The words of a friend who changed my life as a shy person, life changes significantly based on what you choose.

"Make the path you chose the right one"

This is a phrase I wrote on the WILL BOARD, which expresses the will of Zeals. Having grown up in a rural area, I attended local schools until high school, but I felt a sudden expansion of choices in life at the opportunity of entering university. Depending on what I choose, my future could change dramatically. Although working for a startup was a choice I never imagined, I followed my true feelings as a result. After making a choice, I have adopted the motto of "making that path the right one with all my efforts" in my life.

− You mentioned you never imagined working for a startup, but can I ask why you joined Zeals as a new graduate?

To go back in time to my high school days, I entered a school where I knew no one. Originally, I had a shy personality, but as I gradually expanded my circle of friends, I was told by a friend

"You’re good at positively communicating with various people, so I want you to lead the class."

From there, I began to take on leadership roles such as class representative and cheerleading captain. I am filled with gratitude, thinking about how many experiences I wouldn’t have had without the encouragement of those around me.

This event greatly influenced my job hunting process. I believe everyone has a sense of loneliness and fear of new challenges. Having been afraid to take a step forward, I found that my friend’s words eased my fear, and I came to want to engage in work that supports someone's challenges and expands people's possibilities. Additionally, regarding what kind of environment I could thrive in, I sought a “team that could move towards the same goals,” which I experienced in my high school volleyball team. Although I had choices to go to large companies or start my own business, I chose a startup and Zeals, as it allowed me to achieve both.

The role of manager that I raised my hand to and the palpable sense of creating a business

− You joined with a strong determination, what kind of work are you doing?

Since joining, I have consistently been in charge of the area of advertising × chat commerce operations. Currently, we focus on a model where conversation experiences start from a client’s product LP flowing into a chatbot, and we also provide a model that flows from LINE ads to chatbots in this area. At first glance, it may seem like a small difference, but utilizing advertising allows us to deliver chat commerce to more users, so significant growth is expected in the future.
Among these, I have been consistently responsible for both advertising operations and chatbot design, thinking daily about what kind of ads to show and what conversation experiences to provide in order to enhance user satisfaction.

Initially, I was groping in the dark, but I have steadily contributed to clients with results. Recently, our collaboration with Sendai Bank was featured in an article, and I hope you will take a look at it. As mentioned in the article, one of the attractions of this area is that we can conduct advertising operations using user insight data. I believe that continuously refining this area will directly contribute to the growth of Zeals.

− If you have any unique experiences specific to startups, I’d like to hear about them.

I was selected as a team manager at the eight-month mark of my employment. It was just at the point when I was finally beginning to stand on my own as a communication designer, but I suddenly found myself leading a team of 10 members with aggressive goals. Amid many unknowns regarding skills and know-how, it was truly a valuable experience to be able to learn directly from Masa (CEO) and En (COO) about strategy and promotion, and about future-oriented thinking. This was not only within the company, but external advisors also made time to offer various advice. Thanks to them, the team achieved its annual goals. There were many times when my stomach was in knots, but it was an exhilarating experience to feel as though I was creating a business from my long-desired leadership position. Additionally, I learned that envisioning the future and feeling a sense of responsibility for it provides a sense of fulfillment.

− Have you implemented any strategies in team management?

I focus on thinking about things that only I can do and strive to remain at the forefront as a leader. I believe it is important to actively think of new solutions and propose them to clients, design conversations for chatbots as a communication designer, and steadily show results by setting a good example. The advertising area poses a new challenge compared to the existing chat commerce business model, so there are no clear answers. I strive to create a team where all members can face questions and engage in discussions.

Making advertising × chat commerce a new pillar for Zeals, I want to be its guide

− Finally, Jack, how do you plan to "launch from Japan to the world"?

I want to elevate the area of advertising × chat commerce that I have faced into a new pillar of Zeals. We have a robust team with knowledge of the advertising industry, but I take pride in being the one who understands this area within the company at the highest resolution. In this area, leveraging zero-party data (conversation data obtained from users after gaining permission via chatbots) is becoming an important topic. I believe that a commitment to continuous challenges will lead to an increase in our presence both domestically and internationally.

− Do you think your choice to select a startup as a new graduate was the right one?

Yes, I can confidently say that. I wanted to create some kind of area of expertise by joining a startup. Zeals provides an environment that supports various challenges and entrusts responsibilities. For me, that has been the area of advertising × chat commerce. I want to continue to build the most knowledgeable position in this field.

− Please also share your medium to long-term outlook.

In the medium to long term, I am considering challenges in Asia. "Advertising" is a business that exists worldwide. Although this area is rapidly changing with personal information protection and regulations on third-party data, I believe there is potential to enrich people's lives through personalized advertising for each user. I want to take the lead in challenges in a far larger global market than Japan and deliver chat commerce to the world.