2018 Recovery Projection for Companies That Raised Hundreds of Millions in 2014

Introducing The Startup's 2018 review of 100 companies that raised big rounds in 2014, and reacting to being on the unrecoverable list.

Books and articles to get a general understanding of antisocial forces

Primer articles and books for a general understanding of antisocial forces reaching into the Japanese startup industry.

Reference Information for Developing SaaS on AWS

Reference links — SaaS Lens and the builders.flash SaaS on AWS series — for developing SaaS on AWS.

What Startup CTOs Should Take Away from Block's "From Hierarchy to Intelligence"

Block's "From Hierarchy to Intelligence" traces 2,000 years of hierarchical organization and argues that AI world models can replace the information-routing function that hierarchy has always provided. As a startup CTO, I break down the core thesis, Block's new four-layer model, and the practical lessons that apply regardless of company size.

Reading Notes: 'Think Honestly and Thoroughly' by Mitsunobu Okada

Reading notes on 'Think Honestly and Thoroughly' by Astroscale founder Mitsunobu Okada.

Reading Notes: 'Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies (Interview)' by Reid Hoffman

Reading notes on Reid Hoffman's interview book 'Blitzscaling.'

Reading Notes: '起業家の思考法――「別解力」で圧倒的成果を生む問題発見・解決・実践の技法' (Entrepreneur's Thinking Method: Problem Discovery, Solution, and Practice Techniques for Overwhelming Results through 'Alternative Solution Power') by Takeshi Hirao

Notes on Takeshi Hirao's 'Entrepreneur's Thinking Method,' including quotes on what separates people who deliver results from those who don't.

Reading Notes: 'Entrepreneurship is 100% Will' by Minoru Moriya

Notes on Minoru Moriya's 'Entrepreneurship is 100% Will,' capturing the quotes that stood out on what matters most for founders.

Reading Notes: 'Where Entrepreneurs Go Wrong — 9 Dilemmas Every Startup Must Face' by Noam Wasserman

Takeaways from Noam Wasserman's 'The Founder's Dilemmas' on co-founding, title inflation, and specialist vs generalist hiring.

Reading Notes: 『爆速成長マネジメント』(High Growth Handbook) by Elad Gil

Takeaways from Elad Gil's 'High Growth Handbook' on executive hiring, board management, and org structure during hypergrowth.

Reading Notes: 'I Am No Longer President: 7435 Days with Y-Cube' by Yoshio Yasuda

Takeaways from Yoshio Yasuda's memoir of running Y-Cube into the ground — a cautionary tale on founder priorities.

Reading Notes: 'Instagram: The Truth Behind the Wild Ambition' by Sarah Frier

Takeaways from Sarah Frier's 'No Filter' — Facebook's VPN acquisition intent and the Snapchat rivalry, from a consumer product builder's lens.

Reading Log: 'Boku wa Kimi no "Netsu" ni Tōshi Shiyō ― Benchākyanitarisuto ga Chōhatsu suru Nanokakan no Tokubetsu Kōgi' (I'll Invest in Your "Passion" ― Seven Days of Special Lectures Provoked by a Venture Capitalist) by Anri Samata

Takeaways from Anri Samata's 'I'll Invest in Your Passion' — founders grow only through their business, not by simply working hard.

Reading Notes: 'New Edition: Lanchester Strategy - The Underdog Reversal Law: How Small Companies Can Win and Become Profitable' by Masafumi Fukunaga

A startup CEO's takeaway from 'Lanchester Strategy' — analog close-combat sales gain value as IT-driven outreach spreads.

Reading Log: 'Learn or Die: Shi nu Ki de Manabe Purifādo Nettowākusu no Chōsen' (Learn or Die: Learn with Deadly Determination - Preferred Networks' Challenge) by Toru Nishikawa and Daisuke Okanohara

Reading notes on Preferred Networks' 'Learn or Die,' with quotes on values, hiring, and organizational philosophy.

