Tomioka: Since our founding, we have had a mission of "turning business encounters into assets and innovating work styles," and we have provided various services as a company to realize this mission. When we started Sansan, the only business card management was software for individuals at electronics retailers, and there were no companies that managed business cards. I think it was because I was only aware of the value of a database of business cards as a "roster." As the number of companies that have introduced "Sansan" has increased, the value of "database of human connections" has taken root, and now Sumitomo SMBC, KADOKAWA Corporation, and the Ministry of Ministry of Economy, Trade and IndustryIt is used by about 6,000 companies. In 2012, Eight, a business card management and business SNS for individuals, has exceeded 2 million users. However, in terms of "creating a worldview," we are only halfway there.

Tomioka: Of course, it is important to face the mission, but at the same time, I think that it is all about realizing the customer value of "turning assets I will. We have about 300 employees, but I can assure you that there is no other company in the world where everyone is heading in the same direction with business cards as the starting point (laughs).
We believe that not forgetting the spirit of "let's send out new value that will change the world" will lead to innovative services.

In addition, while valuing customer feedback, such as constantly sharing information on our internal SNS, we try to maintain our stance of "finding out what we think is good." Just as the iPhone, which has revolutionized the world, did not take on the shape it is today just by following the voices of customers, we also value the pursuit of the mission we want to accomplish.

Tomioka: Sansan is a company launched by five founding members. Originally, President Terada (Mr. Chikahiro) and I have been friends since high school, and after graduating, Terada worked for Mitsui & Co., and I worked for Oracle Japan.

Terada first talked about it around 2005. He came to visit me when I was in Shanghai and was invited to start a business. When asked for an idea, he said, "I want to use business cards to create connections with people." I was involved in software sales at an American company, but when I went abroad, I found that this field is limited to Western products and services, and almost none of Asian countries including Japan. was. Therefore, I wanted to create a global standard. Also, I thought that I wanted such a service, and I was convinced that there was an opportunity in a business model that turned business cards into encounters.

Terada and I were business-oriented people, so as an engineer, we are currently a director and general manager of the Eight division (Kenji), and also a director and current CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and DSOC (Data Strategy & Operation Center) center director. Mr. Satoshi, who is in charge of input know-how and center management to handle business cards, spoke to the current CWO (Chief Workstyle Officer) Kadokawa (Mr. Motohisa) and started the company in June 2007. I did.

Although it was established, it was a business that was not in the world at that time, and its recognition was zero. It was Zara that I couldn't understand the story even if I played Teleapo. Even so, I was able to make reservations even before the launch of "Sansan," relying on my personal connections when I was a company employee, and in October, when the service began, I was hired by several companies.

Initially, it began to be used by managers, executives, and sales departments who often exchange business cards. While the response that "management is easier" and "the trouble of searching has become easier" has been received by converting to data, there were also voices such as "there is no Actual Even though we were able to convey our mission and enthusiasm, we also had some teeth that could not appeal the merits beyond that.
However, not only gradually to data manage customer information, and also utilized as a business tool performance that case that was achieved up has begun, it went so you are able to understand the value of service. In addition, mass marketing has become even more accepted by raising awareness through TV commercials and switching to a license format that can be used by the entire company. Thanks to you, the number of companies that have introduced it has now exceeded 6,000, and we have achieved the No. 1 market share for the fifth consecutive year.

Tomioka: Basically, I try to make decisions faithfully to the mission. When faced with a decision, if you make a decision that deviates from the mission that is usually placed on the axis of action, the axis of business itself will be shaken, so I think it is a very dangerous act. We believe that if you always judge and act faithfully to your mission, you will be able to make consistent decisions with any big choice.

Tomioka: The next challenge is to use business cards as information for encounters and eventually become the "infrastructure" of companies and business people. I would like to keep the reins of promotion and development so that they will be selected as the platform of major companies such as enterprises. Awareness has risen in the city center, but it is about to begin in rural areas. Sansan aims to hire 10,000 companies by the end of 2019.

We are also starting to take on challenges overseas. Asia has a strong business card culture, "Sansan" is in Singapore, where global companies headquarter, and "Eight" is in India, which has a large population and emphasizes human connections, and has high IT literacy.

Since we have a DSOC (Data Strategy & Operation Center) in the R & D department, we not only improve the efficiency of data entry, but also recommend business encounters such as "I should meet this person next time" using AI. I would like to continue to take on various challenges, such as developing new functions. It is meaningless unless you utilize assets that have been converted into data.

Tomioka: "Sansan" and "Eight" have become infrastructure, and they have become a tool to support encounters for business people to innovate, such as being able to make contact with people who were difficult to meet until now. , I have such an image. With the progress of digitalization, paper business cards may be gone. It would be interesting if it says "There used to be such a thing" (laughs). I don't have a traditional business card, but I have a lot of information about business encounters ... I'm happy to have such a society.

Tomioka: We are still in the midst of a challenge that will change the world, but I think it is important to maintain our “mission” and “passion”. It would be encouraging to aim to be a company that can change the world together with entrepreneurs.