Tokyo Startup Journey: How to and how not to start a business

Ever since returning from bike trips in Hokkaido and Hiroshima through Kyushu, I have been contemplating one single question: what is the “Minimal Viable Product” I can come up with in order to test the viability of my business idea?

From early on, my vision was very clear: I want to provide hearty and healthy food to people who do not think too much about what they eat as a way of raising awareness of what they eat, the effects food has on health, including where the food comes from, how it’s grown and by whom, and what impact all of this has on environment. I had a hunch that tasty food with proper story-telling can become a catalyst for awareness-raising to the myriad of issues we are facing on both micro and macro levels, from health to environment. It is a lofty idea and not an easy one to achieve, admittedly, and, yet, I knew it is worth trying wholeheartedly precisely because it is lofty and difficult.

Whole wheat bread made with fresh milled flour from Kyushu

While having vision is a great start, I understood that I need to make the very first “baby” step as realistic and minimal as possible. In other words, I needed a “Minimal Viable Product” and “Minimal Viable Market” in MBA language. So what product can I come up with for the least amount of effort and that people will be stil willing to pay for (minimal viable product)? Which segment of the market can I bring that product to (minimal viable market or market/product fit)? These are concepts that I relearned after watching hours of startup lectures from @harvardinnovationlabs on YouTube. I wanted to learn how to start a new business as a framework, and the lectures were both stimulating and eye-opening to say the least.

Creamy Hummus

First I thought about why you need lectures on startups for opening up a restaurant or seemingly simple business. They are for tech companies with technological innovations, right? After watching a few lectures it completely changed my mind. I quickly learned that opening up a restaurant in a place like Tokyo is not a great business proposition (or maybe anywhere). Regardless of the kind or size of business you are starting, a question like “what is innovative about your business?” or “what is your value proposition?” needs to be seriously thought through before opening one. While contemplating these questions, I have been biking all over Tokyo to meet new people and visit different kitchens for networking for the last few months. I needed to get to know potential customers and their needs, as well as resources and potential collaborators.

Finally I feel like I have something to offer at this point of my journey. The first MVP is to offer a lunch plate in the middle of Tokyo as a popup (Tokiyama Shoten in Gaien Mae, in case you live in the area) by using food products that I am going to sell as a subscription service later. I am sure the form will change again but for now, I am going to give it a try for the next couple of months.