarian view on what drives long-term success.

“I think ambition is overrated,” he says. “Ambition is useful because it gives you direction, but curiosity is what keeps you growing.”

Curiosity leads to better questions. Better questions lead to better decisions. Better decisions lead to better outcomes. And better outcomes come from better people.

“Having a second chance makes you want to work even harder,” Kwon reflects. That second-chance mindset has shaped how he builds companies, leads teams, and shows up every day.

Apply This Framework to Your Business This Week

If you are leading a company, a team, or a project, stop and ask yourself one question: Am I spending more time perfecting the plan or understanding the people?

This week, pick one phase from the framework above and put it into action. Have the hard conversation. Ask the better question. Rebuild trust where it has been lost. The right people will take an average plan and make it work. The wrong people will take a great plan and watch it fail.

The choice is yours. But the answer is always people first.

About Gene Kwon

Gene Kwon is a co-founder and partner at eHub, a logistics and shipping solutions company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also co-founded Move Method and has earned recognition including Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Forty Under Forty Business Award. A former collegiate tennis player at the University of Washington, Kwon serves on the board of the Package Shippers Association and continues to help businesses grow through innovation, leadership, and a people-first approach.

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Press Release

Beyond the $40 Billion RWA Headline: Drofa Comms × RWA Summit Report Identifies Four Challenges for 2027

Published

13 hours ago

on

November 3, 2026

By

London, The United Kingdom, November 3rd, 2026, FinanceWire

The value of distributed tokenised real-world assets (RWAs) approached $40 billion by 13 October 2026, according to RWA.xyz. At the beginning of the year, though, it stood at approximately $21.5 billion, according to Binance Research. Yet, despite this near-doubling in value, the figures say little about how easily investors can trade these assets, use them as collateral or exercise their rights in cross-border transactions.

This divergence between issuance and real-world use is the outset for “Tokenise First, Figure It Out Later: The RWA Dilemma”, a new report from Drofa Comms in collaboration with RWA WEEK, organiser of RWA Summit Singapore 2026. Drawing on discussions at the 9 October summit, where Drofa Comms participated as a media partner of RWA WEEK, the report examines what it takes for tokenised assets to develop functioning markets, meet legal requirements and deliver measurable financial benefits.

Looking ahead to 2027, Drofa Comms identifies four indicators that offer a more useful measure of RWA market maturity than the total value of assets issued on-chain:

  • Secondary-market activity: Trading depth and turnover, alongside realistic opportunities for investors to sell tokens after issuance.
  • Institutional capital efficiency: Measurable reductions in pre-funding requirements and the ability to use tokenised holdings as collateral.
  • Legal certainty: Enforceable ownership and redemption rights, including workable arrangements for cross-border transactions.
  • Commercial sustainability: Repeat customer activity and revenues sufficient to support viable services.

The report scrutinises how regulatory requirements differ between jurisdictions, what it takes to develop genuine secondary markets and how tokenised assets may function as collateral. It also examines institutional and everyday payments, from reducing pre-funded balances through stablecoin settlement to connecting digital assets with payment cards.

“The RWA industry faces a test of maturity. As the value of tokenised assets grows, the question is how much of that growth translates into functioning markets, wider use by financial institutions and measurable economic benefits. Issuance figures alone cannot be the answer. At Drofa Comms, we believe that the industry’s development also depends on how openly companies address the challenges involved. Investors and financial institutions need enough information to assess both the opportunities and the limitations of tokenisation,” said Valentina Drofa, Founder & CEO of Drofa Comms.

Beyond investment products, the report also highlights how digital assets are already being used in traditional industries.

“Everyone is talking about the tokenization of financial products and real estate, but the real movement is happening in industries you probably wouldn’t expect. Think trade finance operators, the shipping industry, or precious metals mining businesses. They are already using stablecoins for cross-border transactions and understand why instant settlement is better than T+2.” said Ivan V. Ivanov, Founder of UVECON.VC, UVC GROUP and RWA WEEK commented on these developments.

