Introduction
Hello. I’m Kobayashi, a software engineer at Fukuoka development base.
Today, I would like to introduce our team “Yatai”, which was launched in October 2023 and is the first team at our Fukuoka development base composed of both Japanese speakers and non-Japanese speakers.
Background of Team Yatai’s Launch
This initiative is part of “Englishnization of Money forward’s engineering organization”, whose goal is to let Money forward become a global organization.
Currently, the lack of IT engineers in Japan is severe, with a predicted shortage of 400,000 to 800,000 people in the future (according to a survey by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). As a result, there is a fierce competition for talented IT engineers in Japan, making it difficult for us to secure the talent we need to grow.
On the other hand, there are many excellent engineers around the world. Working with them is expected to further evolve our technology and grow our company as a whole.
With this background, the team “Yatai”, composed of Japanese speakers and non-Japanese speakers, was launched at our Fukuoka development base.
The Thought Behind Team Yatai
The reason we named our team “Yatai” was born out of our desire to create a team where both Japanese speakers and non-Japanese speakers can work together as one.
There are mainly two reasons why we chose the name “Yatai”.
The first reason is that this team is composed of members with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. This reminded us of various “yatais”, or food stalls, each of which emits its own personality, but together they create a single landscape. We desire our team to work as one cohesive group, with each member fully utilizing their own area of expertise.
The second reason is that “Yatai” is a specialty of Fukuoka and is popular not only in Japan but also abroad. Since we work at the Fukuoka development base, we wanted the team name to be something related to Fukuoka. On top of that, we thought “Yatai” was simple, easy to call, and would be endearing. We want all team members, regardless of their country of origin, to have the same feelings and be active in the team.
For these reasons, we adopted the name “team Yatai”. We hope that our team will develop into a team that is as unique and approachable as a real “Yatai”.
Mission, Vision and Values
Team Yatai has a Mission, Vision, and Values. Even if there are differing opinions and thoughts during our team activities, we want to move the team forward with all members aligned in the same direction. The Mission represents the purpose of team Yatai, the Vision represents the ideal future we aim for, and the Values represent the values and codes of conduct we cherish.
Mission
Our Mission is “Move tech and teamwork forward. Move Fukuoka talent forward.”
Various developments are underway at our Fukuoka base, and we aim to accelerate and further develop them by incorporating overseas talent. In addition, our team is not only engaged in technology development, but also in the “Englishnization of our organization” to become a truly global entity. This is a necessary skill for collaborating with people from all over the world and is an indispensable element for the entire Fukuoka development base.
Team Yatai aims to move Fukuoka’s exceptional talent forward through these initiatives and maximize the value we provide to users.
Vision
Our Vision is “Clear the path for anyone seeking to broaden their tech stack and collaborate with diverse cultures.”
It can be challenging for individuals wishing to expand their technical skills to determine the best way forward. Similarly, those seeking to collaborate with people from various cultural backgrounds may struggle to find the right opportunities.
Team Yatai’s vision is to illuminate the path for such individuals, helping them to broaden their technical skills and collaborate with diverse cultures. We provide support to maximize individual skills and experiences, and to explore new possibilities.
Values
Our Values are “Inclusivity” and “Experimentation”.
Inclusivity
“We always respect diversity and accept different perspectives and ideas, regardless of background, experience, opinion, or identity.” We aim to provide an environment where everyone can truly excel and not just invite talent from overseas. To this end, we act with “Inclusivity” in mind every day, so that people with diverse backgrounds can work vibrantly and create value.
Experimentation
“We pursue new technical skills, test them early, and learn from both successes and failures.” By actively experimenting and executing, we may see unexpected aspects. We value creating and verifying prototypes such as sample applications quickly, and applying the insights gained to our next actions.
We cherish these values and reflect them in our daily work.
Reflecting on Team Yatai’s Progress Since Launch
About two months have passed since the launch of team Yatai.
From the conversations within the team, I’ve noticed various things, and my honest impression is that there are still many aspects centered around Japanese individuals. I feel the need to address these one by one.
I’ve also learned that it’s necessary to proceed step by step while gaining the understanding of those around us. It takes time for anyone to adapt to a foreign language. However, these are important issues for us in aiming to become a global organization, and we will actively incorporate them into our future initiatives. Additionally, we are able to gain new perspectives from non-Japanese speaking members, which brings new value to our team.
We would like to continue growing as a team and as a whole at the Fukuoka development base, leveraging this diversity.
Conclusion
In the future, even in the face of difficult challenges, team Yatai will always remain mindful of the Mission, Vision, and Values we have set, and will strive to overcome them. We are determined to ultimately achieve our Mission: “Move tech and teamwork forward. Move Fukuoka talent forward.” We will continue to advance in terms of technological development and fostering diverse environments. Alongside all the people we work with, we will learn and share new technologies and cultures to showcase Fukuoka’s talent to the world.
This is what team Yatai aims for. Why not join us on our journey?