Software development in Southeast Asia and Japan has experienced rapid growth, driven by a young, tech-savvy workforce and increasing investment in digital infrastructure. Southeast Asia is a burgeoning hub for startups, with countries like Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam emerging as key players in the global tech scene. Japan, on the other hand, remains a leader in innovation, with a strong emphasis on robotics, AI, and enterprise software solutions. The significance lies in these regions' ability to bridge global markets, create solutions tailored to local needs, and drive advancements in technologies such as cloud computing, fintech, and e-Commerce, contributing to regional and global economic growth.
GAOGAO, spearheaded by Takuya Tejima, is a prominent software development studio headquartered in Singapore with offices in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan. Takuya Tejima began his career as a software engineer at IBM Software Development Laboratory, where he worked for five years. He later joined LINE Corporation as a front-end engineer, gaining expertise in development and operations.
Takuya Tejima's experiences at IBM and LINE have shaped his views on digital transformation and software engineering. At IBM, the emergence of "agile development" and the opportunity to work with global teams from the US, Japan, China, and Ireland in a Scrum environment significantly impacted his skill development. He recognizes that Japan, with its relatively low English proficiency and declining population, faces an increasing need for professionals who can collaborate internationally. This highlights the growing demand for individuals with strong English skills combined with expertise in software engineering to drive Japan's digital transformation.
As the co-founder and CEO of GAOGAO, Takuya has built a team of over 60 talented consultants and software engineers. With a globally-minded approach and a "startup mindset",
GAOGAO provides consulting and development services for new software businesses, digital transformation (DX), and English transformation (EX), helping enhance the competitiveness of Japanese companies by supporting the English transformation of engineering teams.
GAOGAO’s development team is based in Southeast Asia, with Japan as its primary customer market. The company focuses on Japan’s unique digital transformation landscape, distinguishing between "Active IT Innovation" and "Passive IT Innovation". Active IT innovation drives revenue growth through value creation, while passive IT innovation aims to reduce operational costs and streamline internal processes. The passive IT segment is particularly notable in Japan, given its many legacy corporations. GAOGAO introduces global talent to Japanese companies through "EX", a concept designed to enhance workforce capabilities.
GAOGAO addresses key challenges in digital transformation and product development by acting as a bridge between Japanese and international software engineers. Through its EX initiative, the firm supports the transformation of Japanese businesses. Japan’s need for collaboration with international companies to drive innovation often faces barriers, which GAOGAO helps overcome.
“We also aid global companies in navigating entry into the Japanese market, particularly for fintech firms, where Japan's complex banking system and language barriers present significant challenges. Many large Japanese corporations still rely on legacy systems, with critical documentation often only available in Japanese”, adds Takuya Tejima.
Driving Global Collaboration & Innovation
With over 15 years of experience, Takuya Tejima has built his approach to software development and team management around three core principles, namely Borderless, Ownership, and Practicality, values that define GAOGAO. He believes that in recent years, software engineers can no longer rely solely on technical skills to demonstrate value. A passive work style that waits for assignments is being replaced by AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot. However, managing project progress still requires human involvement, highlighting the importance of soft skills like effective communication and ownership, which are the attributes Takuya emphasizes moving forward.
Takuya Tejima has built his approach to software development and team management around three core principles, namely Borderless, Ownership, and Practicality, values that define GAOGAO
Takuya Tejima integrates unique insights from his past roles into his current leadership style, particularly in understanding the distinct nature of the Japanese market. Japan's work styles and service deployment approaches differ significantly from global standards. For example, in e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) processes, Japan still relies on manual checks of complex government-issued IDs, unlike countries like Singapore that offer standardized systems. In the B2C sector, cultural barriers pose challenges, with startups struggling to gain adoption among conservative consumers.
Takuya Tejima fosters collaboration and maintains consistent quality across borders by focusing on several key strategies. First, making English the official language within the firm ensures clear communication, especially when managing teams across Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand. This eliminates the potential for misunderstandings that arise from using multiple languages, such as when Vietnamese developers work on Japanese projects.
Additionally, Takuya and the GAOGAO directors prioritize offline communication and often travel for face-to-face meetings to strengthen relationships. Offering global career paths also plays a crucial role in motivation, as engineers from countries like Vietnam and Indonesia are given opportunities to work in Japan, enhancing their career growth.
Takuya Tejima aspires to be a bridge between Japan and the world, having established bases in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. He aims to foster an entrepreneurial spirit that can benefit Japan, focusing on language skills and global impact. He also supports individuals from outside Japan who wish to challenge themselves within Japan, encouraging them to reach out.
“One common mistake that engineer entrepreneurs tend to make is focusing too much on building the product itself. Even after spending a lot of time, it often results in creating something nobody wants. To succeed as an engineering entrepreneur, it's crucial to talk to various people. From those conversations, you can discover value and then think about the solutions that address it”, concludes Takuya Tejima.
Takuya Tejima, Co-Founder & CEO, GAOGAO
Takuya Tejima began his career as a software engineer at IBM Software Development Laboratory, working for five years. He later joined LINE Corporation as a front-end engineer, gaining experience in development and operations. Currently, he is the co-founder and CEO of GAOGAO, a development studio headquartered in Singapore, with subsidiaries in Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. Takuya has co-authored several publications, including "Introduction to Vue.js", "Practical Web Application Development with TypeScript and React/Next.js", and "English Transformation for Engineering Teams [EX]".
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