Reading Notes: 'Managers Must Not Flee to Profits' by Susumu Fujita

Reading notes on Susumu Fujita's HBR interview about exit decisions and resisting the comfort of profits.

Reading Notes: 'Let's Talk About Failures. What We Learned by Pushing Forward Through 'Not Knowing Anything'' by Yosuke Tsuji

Reading notes from Money Forward founder Yosuke Tsuji on weekend startups and finding committed teammates.

Reading Notes: 'Purpose: The "Meaningful" Economy and Beyond' by Hironori Iwasaki and Yasuhiro Sasaki

Reading notes on 'Purpose,' covering purpose-led strategy and Gen Z's meaningful consumption.

Reading Notes: 'Genius of Entrepreneurship! Hiromasa Ezoe: The Man Who Created the 8 Trillion Yen Company Recruit' by Yasuyuki Onishi

Notes on the Recruit founder's story: intrinsic motivation, PSM, and a proto-teal organization.

Reading Notes: 'Never Say You Can't. Think About How After You Say You Can' by Dai Tange

Reading notes on the book by SHIFT founder Dai Tange, with reflections on intrinsic motivation.

Reading Memo: 'President Shino's Management School: Trade-off Balance Multiplies Results by 10' by Takaya Shinozuka

Reading notes on the book by Loco Partners / Relux founder Takaya Shinozuka, covering slow motion multitasking and more.

Reading Notes: 'Single Dad Entrepreneur Doesn't Try Too Hard - Philosophy of Living Freely' by Hibi Miyazaki

A short reading note on Hibi Miyazaki's book, recommended for single fathers navigating challenges.

Reading Notes: 'Think Big, My Way: The Masayoshi Son Story - Definitive Edition' by Atsuo Inoue

Reading notes on the Masayoshi Son biography — belief in technology, the hunter-vs-cook philosophy, and more.

Reading Notes: 'Practical Startup Finance: Capital Policy Post-Mortem' by Yu Yamaoka

Reading notes on Yu Yamaoka's book — a useful reference for startup finance and IPO-related securities reports.

Reading Notes: 'Sustainable Capitalism: How 5% of 'Thoughtful Consumption' Changes Society' by Masanori Murakami

Reading notes on 'Sustainable Capitalism' — mission-driven management and consumers as key supporters.

Reading Notes: 'User First: Yoshiteru Akita and Kufu Company - The Man Who Developed Tabelog and Cookpad' by Tsuneyoshi Noji / ユーザーファースト　穐田誉輝とくふうカンパニー

Reading notes on the Yoshiteru Akita biography — user-first philosophy, organizational design, and product thinking.

Reading Memo: 'Keep Asking Until You Break Through: The Trajectory of Struggles, Efforts, and Growth of Giant Startup Visional' by Satoshi Ebitani

Reading notes on the Visional story — problem decomposition, hiring, and the grass venture approach.

Reading Notes: 'Visionary Company ZERO: Creating Business from Scratch and Becoming a Great and Enduring Company' by Jim Collins

Reading notes on 'Visionary Company ZERO' — leadership, discipline, the hedgehog concept, and innovation.

Reading Notes: 'Zero to IPO' by Frederic Kerrest

Reading notes on 'Zero to IPO' by Okta co-founder Frederic Kerrest, spanning team, sales, culture, and leadership.

Books I Read to Gain 'Finance' Knowledge as an Engineer Turned Business Owner

Three books an engineer-turned-co-founder read to build a baseline in startup finance.

Books I read when an engineer became an executive to understand 'labor management'

Books an engineer-turned-co-founder read to understand back-office labor management.

Books I read when an engineer became an executive to understand 'legal affairs'

Books an engineer-turned-co-founder read to understand corporate legal affairs and contracts.

Summary of research for creating engineer recruitment page on bosyu

Research for creating an engineer recruitment page on bosyu, including service overview and real examples.

