Japanese Startups' 5 Tips for Success

Everyone quick, take notes:

Here are a few points Wantedly members picked up when we joined a group of Singaporean and Japanese college students on a tour around 5 Japanese startups.

1. Hachimenroppi

Hachimenroppi
Speaker: CEO Masanari Matsuda

"Live every day like it's your last, and don't waste your time"

Hachimenroppi is the Japanese Amazon of the fish industry.
The company is Matsuda's third try at entrepreneurship; yes, it took him that many 'fails' to get him where he is today.
But he says it helped to experience failure early in his life, because it allowed him the time and energy to recover.

2. Freakout

Freakout
Speaker: CEO Yuzuru Honda


"The keyword is serendipity."

At Japan's first and largest demand side platform for real time bidding, we found out the CEO had experienced many different professions including: a musician, robot engineer, and a biochemical researcher.

His many experiences brewed the serendipity which later led to the birth of Freakout.

By the way, Freakout was recently approved for IPO!
Check it out here:
http://www.techinasia.com/freakout-japans-largest-dsp-approved-june-ipo/

3. UNITED

UNITED
Speaker: President Yozo Kaneko


"No timing in life is right for everyone."

UNITED, Inc. develops smartphone media and RTB advertising businesses.


A question from a Japanese student: "What is the best timing to start your own business? Right after you're out of school, or after you work at a big company and have connections?"

Kaneko answered: "No timing in life is right for everyone. Whenever you have an idea and the team needed to execute the idea, that's when you should start."

4. Trippiece

Trippiece
Speaker: CEO Ian Ishida


"Keep trying, you can come up with endless reasons to quit, but they're all just excuses to give up."　

Ian Ishida started his company, Trippiece, when he was a student at Chuo University. Trippiece is a social community for travellers to find others to travel with them.

Ishida knew entrepreneurs who were the same age as him whose businesses did not work out. The difference, he said, between those who succeeded and those who failed, was whether they kept on trying or not.

5. Wantedly

Wantedly
Speaker: COO Gaku Hagiwara


Wantedly - "Just build."

Last but not least, Wantedly!!
You may know already, but just to recap - Wantedly is a social platform for people to visit interesting companies and for companies to connect with potential hiring candidates.

Our COO told students about the importance of having the ability to build.
Many people think that it's the idea that counts, but what they don't realize is that if they can't build the idea, they usually can't sell it or even show it to anybody.
Once you have the prototype, then you can actually start pivoting ideas and making it better, into a real product.

So...Get ready to start building, y'all!!