Yesterday, Sebastian, our new member who joined the company three weeks ago, Kenta, and I went to Banikman and enjoyed horse meat.

I decided to make this blog theme which is related to what I noticed after he joined us (also something I told him in person at the fun drinking party). That is about putting my thought and passion into words. Of course, once a quarter, we have been communicating our thoughts at the-end-of-quarter all-hands meeting and at each time through email, while communicating in detail about the company’s performance, growth strategies, issues, and individual missions. However, because my wife is currently spending a lot of time at the workplace and home and Kenta and I have also worked together for a long time, the other day I thought I had unconsciously expected them to understand my unspoken thoughts. I think Sebastian gave me the opportunity to rethink.

For example, I felt that it is better to explain about our Values once more so that it is well communicated to Sebastian who has language and cultural barriers. In fact, the only three action guidelines were factored into eleven competencies, allowing each person to openly discuss which competencies were their strengths and weaknesses.

One of the important tasks of management (especially in an environment where the number of start-up employees is small) is “to make members understand thoughts and ideas so that they can run hard in the right direction they should go.” We believe that by joining Sebastian, we have to be conscious of this all the time, and as CEO, I am able to enhance this very important ability. From January next year, I will be working with an Italian student who can’t speak Japanese at all and has never been to Japan.

I hope that members aiming to become managers and board members someday will understand the importance of this ability and work on it together!

Masaki “Mark” Iino
Founder & CEO
SOPHOLA, Inc