Today, I interviewed Vu Quoc Hanh, an engineer supporting ERAKE's product (nickname: Hanh-san). Hanh-san is involved not only in engineering duties but also in project management, participating in appointments with clients, and organizing business requirements.

Hanh-san shared the reasons he joined ERAKE and what he aims to achieve in the future.
Please take a look!

ーーFirst of all, please introduce yourself

Hello, my name is Vu Quoc Hanh. I first came to Japan in 2015 as an international student at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, majoring in business management. After that, I got a job in Japan and joined a stationery manufacturer, Wancher Co., Ltd., as a new graduate. During that time, I became interested in systems after encountering product and logistics management systems, and I transferred to the Japan branch of FPT Software, Vietnam's largest IT service provider. I joined ERAKE in January 2024.

ーーWhat kind of projects were you involved in at your previous job?

I was involved in a credit card project for a major Japanese bank. This was a joint project involving many companies, including FPT, with five participants from FPT. I was responsible for defining the membership credit card registration system, POS systems, payment systems for staff stores, and purchase history management systems.

I learned the importance of robust systems in the financial sector from the perspective of strict legal regulations and user information protection in banking. On-premise operations were required, which often meant doing many things before deploying the product, and I gained insights from that experience. Additionally, being able to cover the maintenance, operation, and management of the system was a valuable experience. However, as FPT required development aligned with the client's intentions, I began looking for a company where I could reflect my own opinions in the development of its products. During that time, I developed an order management system for restaurants on my own from front-end to back-end and joined ERAKE.

ーーWhat was the deciding factor for joining ERAKE?

I was deeply impressed by the high aspirations to become a global No.1 company originating from Japan. In fact, my decision to join ERAKE was not made immediately. Another company I considered was developing a battery management system for electric vehicles, and both opportunities were attractive. When I consulted with the representative, Kana, he passionately spoke about the company's vision, mission, and the world they aim to create.

A while ago, top companies like NTT and major banks were listed as the world leaders, but now only TOYOTA stands out. They have lost their position to companies from China and the United States. When I heard the desire to once again create a company that can compete globally from Japan, I was profoundly moved. I am Vietnamese but love Japan and have been living here for about ten years. I decided to join ERAKE because I want to aim for a global No.1 company with the same aspirations.

ーーWhat is the atmosphere and environment like at the workplace?

I genuinely feel that we are rapidly growing. We have moved to a new office and new members are continuously joining, making the changes very significant and enjoyable. In addition, ERAKE has many foreign employees and provides substantial support. In particular, the visa application process requires many documents that the company must prepare, which can be challenging, but the administrative staff helped prepare everything in detail, which was very helpful. Communication with team members is also very pleasant and open.

ーーWhat kind of projects are you working on?

I am responsible for the overall development of our services, Trifa and Trifa Business. Especially as the number of users and revenue rapidly increases, product development is progressing quickly, making it a highly rewarding experience. A particularly memorable achievement was successfully integrating a new telecommunications operator's system within a short timeframe of one month.

The work begins with investigating and analyzing existing systems. When user applications start, we create a flowchart to understand how subsequent actions will occur and incorporate the new telecommunications operator's system integration methods. The challenging part at this time was considering the existing telecommunications operators’ systems while maintaining their integrity. Of course, since different telecommunications operators provide different systems, we faced challenges in finding integration methods. After about a week of discussions with the engineering team members, we were able to establish a direction, which was very satisfying. Normally, this would take about two weeks to consider, but we accomplished it in one week, thanks to our teamwork and technical skills.

ーーWork that embodies ERAKE's values of Ultra-C and Go Fast! How do you feel about your growth as an engineer?

Since I am in a completely different environment of the telecommunications industry and C-facing services, my knowledge has undoubtedly increased. Additionally, since the target is general users, the expected values differ, requiring careful consideration of what specifications are best for product development.

Among all, I feel the greatest growth when I am involved in system integration with the telecommunications industry. While learning the latest development methods and technologies as an engineer is essential, I believe it is also crucial to think about how to implement those methods in practice. In that regard, the systems of leading companies are often complex, and by contemplating and executing how to integrate those systems, I feel that I am gaining strength.

ーーWhat kind of development would you like to pursue in the future?

In the medium to long term, I would like to further enhance my domain knowledge of the telecommunications industry and strengthen the development of core networks. At the same time, I will also improve the user experience of the Trifa mobile app and web app. Particularly, since we expect a rapid increase in users from here on, I would like to prepare to strengthen the durability of our database.

ーーFinally, what kind of people would you like to join ERAKE?

It's essential that candidates resonate with ERAKE's Vision, Mission, and Values, but I also think it is important for them to have an overwhelming desire for growth. When looking at the eSIM product, there are still strong competitors globally, but Trifa stands out in Japan. However, the eSIM industry is also gaining momentum domestically, so we plan to develop rapidly to create a gap. I am looking for individuals with a high desire for growth who can keep pace with this development speed.

Technical skills are not necessary for those who have been engaged in web services, and special experience in the telecommunications industry is not required. Rather, someone who possesses a flat mindset without being bound by specific domains would be a perfect fit.

If you're interested, let's have a casual conversation first! There are events like LT meetings, so please reach out saying, 'I would like to listen to your story.'