The report draws on perspectives from speakers and experts affiliated with TRM Labs, Galaxy, Sygnum Bank, Nethermind, Spartan Group, Theoriq, Reap, KAST, Algebra / Theorem, Drofa Comms and other organisations.

Read the full report: https://www.drofa-ra.com/rwa-summit-singapore-2026-drofa-comms-rwa-week-report/

About Drofa Comms

Founded in 2011, Drofa Comms is a London-headquartered PR agency specialising in finance, fintech and blockchain communications. The agency has worked with more than 1,000 companies worldwide and has a team of over 30 professionals and advisers. Its proprietary initiatives include Women Leading the Way, Crypto Edu and Communicate Fintech.

About RWA WEEK and RWA Summit

RWA WEEK is an international industry initiative dedicated to real-world asset tokenisation and its applications in finance and business. Its Singapore 2026 edition included RWA Summit Singapore on 9 October, bringing together financial institutions, investors and digital-asset companies to discuss market developments, emerging use cases and barriers to adoption.

Contact

Drofa Comms
info@drofa-ra.co.uk

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Press Release

MELT Global Chooses Sharjah as Headquarters for Its Operations

Published

15 hours ago

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November 3, 2026

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SHARJAH, UAE, November 3rd, 2026, As part of its efforts to strengthen strategic partnerships and expand cooperation with global companies, Sharjah Asset Management, the exinvestment arm of the Government of Sharjah, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MELT Global to strengthen collaboration and explore new opportunities that support the shared priorities and objectives of both parties. The agreement reflects Sharjah’s appeal as an investment destination and reinforces its position as an economic hub offering an integrated business environment that supports the establishment, growth and regional expansion of businesses.

The MoU was signed by H.E. Dr Waleed Al Sayegh, Chief Executive Officer of Sharjah Asset Management, and Steve Harvey, Owner and Founder of MELT Global, in the presence of representatives from both parties.

The MoU outlines MELT Global’s plans to relocate its regional headquarters to Thara, the latest development owned by Sharjah Asset Management in the emirate. This step reflects both parties’ commitment to expanding their cooperation and capitalising on available opportunities and potential, supporting their future ambitions and opening new avenues for collaboration.

The move also reflects MELT Global’s confidence in Sharjah’s competitive advantages, including its attractive investment environment, advanced infrastructure, and integrated operational capabilities and logistics services, which cater to businesses’ needs, enhance operational efficiency and support their expansion.

H.E. Dr Waleed Al Sayegh said: “At Sharjah Asset Management, our investment vision is centred on developing assets and enhancing their ability to attract economic activities and strategic partnerships, creating new growth opportunities and maximising the value of our projects. We are also committed to building high-quality partnerships that attract expertise, open new avenues for cooperation and foster integration across different sectors.

“We welcome this partnership with MELT Global and look forward to its presence at Thara adding value to the business ecosystem. We believe this MoU will create new opportunities for collaboration and the development of joint initiatives that fulfil both parties’ ambitions and support sustainable growth. This aligns with our vision of developing sustainable investments that contribute to diversifying Sharjah’s economy and strengthening its presence across the business, media and creative industries.”

The MoU reflects both parties’ commitment to building a sustainable collaborative relationship, leveraging their respective expertise and capabilities, and exploring strategic opportunities to develop joint areas of work and initiatives that deliver added value to both sides. It also forms part of their broader efforts to strengthen effective partnerships and maximise synergies, supporting further development and growth opportunities while deepening cooperation across areas of mutual interest.

MELT Global’s decision to choose Sharjah reflects the emirate’s strong economic and investment fundamentals, which reinforce its position as a centre for business and investment. This is underpinned by the diversity of its economic sectors, the development of its infrastructure and operational capabilities, as well as the availability of logistics services and business support solutions.

