"To raise the startup standard in Japan. " Kazuma Tamura vol.2

[Realizing the meaning of academia via a leave of absence. ]

⎯You took a leave of absence from the university. How did it happen?

Kazuma: I took a year's leave of absence from school starting in April 2018. I've been working with my academics since I joined the core members in 2017, but I decided to focus more on Slush, as I've always been the type of person who likes to get into one thing and fully commit.

-What did you do during your leave of absence?

Kazuma: I went on overseas business trips and went to Singapore and Shanghai and worked with engineers as the production manager to create the 2019 event in February.

-Students also run the Slush organization in Singapore. Was there any difference between them and the Japanese team?

Kazuma: Yes. In 2018, we had Slush in four cities - Shanghai, Singapore, Finland, and Tokyo, but each city worked independently, so each city's team had its own colors. In Singapore, startups are more widespread among students, and the city is attracting attention from abroad as a gateway to the Asian market. So I think it's fair to say there are differences, yet those make Slush more interesting. 

-Did you feel anything change after you'd finished your leave of absence?

Kazuma: I became more interested in academia because I could see the work I had been doing in Slush through my studies. Before I took a leave of absence, I didn't know what the purpose of my education was, but now that I understand my studies' practicality, I have a clearer idea of what I want to learn.

-Do you have any advice for students considering taking a leave of absence?

Kazuma: I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do during my leave of absence, so I was able to work voraciously for a year. However,  thinking if I didn't have that, I would have honestly been scared. It's important to manage your motivation and schedule because you have full control of what you do that day. If you have a specific idea of what you're going to do on a month-by-month basis while you're on leave, I believe it will be a meaningful time.

[Changing Japan to where startups can impact the world. ]

-Can you tell in-depth, how Slush had rebranded to BARK?

Kazuma: At Slush Tokyo, we felt that our words weren't represented in action if we continued with the existing brand that started in Finland. That is why we decided to rebrand and establish BARK to create a new organization to support Japanese startups.

-What are the differences between Slush Tokyo and BARK?

Kazuma: At Slush Tokyo, we focused on startups, whereas at BARK, and this is my own opinion, we're focusing on the entrepreneurial mindset. When we did the rebranding, we verbalized why we'd been doing Slush so far and why startups are so important. Then I realized that it wasn't so much the startup itself that was important, but rather the mindset that the startup founders had and what they were trying to accomplish. That's when I started to think that mindset is essential.

-It must have been challenging to decide on the new visions, missions, and values for the organization. How did the team overcome it?

Kazuma: Each member of the team has their own perspective on the vision and mission, and in order to find our common ground, we shared articles and videos that we could relate to. We would write down the keywords that came out of the articles and videos and compare them to each other, which took about six months to foster.

-What does your ideal BARK look like? What kind of place do you want it to be? 

Kazuma: I think it would be great if there were more diversity in the environment. I'd like to create an ecosystem where people from all walks of life can start businesses in Japan. From there, startups that will have an impact on the world will be born, and more role models can be introduced from Japan.

-What happened under the curtains among the cancellation of the BARK event that was scheduled to take place in February 2020?

Kazuma: We rebranded in November, and the event was going to be held in February, so we discussed whether we could deliver the best possible product to the people who would participate. In the end, we concluded that it would be difficult to do so and had decided to cancel the event.

-Did you have any conflicts within the team when BARK decided to cancel the event?

Kazuma: Of course. Each of the members had different opinions about it, and we had a contradictory feeling of not wanting to change what we had been making, and wanting to make the best product for the participants.

[My message to the youth regarding the pandemic. ]

-If you were to go back to your first year of university now, what would you do?

Kazuma: I would want to do the same thing I'm doing now, but I wish I had written down more of my thoughts, to reflect on them and see how I have changed over the past years.

-Do you have any advice on how to spend your life while under quarantine?

Kazuma: My advice would be to attend events and talk to different people on various topics. Especially now, when all of the people are in the same situation. This isn't only limited to events; I think it's better to communicate with many people online and have dialogues. Interacting with people inspires you, and it also gives you a chance to learn more about yourself by answering questions from them.

-Lastly, what is your message to young people of your generation?

Kazuma: I think we should question and reflect on our actions on a daily basis. Everyone has a routine or a habit of doing things like gaming and YouTube, but if you stop and think about "why" you do those things and "why" you find them interesting, I think that's where you'll start to see what you're interested in and who you are.

Thank you!