Business books recommended by a fashion e-commerce startup CEO

Business book picks on leadership and transformation, recommended by a fashion e-commerce startup CEO.

Summary of Clerk Use Cases

A short summary of the 8 companies featured in Clerk's Trusted by fast-growing companies section.

Compound Startup Insights Summary

A chronological link roundup of Japanese articles and podcasts on the 'compound startup' multi-product SaaS trend.

'Corporate Engineer Night #2: We'll Become Beloved Corporate IT' Participation Report #CorporateEngineerNight

A report from Corporate Engineer Night #2 in Tokyo, with LT summaries and startup corporate-IT advice from the after-party.

Reference Information for Corporate Engineer Recruitment

A reference list for hiring your first corporate engineer - recruitment, salary, career paths, and startup job posts.

ESG, SDGs Introduction, Criticism, and Recommended Books

A categorized reading list on ESG and SDGs — intros, critical takes, and recommendations.

Google Drive Shared Drive and Folder Recommended Structure [For Corporations]

A recommended Google Drive shared drive and folder structure for corporations that have just adopted G Suite.

IPO Salaries Typically Range from 4.2 to 5 Million Yen

A look at Mercari's and ZUU's 2018 securities reports and typical IPO-era salaries in Japan.

Is Joining a Venture Company a Smart Choice for Individual Career Planning?

A quote from Yoichi Ochiai's Japan Revitalization Strategy on why joining a venture company is a smart career move.

Keep PRD (Product Requirements Document) Always Up to Date

A PRD is a roadmap for product development — here's a flow for keeping it always up to date.

Learning from 'シリコンバレーによろしく'! LinkedIn Mastery for Global Startups

For startups aiming for global market success, LinkedIn is not just another social network. It's a powerful tool that can be leveraged for trust building, lead generation, hiring, market research, and every aspect of business. This article explains how I'm implementing the LinkedIn mastery techniques introduced in the podcast 'シリコンバレーによろしく リターンズ'.

How Staying Active on LinkedIn Led to a Japan CTO Inquiry from an Overseas Startup

By continuing to post on LinkedIn, I received an inquiry about a Japan CTO position from an overseas startup. I'll explain how important LinkedIn is for Japanese engineers aiming for a global career, based on my firsthand experience.

Save 'Long Working Hours' as a Last Resort

Reflections on saving long working hours as a last resort and producing consistent output within a fixed timeframe.

Looking Back at 2020

Reflecting on 2020, my first year as a co-founder, across development, back office, corporate engineering, and hiring.

[Video] "Venture-oriented Programmer" by Naoya Ito

A quick note on watching Naoya Ito's Venture-oriented Programmer lecture video.

Lessons from 'Open Source: From Community to Commercialization | Andreessen Horowitz'

Lessons from a16z on OSS business models and why community — not code — is the real competitive moat.

Reading Notes 'ZERO to ONE（ゼロ・トゥ・ワン） 君はゼロから何を生み出せるか / Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future' by Peter Thiel

Reading notes on Peter Thiel's 'Zero to One' — lean as means not goal, CEO pay, one responsibility per person, and the founder's paradox.

Reading Notes '起業家の勇気　USEN宇野康秀とベンチャーの興亡 / The Entrepreneur's Courage: USEN's Yasuhide Uno and the Rise and Fall of Ventures' by Hiroshi Kodama

Notes on Yasuhide Uno's biography — Intelligence's early hiring, the 30-person management limit, and hearing out complaints.

Reading Log: 'Elon Shock: 215 Days of Destruction and Creation Witnessed by the Former Twitter Japan President'

Notes on 'Elon Shock' — ship first, break the shelf, the will to respond, and line-by-line cost review.

Reading Notes: 'The Startup: Internet Entrepreneurship! Let That Fool Give It a Try'

Notes from 'The Startup' on the commando/general/bureaucrat archetypes and the turning-point gambles founders make.