Sharjah also offers an environment that enables companies to capitalise on available opportunities, build relationships and establish partnerships that support the development of their activities and strengthen their presence in regional markets. Together, these advantages make the emirate an attractive destination for global companies seeking to establish operations and expand their business from Sharjah.

The selection of Thara to host MELT Global’s regional headquarters reflects the project’s ability to provide a business-friendly environment, supported by integrated facilities, services and operational capabilities. The company’s presence at Thara will also contribute to diversifying the range of activities hosted by the development, while creating opportunities for engagement and collaboration with organisations and institutions operating across the emirate and the wider region.

The MoU underscores both parties’ commitment to continuing to build sustainable strategic partnerships, leverage complementary expertise and capabilities, and explore new avenues for cooperation. This will contribute to creating added value for both parties, supporting development and growth, and further strengthening Sharjah’s position as an attractive destination for investment and business.

About Sharjah Asset Management

Sharjah Asset Management is the investment arm of the Government of Sharjah. It seeks to advance economic and social development and accelerate the emirate’s sustainable economic growth through partnerships with the public and private sectors, encouraging investment and promoting corporate social responsibility. This is achieved through the optimal use of resources, addressing the needs of the Sharjah community and ensuring sustainable well-being.

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Press Release

Made By WiFi Publishes a Free Year-End Guide to Help Offices Check Their WiFi Before Budgets Are Set

Published

15 hours ago

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November 3, 2026

By

The six-step guide takes office managers and IT leads through a coverage, equipment and security audit, a site survey, and a budget request.

Long Island City, New York, United States, 3rd Nov 2026 – Made By WiFi, an enterprise wireless and event WiFi company, today published a free six-step guide that helps office managers, IT leads and operations teams review their office WiFi while budgets for the coming year are being planned.

Office WiFi is easy to ignore until it fails, but budget season is when it is easiest to fund. A written list of what is actually wrong, such as a conference room that drops calls or an access point that has been running since before the last office move, carries far more weight in a budget request than a general complaint that the network is slow.

The guide, “Year-End WiFi Checklist for Your Office,” breaks the review into six steps. The first four are a self-audit that a small office can complete in an afternoon: walking the space to note where the signal fails, taking stock of equipment and WiFi standards, checking security and guest access, and finding out who owns and monitors the network. Step five is a wireless site survey, which turns those observations into measurements. Step six puts the findings into a budget request.

The guide also explains why timing matters. Once a budget is set, new spending has to be justified against items already approved. A survey, a written recommendation, approval and installation each take time. And equipment bought without a survey tends to leave some rooms with too many access points and others with too few.

A site survey from Made By WiFi measures signal strength, coverage and interference, and produces a written report with coverage heatmaps, recommended access point positions and an equipment specification. The report is delivered in an industry-standard format and can be taken to any installer. Surveys are done on site in New York and New Jersey and remotely for businesses anywhere in the country. Businesses that are not ready for a survey can use Made By WiFi’s wireless network consulting for an independent view on what to do next.

The full guide is available at https://madebywifi.com/blog/year-end-office-wifi-checklist/. 

About Made By WiFi

Made By WiFi designs, installs and supports enterprise wireless networks and provides WiFi for events. Since 2017, the company has helped businesses get reliable connectivity in offices, warehouses, hotels, healthcare facilities and temporary event spaces, with recommendations based on what each environment needs and not on a preferred brand. Hands-on work is delivered in New York and New Jersey, while wireless site surveys and 5G hotspot kit rentals are available to businesses across the United States. Learn more at https://madebywifi.com.

Media Contact

Organization: Made by Wifi

Contact Person: Alex Yakubov

Website: https://madebywifi.com/

Email: Send Email

Contact Number: +19177798071

Address: 40-09 21st St Suite 317, Long Island City, NY 11101

City: Long Island City

State: New York

Country: United States

Release id: 50446

View source version on King Newswire:
Made By WiFi Publishes a Free Year-End Guide to Help Offices Check Their WiFi Before Budgets Are Set

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