I went to Startup Lady’s Go Global Hub #5, Here’s What I Saw
🎯 Takeaway
The keys for successful startup-enterprise relationships are to tailor the solutions, and to set the KPI on its quality (the value for your customer), not on its quantity (the PoC case numbers).
The business chain needs both startups' agility and companies’ stability, entrepreneurs are expected to play the outsourcing roles, contribution to the others’ core competence.
The JTC tends to ponder upon responsibility after PoC. This is a remnant of “die with dignity (Harakiri)” Culture.
METI is opening its arms to welcome new business entries. Before you apply for a meeting, double check who to talk to, when to reach out and what to tell to move the needle. July and August are the top seasons to apply. Seize the moment!
A reverse pitch ignited sparkles of borderless solutions and offers. If you are facing struggles, let’s put our heads together!
Hello, everyone!
This blog is a brief report of “Go Global Hub #5 Global Connector Salon”.
“Go Global” is a startup entrepreneurs-investor connection event series, supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This time, we enjoyed our fifth gathering on 23rd, January, in Shibuya, Tokyo.
If you care for the details, please check out the official website from here.
We, Build+, are more than delighted to support this future chasing business opportunities for startup stakeholders.
Let us step onto the showcase. Chop-chop! :)
🗣️ Lessons from the Keynote Speakers: Taisuke Alex Odajima
Each time, we enjoy guest attendance to share the cutting-edge industrial insight and envision a glimpse of this vibrant admin. The evening led us to cross-perspective and ready-to-apply insights from startup stakeholders and the Japanese government (METI).
Taisuke (Alex) Odajima（Japan Representative of Start2 Group K.K.）: Partnership Perspective
Main Theme: “Plans are useless, but planning is essential!"
Here are Alex’s 3 points for entrepreneurs:
The Different Business Models: “Innovation vs Responsibility”
Startups spotlight the urgency of agility and innovation.
On the other hand, big business highlights the importance of stability and responsibility. The speaker encapsulates this in “an oxpecker and a rhino”.
These two are meant to coexist for survival and for the food supply chain. This is the goal of the startup-enterprise relationship. Startups receive outsourcing business from firms, allowing the bigger corporation to optimise its in-house resources. This business chain is our “Circle of Life” ! 🦁The Cultural Understanding: Japanese “Responsibility” Mindset
International startup founders find themselves struggling with their Japanese partner firms, especially after the PoC stages.
The partnership specialist analyses the factor as “the responsibility consideration step”.Historically, the samurai society had the convention of “harakiri (stomach cutting)” to preserve one’s own words. Literally, “live with responsibility” or “die with dignity”.
Even though the descendants discontinued the custom, the residue of the virtue takes some extra time to weigh the cost, particularly in transaction, pricing, and requirement definition, for instance.For Best Practice: “PoC Targets” and “Execution”
These are the vital perspectives for PoC. Does your KPI include…?
Tailored Solution: Confirm the alignment with your partner’s business needs.
Contribution to your Partner’s Core Competence: The goal for entrepreneurs is to help the companies optimise their resources for their core business.
Customer Value: It is not the quantity, but the quality that really matters in this sector.
Localisation and Cultural Awareness: Business partnership is a type of cross-cultural relationship. A keen sense of associated societies boosts your opportunities.
The following mindsets enable you to stand out as an invaluable business partner.
Iteration ↔️
Business Speed 🏃♂️
Flexibility 💦
Honesty in your Business 💪
From now on, we are diving into the government side.
They’re here to assist you.
Pierre Bugel from METI lights up the path for us.
🗣️ Lessons from the Keynote Speaker 2: Pierre Bugel (Embassy of France / METI)
Main Theme: “4 Points for Efficient Collaboration with METI”
Pierre signifies 4 elements for entrepreneurs to leverage a meeting to generate a meaningful discussion with METI.
Key Person: There are a number of departments in the ministry. So, please, be mindful of who you are consulting. There are 3 types of officials:
1) The ones irrelevant to ventures
2) Your stakeholders
3) The rule-makers
Distinguishing one group from another is highly recommended beforehand.
Topic & Themes: Back in 2022, the Kishida Administration declared "The First Year for Founding Startups". Ever since then, the startup investment by the Japanese government increased by ten times from 2013 (87B yen) to 2022 (877B yen). And also, professional business coaching systems, like J-Strap and J-Star X, are available, as well. If you would like to know more about Japanese Startup Boost Analysis, please visit our blog. As for the latest updates for the collaboration programmes, please check METI official website.
METI’s Fiscal Year Calendar: METI adapts the Japanese fiscal year, beginning with April and ending with March.
The best season to reach out to them is July and August.
Let’s break down the METI annual calendar.
January to March: It’s a complete off-season, at the very end of the Japanese fiscal year. No answers may be anticipated.
April to June: This is the season for preparation. METI composes reports from the previous year’s results, and decides on a brand new strategy for the following year.
July to August: This is the top season for engagement with METI. The new annual policy will be issued and activated. Please, seize the moment!
September to December: This is the season of harvest. METI and the collaborators are keeping a close eyes upon the impacts and further opportunities for the existing collaboration.
4. Magical Words to Move the Needles: Pierre elaborates on rewording. Certain sorts of wording can reverse your effort and push the prosperity far away.
For those of you who’d like to build a brand new connection in the startup sector, please join the final event on February 17th at Tokyo Innovation Base.
Register here: https://luma.com/d4amw8dh
Now, let us go through the reverse pitching.
💡 Reverse Pitch & Solution time
A reverse pitch is a discussion where the speaker raises questions and gets the solution plans from the audience. The insight is delivered not from the presenter, but from the listener. That’s why it’s called “reverse”.
Here is the time table for the pitching section.
Each presenter has 3 minutes to introduce their business needs and questions.
The audience devises and shares their ideas with the speaker for 4 minutes.
Another pitch commences.
We enjoyed a variety of guest speakers from the entrepreneurs’, VC and bureaucratic sides.
Sectors : AdTech, SpaceTech, SupplyTech (startups), VC, Vienna City
Market Base : Both Japanese and international stakeholders joined the session. Borderless synergy is waiting for you.
Business Growth Scale : The scales varied from startups in early days to mega VC (for ConsumerTech, FinTech, D2C and Blockchain).
Session Outcome : There are lots of sparks floating online, from business strategy to Startup Invitation to Vienna. You can check the log from here.
Quick Note!
At the discussion, we used the “post and reply” function on LikedIn. If you are yet to download, this is the time! Please, set up your account and feel the ride together! 🏄
🙌 Conclusion
Thank you for walking through this thrilling experience.
I hope that this report will bring a sparkle of light to your professional adventures.