Reading Notes: 'Japanese Dream - E-Revolution Declaration by a 26-year-old Listed Company President!' by Susumu Fujita

Notes from Susumu Fujita's 'Japanese Dream' on eliminating person-dependency to build a strong organization.

Reading Notes『ネット興亡記 敗れざる者たち』(The Rise and Fall of the Internet: The Undefeated) by Takashi Sugimoto

Notes on a book chronicling Japan's internet and startup history, plus the drama adaptation and related essays.

Reading Notes: 'The Uber War: How It Rose, Dominated, and Became Hated by Society' by Mike Isaac

Notes from Mike Isaac's Uber book on the Frugality value and competitor intelligence (COIN).

Reading Notes: 『ALL for SaaS SaaS立ち上げのすべて』(ALL for SaaS: Everything About SaaS Launch) by Miyata Yoshitaka

Notes from 'ALL for SaaS' on product vision, decision criteria, and feature shock in pricing.

Reading Notes: PLG Product-Led Growth / 『PLG プロダクト・レッド・グロース「セールスがプロダクトを売る時代」から「プロダクトでプロダクトを売る時代」へ』

Notes from 'Product-Led Growth' on GTM strategy and the small team needed to run a product-led motion.

Reading Notes: 'Future-Making Entrepreneurs: Failure and Success Stories of 20 Japan-Born Startups'

Notes from '20 Stories from Japan-Born Startups' on the center-pin strategy and early recruiter/PR hires.

Reading Notes: 'Implementing the Future - Four Principles for Social Transformation Through Technology' by Takaaki Umada

Reading notes on Takaaki Umada's 'Implementing the Future', covering rebundling, demand, narrative, and over-communication.

Reading Notes: 'The Start-up of You' by Reid Hoffman

Reading notes on Reid Hoffman's 'The Start-up of You', covering permanent beta, niche strategy, and contrarian thinking.

Reading Notes: '起業の失敗大全――スタートアップの成否を決める６つのパターン' (The Complete Guide to Startup Failures: Six Patterns That Determine Success or Failure) by Tom Eisenmann

Reading notes on Tom Eisenmann's 'Why Startups Fail' — oversized fundraising, the 6S framework, and the speed trap.

Books Read by a Startup Engineer-CEO to Create a Business Plan

The books a startup engineer-CEO read to build a business plan from scratch.

Participated in Startup CTO Night & Day 2025 Powered by AWS

I participated in Startup CTO Night & Day 2025 Powered by AWS. This year, I had the opportunity to present at the 'Shikujiri! CTO Dojo' session, which was a great experience. While much of the content was off-the-record and cannot be shared in detail, I wrote this article as a record of my participation.

The Debt of Being Unable to Decide

A short note on the debt that piles up when a startup can't decide who owns each call.

Hiring Plans Should Be Cautious Even After Successful Fundraising

Why hiring plans still need to be cautious after fundraising — spell out the role and its day-one work before interviewing.

Speaking at 'Startup Meetup Kumamoto @ XOSS POINT.'

Speaking at Startup Meetup Kumamoto @ XOSS POINT. about a kindergarten search chatbot on Amazon Bedrock.

Startup Study #9 Attendance Report

Attended Startup Study #9 at Kumamoto Shintoshin Plaza. Hosted by Yuma Sugiyama, the event featured a panel talk by Yukinori Fukatsu on Japanese startup strategies.

Recommended Books for Directors/Executive Officers/Management of Tech Startups

Four book recommendations for tech-startup directors and managers, each linked to my reading notes.

When busy, visualize the time spent on each task

When you're busiest, visualize per-task time with Toggl to find bottlenecks and act on them.

Tokyo Otaku Mode Acquired by Shogakukan — Reflections From Someone There Since the Early Days

Tokyo Otaku Mode has been fully acquired by Shogakukan. I was part of it for roughly eight years from the early days, both as an engineer and as a shareholder. This is the story of how the company grew from media into e-commerce and cross-border logistics, told from someone who was inside it.