[Interview] From Research to Sales: A Journey of Challenge, Growth, and Leadership
This post is based on an interview with Minji (Luna) Kim published in Digital Times (디지털타임스) as part of their “MZ Life” series. 📎 Read the original interview in Korean: (Link)
Meet Minji Kim, Dtonic’s Head of Data Platform Sales
Minji Kim, Head of Dtonic’s Data Platform Team and Sales Representative. Photo courtesy of Dtonic.
Minji Kim, Head of the Data Platform Team at Dtonic, is a rare example of a professional who has successfully traversed the worlds of R&D, project planning, and sales. Today, she serves as the lead for sales in Dtonic’s data platform division — but her career started in an entirely different place: the lab.
“I became a developer in college because I wanted to understand and build real-world solutions,” Kim recalls. “As I got involved in national R&D projects, I transitioned into planning. From there, I started to build a network and realized I could expand my impact even further through sales.”
Her story is not one of linear progression, but of purposeful reinvention.
Three Career Shifts, One Clear Goal: Impact
Minji Kim began her career as a manufacturing technology researcher at a major Korean conglomerate after earning a degree in electronic engineering. She gained hands-on experience designing production processes and equipment, eventually moving into national research project planning and management.
With each transition — from engineering to planning to sales — came new challenges. Kim made it a personal rule to spend the first six months in any new role learning from the ground up. Whether it was understanding public sector regulations, proposal writing, or business customs in government institutions, she wasn’t afraid to seek help, reconnect with former mentors, and dive deep into unfamiliar material.
“I didn’t just study; I went out and experienced everything myself,” she said. “I followed senior sales professionals into the field, studied their materials, and practiced real proposal writing hands-on.”
Leading Public Sector Sales for Dtonic’s Smart City Platform
Since joining Dtonic, Minji Kim has led public-sector sales efforts for the company’s flagship Smart City Data Hub Platform — a national infrastructure initiative integrating urban data across the country to enhance citizen services.
“The platform acts like an Android OS,” she explains. “We lay the infrastructure, and municipalities build services on top of it. It’s a critical foundation for the future of smart urban governance.”
In her first year in sales, Kim secured three out of four national Data Hub projects. Her technical background allowed her to quickly grasp client needs, while her on-the-ground diligence turned insight into results.
“The sense of achievement after meeting those goals was huge,” Kim says. “That feeling of progress is what keeps me moving.”
Balancing Leadership, Sales, and Parenthood
As a working mother of two, Kim is candid about the challenges of balancing work and family. “I try to limit late nights to twice a week and keep weekends for my kids,” she says. “Motherhood has taught me patience and empathy — both of which are assets in negotiation and stakeholder engagement.”
But she’s not slowing down.
“My goal is simple: When people think of smart cities in the public sector, I want them to think of my name,” Kim says. “Last year I laid the foundation. This year, I’m expanding on it.”
Her message to anyone contemplating a bold career shift?
“Set a clear goal, and don’t be afraid of change. If you move forward believing in yourself, results will follow — and those results become the fuel for your next growth.”