A Founder’s Journey: From Chronic Pain to Revolutionary Pillow Design

After running a South Korean software startup for years, I spent countless hours in front of a computer and smartphone. Over time, my poor posture took its toll, leading to relentless neck pain that just wouldn’t go away. No matter what pillow I tried, nothing provided real relief.

Determined to find relief, I started researching neck pain and possible solutions. I visited chiropractors, orthopedists, and tried different treatments, but nothing provided lasting relief. One day, I came across a TV commercial suggesting that the wrong pillow could be the root cause of neck pain—and that the right one could help.

Skeptical but desperate, I bought the recommended pillow. It didn’t work. I
dismissed it as just another marketing gimmick.

Years later, I saw an online ad for another so-called 'neck pain relief' pillow. Knowing it was likely just another sales trick, I hesitated, but curiosity got the best of me. Surprisingly, it was slightly better than the one I had tried before, giving me a small glimmer of hope. From that moment on, I made it my mission to find the perfect pillow. I bought every neck pain relief pillow available on the market, testing them all. But none of them truly solved my problem.

Frustrated yet determined, I decided to design my own pillow. I took notes on every pillow I had tried—what worked, what didn’t, and the common complaints from other users. After years of research, I finally created a pillow that eliminated 90% of my neck pain.

That was the beginning of Gurum Pillow—born out of necessity, shaped by experience, and designed to provide real relief for people suffering just like I did.