Diversity Drives Growth for Both Companies and Individuals

This time, we interviewed Yuki Fujita, the first member of amptalk’s Machine Learning (ML) team. Fujita ventured into the unknown field of natural language processing (NLP). We discussed his encounter with amptalk, the company culture, and his values.

From an Interest in Sound to Music Theory and Then to Speech Analysis

Q: How did you encounter amptalk?
After working as an application engineer at a major Japanese IT company for five years, I started questioning my path as I became a senior and saw a managerial role ahead. I didn’t dislike management itself, but I wasn’t fond of the atmosphere in my previous company’s development organization where "Every important decision is made on the business side." I wanted to do something more challenging. I registered on LinkedIn as a first step towards a career change, and that’s when the co-founder and VPoD Takanobu-san reached out to me there. That was my first encounter with amptalk

Q: What made you decide to join amptalk?
The biggest factor was my desire to be involved in a field I was interested in, especially a developing area with no established technical answers, which seemed exciting to me. Although I had experience in ML fields like image processing and generation, I had never worked with speech recognition, which made me anxious but also very curious at the same time.
Before deciding to join, I visited the company. Seeing people there who logically discussed goals and objectives, as outlined by their value "ISSUE DRIVEN: Focus on solving the problems people face," resonated with me. I could easily picture myself working there, which led me to join amptalk as the first member of the ML team.

Q: What sparked your interest in speech analysis?
I’ve always liked instruments and sound waves, or "sound" in general. In university, I even created a karaoke system as a project (laughs). While I was interested in music theory, diving into speech analysis and NLP felt intimidating. However, meeting amptalk and its people gave me the courage to dive in. My daily tasks involve improving the accuracy of speech-to-text transcriptions by enhancing the inference results of conversations. Japanese presents challenges like homophones and correct conversion predictions, and differentiating between proper nouns and common nouns in conversations. There are still many hurdles, but the process of improving inference results through our own efforts is very exciting.

 A Culture of Mutual Support, Whether Through Systems or People

Q: What cultural aspects do you find distinctive at amptalk?
BLAMELESS:  Be cautious. If a mistake occurs, it's not someone's fault but a system issue. Let's resolve issues systematically to avoid inconvenience to customers.
This was the most shocking concept among the values promoted. After joining, I once failed an experiment, losing time. The immediate discussion was about how to improve the system, not focusing on the failure itself. This approach was impressive, highlighting how systematizing issues reduces future mistakes, showing that seemingly indirect efforts connect to the future. In my previous job, documenting issues was minimal, and systematization was rare, but at amptalk, preventing employee mistakes through systems is rigorously implemented.

I also appreciate the atmosphere where asking for help is easy. In my previous job, engineers worked quietly with headphones, but at amptalk, we constantly consult each other while identifying and solving issues together. The business team also engages in various discussions, creating an environment where talking isn’t seen as disruptive but necessary. This makes it easier to ask questions, fostering smooth communication within and outside the team.

Chasing the Same Goal from Different Positions

Q: What do you value in such an atmosphere?
It’s crucial to allow various approaches rather than insisting on one answer. This principle stems from my student days spent immersed in soccer, where I learned that even when aiming for the same goal, conflicts in team sports can occur. Accepting different perspectives allows for mutual respect and productive discussions, uniting everyone toward a common goal.

Q: As the organization expands, what kind of team do you envision?
I want a team that always respects each other. The engineering team includes members from various countries, so respecting different cultures and backgrounds is essential. In some organizations, even with English speakers in the team, discussions might still be held in Japanese, making it hard for non-Japanese speakers to participate fully. This can make them feel excluded and defensive, hindering their ability to contribute. Mutual respect allows everyone to reach their full potential. amptalk values each team member’s diverse experiences, fostering a respectful and mutually uplifting environment, which I hope continues as we grow.

We’re Hiring!

This time, we spoke with Yuki, the first member of amptalk’s ML team. How did you find it? In university, Fujita was passionate about sports, playing soccer six days a week, but now he’s into acoustic guitar. It makes sense that someone who loved making karaoke scoring systems would be drawn to instruments. If you’re even slightly interested in amptalk, please apply for a casual interview. We look forward to meeting you!

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