It was called 'LinNo,' a student-oriented SNS where users could share campus information such as clubs, classes, and tests within the same university. At that time, Facebook had become popular in the United States as a similar student-oriented SNS, so I thought it would be great to have a space where university friends in Japan could connect. I launched it as a spin-off from the company where I was interning at the time.

Thank you. We gained tens of thousands of users within a few years and received investments, so it was a promising start. However, as growth slowed down, I felt a slight deviation from the direction I wanted to pursue, so I decided to explore a different path. After that, I joined a major advertising agency as a new graduate.

At 'LinNo,' where I felt frustrated, I was mainly involved in marketing and promotions, so I wanted to learn more about customer acquisition and advertising. I thought it would lay the foundation for my next challenge. After joining, I worked on magazine advertisements in the publishing media department and then moved on to developing IT clients in the sales department. That's when my relationship with Reazon began.

Their enthusiasm was simply remarkable. When they entrusted us with the first commercial for 'Dragon Egg' and invited us to a dinner that served as a kickoff meeting, I was impressed by the intense discussions among the employees. I attended many dinners afterwards, and each time, the employees were passionately discussing. While I had handled various clients, I hadn't seen anyone, not even the president or executives, putting in such sincere effort to achieve results besides Reazon.

It started when I proposed an annual plan to hype up the release of 'menu.' They set up a dinner meeting for us again, which was the trigger. I saw how they were tackling big challenges while enjoying themselves, aiming to be the best in the world. I was impressed by their attitude of venturing into the completely different field of food tech despite the success and profitability in the social gaming business. That's why I decided to join them.

Not at all. When I first met with Reazon, they had about 100 employees, so there were rapid changes in the organizational structure due to the company's growth, but since it was a stage where people who resonated with the vision of 'aiming to be the best in the world' were gathering, there was no gap.

As the marketing manager of 'menu,' I am responsible for advertising and PR to increase the number of users and orders, as well as serving as the PM for new projects to increase business profitability.
My current job is to create "reasons to use" from the user's perspective and make them known. While the marketing department often starts with "how to convey the existing service", we think from the perspective of "what service or experience to provide", and actively participate in service development. It can be challenging to touch areas beyond advertising, but we are constantly experimenting with a lot of professionals both inside and outside the company.

Since joining Reazon, I feel like my work isn't just work anymore, and the enthusiasm from my student entrepreneurship days has returned. We're still discussing how to make 'menu' a success with company members, but it feels like playing video games with friends at someone's house. We tackle difficult levels, clear them, and then challenge even harder ones together... It's like that, and I enjoy working while having fun.

I want to make an impact on people's lives through the business I'm involved in. The original experience comes from 'LinNo' in my university days. It was interesting to see how university life changed as students began sharing notes and past exam questions on SNS, eliminating inequalities such as not receiving information if you weren't part of a community. It was a struggle for me, who wasn't very serious and couldn't rely solely on borrowing notes to pass exams, but seeing how university life changed because of what I started was fascinating. At that time, it was limited to the small world of the university, but thinking about it spreading throughout Japan and even overseas excites me.

Along with the magnitude of the impact, I also believe in the importance of individual discretion. For example, if you're just one employee in a division of a global service-providing company, your discretion is limited, and what you can do is restricted. But at Reazon, each employee has a significant level of discretion, and you feel like you're personally driving the service.

I'm often asked, 'Why not start your own business?' but I find it more appealing to utilize Reazon's talented individuals and resources to take on even bigger challenges than what I could do alone.

Yes, indeed. We launched "menu" as a takeout app and began offering delivery services in April 2020. However, on the day we started our delivery service, a state of emergency was declared due to the impact of COVID-19, completely changing daily life and making it difficult for restaurants to even pay rent. Feeling that it was crucial to support restaurants at this time, we decided to waive the fees for restaurants and launched a TV commercial to spread the word.

Despite having little preparation time, we hurriedly filmed the commercial and aired it about two weeks later. Thanks to everyone's support, we received a tremendous response, leading to more than ten times the usual number of sign-ups. Due to the unexpected level of response, colleagues from other departments and even family members helped us handle the influx of applications.

It's a bittersweet feeling. Moving forward, "menu" aims to continue innovating as a domestic delivery service and evolve into a service that satisfies our users. By creating new trends, we hope to energize the restaurant industry and contribute to improving revenue.

Yes, we hold monthly social gatherings for employees involved in the "menu" business and members from various departments. Sometimes, around 100 people gather. It's a relaxed event where we enjoy dishes delivered by "menu" while casually mingling with the flexibility to join or leave whenever.

Initially, "menu" started with just a few dozen people, but now it's grown into a large organization. These events provide valuable opportunities for us to understand each other's roles and personalities, as well as to welcome new team members. It's also a chance for interactions that might not naturally occur, like between the CEO and new hires, or between the development and sales teams. Even for employees who find it challenging to initiate social interactions, these events allow them to easily participate and build connections horizontally within the company. I think it's been very beneficial to organize these gatherings.

As the organization and business grow larger, I feel it's becoming more difficult for individuals to create or feel individual successes. In response, as someone currently overseeing three teams, I've set a framework for team members to focus on challenging themselves.

Even amid various responsibilities, when individuals decide on something they personally want to achieve, they tend to commit more deeply and feel genuine satisfaction upon achieving it. I want everyone to experience that joy, and I believe when each member can genuinely celebrate their successes, it contributes to the growth of the individual, the team, and the company.

It's a place that provides a challenging environment and opportunities. Its attractiveness lies in having talented individuals who embrace a culture of welcoming failure and continuously taking on new challenges. Moving forward, we aim to make "menu" the number one service in the domestic market and will continue to release various initiatives towards that goal. I look forward to collaborating with our talented team members and delivering new value to society.