Embracing Unconventional Approaches to Explore New Fields

This is an "amptalker" employee interview series with Kudo-san, who joined amptalk as its first marketer.
From the early days when things were still taking shape, Kudo-san has steadily pushed forward with new challenges for both amptalk and herself, such as launching Japan's first sales enablement community. We'll explore the values she holds and what makes amptalk attractive to her.

Expanding marketing horizons through diverse client interactions

Q: With experience as a web designer and system engineer in addition to marketing, how have you approached your career?

When deciding on a new job, I trust my instincts about what seems interesting and where I can grow. I started my career as a system engineer at Panasonic Group, then worked in web design and direction at a consulting firm, followed by freelancing and marketing roles at several startups.
I've built my career around web technologies because I find it easier to see customer reactions and quickly iterate through the PDCA cycle. I prefer to challenge myself in new fields rather than specializing in one area, and I don't feel anxious about tackling unfamiliar territory. I believe that regardless of the company, not all of my existing skills will be directly applicable, and I'll need to build up new skills wherever I go.

Q: What led you to join amptalk?

Initially, I wasn't looking to change jobs, but as a marketer, I love learning new things. I had the opportunity to speak directly with Inose-san as part of my information gathering. After several casual interviews, including with other team members, I began to feel that amptalk would allow me to leverage my past experiences while offering even more new challenges. This led me to officially join as an employee.
As a side note, I remember being very pleased with the enthusiastic offer letter I received from Inose-san at the time. It helped me start the job with high spirits.

Utilizing all channels for unconventional marketing approaches

Q: Could you tell us about your work at amptalk?

My main responsibilities involve a wide range of activities aimed at increasing amptalk's brand awareness, generating leads, and nurturing customers. This includes everything from digital marketing to offline initiatives.
As the first marketer, I've been involved in various tasks such as improving the website, creating content, planning and exhibiting at events, and analyzing data to verify the effectiveness of our initiatives. Essentially, I've been doing everything possible to generate business opportunities.
One of the first projects I tackled after joining was launching "Next Enablers," Japan's first sales enablement community. We held our first event last year, with about 100 management-level participants from enterprise companies. It was the first community event for both the company and myself, and everything from attracting attendees to managing the day-of operations was challenging. I had initially asked to be excused from being the MC, but with only two people in the marketing department at the time, I ended up taking on that role as well. Determined not to fail, I secretly practiced with a coach. (laugh)
It's been truly rewarding to see "Next Enablers" become a catalyst for people to learn about amptalk and to receive praise for creating a valuable space for understanding and exchanging information about the still-new concept of sales enablement.

Achieving goals through flexible methods

Q: What do you find attractive about amptalk?

At amptalk, we set aside preconceived notions and common sense assumptions. Instead, we lay out all options, discuss them based on our objectives, and make final decisions. This approach aligns with amptalk's value of being "ISSUE DRIVEN: Let's focus on solving people's problems." It resonates with the mindset I've developed throughout my career.
In my first job as a system engineer, my boss would constantly remind us not to lose sight of our purpose by becoming too focused on technology or feature development. As a web designer, there were times when I had to work without a clear understanding of the purpose, which led to frustrating experiences where we couldn't achieve our true goals.
At amptalk, even in the heat of discussion, someone will often pause to ask, "What's the ISSUE?" Returning to the purpose is crucial and leads to better results. Another appeal of amptalk is being surrounded by a global and diverse team with "unconventional thinking that questions the status quo," which helps broaden our perspectives.

Maintaining respect for all colleagues

Q: What do you value most in your work?

I believe in creating an organization where we can communicate openly about how our work contributes to the bigger picture and what results we've achieved. I make a conscious effort to clearly convey the background, objectives, and feedback not only to internal team members but also to external collaborators involved in production and design.
From my past experience on the receiving end of projects, I know how difficult it can be to move forward without a full understanding of the purpose. This experience as a web designer taught me the importance of respectful communication with everyone I work with.
At amptalk, while we do develop marketing strategies, our current phase focuses on maximizing our activities and accumulating successes in various areas. We do this by utilizing external tools and services, and sometimes outsourcing. It's important to recognize when to rely on others rather than trying to do everything ourselves. This approach allows us to use our time and resources more effectively for reflection and implementing the next strategy.

Q: What kind of people would you like to have join the team?

amptalk has many highly motivated and passionate members. I think people who can enthusiastically take on new challenges and are willing to venture into unfamiliar territories while leveraging their strengths would be a good fit for our team.

Today, we heard from Kudo-san, who plays an active role in amptalk's marketing team, about the values she cherishes based on her experiences and what makes amptalk attractive. How did you find it?
Kudo-san mentioned that she makes small efforts daily to ease her thought processes. Not only in her work but also in her private life, she uses Notion as a tool for sharing information within her family and actively outsources household chores and childcare.
Seeing Kudo-san's approach of incorporating various methods to dedicate her full attention to both family and work resonates with amptalk's mission of "maximizing the time people spend facing each other."
If you're interested in amptalk, please feel free to apply for a casual interview. We look forward to meeting you!

Open Position：https://herp.careers/v1/amptalk/PVDmOTCQ8NNf