The Indirect Way a Startup is Disrupting Japan – Akiko Naka – Wantedly

Akiko Naka is an amazing woman. When you first meet, her reserved and unassuming manner makes you wonder if she really knows how potentially transformative her ideas and her company are. As you get to know Akiko, however, it becomes clear she knows exactly what she's doing. She's just doing things her way. Japan is still very much a male-dominated society, so when journalists get a chance to talk to a female entrepreneur there is a tendency to focus on the novelty of her gender rather than the substance of her actions, and they miss out on the most important things to learn. During our conversation Akiko provides some solid insights about the best way to take on the Japanese power structure and win; by challenging them indirectly. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it. Show Notes - How Akiko moved from programmer to manga-artist to CEO. - Why founders must over-communicate their vision to succeed - Why the team is more important than the founder - Why you should focus on team-fit rather than job descriptions - How to challenge the Japanese power structure (indirectly) - Changing social and corporate hierarchies in Japan