Hello! Today, I interviewed Kentaro Nagai, who works on the business side of ERAKE.

Mr. Nagai is someone who transitioned from a mega-venture to ERAKE, a startup with a single-digit number of full-time employees. According to him, he has consistently chosen the "more challenging path" since he was a child.

We had a candid discussion about Mr. Nagai's life and thoughts, so please take a look!

ーーWhat kind of child were you during your childhood?

I am from Komatsu City in Ishikawa Prefecture and grew up in a typical household. I was involved in local youth baseball during elementary school. Since I had no particular hopes for junior high school, I attended the public junior high school in my area.

From a young age, I enjoyed being around others and wanted to be at the center of any group. It was simply fun, and I was happy to be liked by my friends.

Additionally, I had a strong desire to contribute and wanted to cherish the people around me. The image I have is not that of a sun that brightly lights up everyone regardless of the relationship but of a candle that gently illuminates the happiness of those around me (laughs).

ーーIt's understandable that you are the type of person who values friendships. How was your high school life?

Actually, right after high school started, I went through a period where I didn't want to go to school. This is because I am generally shy, and junior high school was manageable since many students came from elementary school, but high school was in a different area, making it difficult to make friends from scratch in an unfamiliar environment.

However, I ended up attending Seiryo High School, famous for its sports, where students from all over the country gathered, and through that experience, I expanded my circle of friends and my perspective. Especially since there were about 1800 students, I encountered many different types of people and found it very stimulating.

ーー1800 people!? That's quite a number. It's true that with so many people, you would encounter a variety of individuals. What kind of life were you living there?

I was engaged in both studying and extracurricular activities. I woke up at 5 AM for studying, then practice, classes, and more practice, and after attending cram school, I would return home around midnight. However, thanks to this routine, I was chosen to represent my graduating class of 600 students at the graduation ceremony. It was tough, but it became a successful experience that made me glad I attended Seiryo High School.

I realized that no matter how difficult the environment, I could strive to be the best in that situation.

ーーBeing one of 600… impressive! Your efforts are clearly rewarded, and it's a wonderful success experience. What did you do after that?

I didn’t have a strong desire to go to a specific university, so I applied to Kansai Gaidai, Doshisha, and the National Defense Medical College. When I lined up the schools I got accepted to, I figured that the National Defense Medical College would be the most demanding, so I chose that. Moreover, since I was going to the National Defense Medical College, I decided to move out of my hometown to the Kanto region.

The National Defense Medical College, originally known for its dormitory life, begins the day with a trumpet call at 6 AM. You start your day with cold exposure exercises and so on, so I knew I would be pushed both mentally and physically (laughs).

ーーIt sounds like you didn’t choose it out of ignorance, but rather because you were aware of the difficulties (laughs).

Yes (laughs). I have a tendency to go for the more challenging path. This has been true for both high school and university, and in a way, for the selections within the National Defense Medical College as well. At the National Defense Medical College, there are times when you can choose between aviation, maritime, and ground forces, and since most people aspire to the aviation branch, if they have the aptitude for it, they will select it. However, I chose to go for ground forces even though I had the aptitude for aviation.

Honestly, watching the seniors, I felt that ground training looked the hardest, but I was also attracted to doing physically demanding tasks like digging holes and having fun with my friends (laughs).

ーーYou are quite unique (laughs). What makes you want to choose the more challenging path?

I want to be a person who is evaluated as an "individual" rather than by the name of a school or a company.

Therefore, it is very important to me to feel that I am moving in the direction I aspire to. I am always conscious of whether I am genuinely growing.

In fact, I made career decisions based on the criterion of choosing the more challenging path.

Basically, when you graduate from the National Defense Medical College, you enter the Self-Defense Forces, and many go on to become officers. However, watching my seniors, I saw my future if I took that path, and I didn't want my social circle to be limited to only Self-Defense Forces personnel, so I decided to go into the private sector.

Moreover, even if someone from the National Defense Medical College goes into the private sector, many choose securities firms or trading companies, but since I was going to get a job, I wanted to seek growth over stability, so I chose to work at an IT venture company.

ーーYou have a strong desire for self-improvement! What has the job been like for you so far?

I was assigned to sales, and I was able to experience a variety of tasks beyond typical sales operations, such as setting up the Osaka branch and launching new businesses, which was very fulfilling. I was entrusted with leadership roles and was progressing smoothly, but at some point, I started to feel less growth. With many routine tasks, even as a leader, my responsibilities mainly involved managing numbers, which didn't significantly change.

As I continued this kind of life, I found myself troubled by the gap between the ideal I aspire to and my current situation, and I began to think about pursuing a different career path.

ーーCertainly, in larger companies, there are parts that are unavoidable, but feeling a lack of growth can be tough. What did you do afterward?

While contemplating my career, I had the opportunity to talk with Yoshikata Kaname, a friend from my hometown who is the representative of ERAKE. As I listened to him explain the business contents and the fulfillment of working there, I inadvertently murmured, "It sounds like it would be fun to work together" (laughs). Then, Kaname told me, "I'm glad to hear you feel that way," and as I listened to the mission, vision, and business discussions, I found much to resonate with, and I quickly decided to work together.

Also, I had seen Kaname as a friend for many years, and I thought the changes and growth he had undergone in the last couple of years were genuinely amazing, and I wanted to grow similarly.

Additionally, when I left my previous job, I wanted to feel like I was driving the company, and I had a growing desire to do things with more social significance, so I thought that at ERAKE, I could clear up the doubts I had and move toward my aspirations.

ーーYou and representative Kaname are childhood friends! Knowing the growth of someone you've known for a long time is even more stimulating, right? How has it been since you joined?

I feel my lack of knowledge and shortcomings every day. I also experience the difficulty of starting from scratch and having to confront the unknown every day. However, the sense of fulfillment and accomplishment gained by tackling such challenges is remarkable, and I am particularly happy to see my perspective expanding rapidly.

Regarding the product, we are still at the beginning, but I feel that something significant can be achieved, and I have a strong desire to make it happen. Though it is not perfect, it is enjoyable to nurture it while considering the future, and I believe this is a unique advantage of this phase.

The feedback from users is easily received, and both good and bad reviews serve as motivation for improving the product.

ーーThat sounds wonderful! What do you hope to achieve at ERAKE in the future?

I want to reach a level where I can make judgments with Kaname from the same perspective, not just regarding the product but in all aspects. I want to grow so we can talk on the same level. Conversely, I want to be someone who can complement Kaname in areas where he may be lacking in a good way.

Additionally, regarding the product, I want to first achieve No.1 recognition domestically. I want it to be a product that everyone knows and the first service that comes to mind as a communication tool when traveling. To do this, I want users to fully enjoy the product and enhance their experience. Furthermore, I want to make it usable worldwide.

Ultimately, I believe that a great product spreads through word of mouth, so I want to delve into the product's value and fulfill the vision of revitalizing Japan!

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story! I can truly feel your strong passion for the product! Finally, could you say a few words to potential candidates?

While I do think skills are important, we want to have people who have strong beliefs above all else come on board. We want to work with people who resonate with our vision and product and can respect each other as members, so anyone interested, please feel free to reach out to us!