One of the biggest challenges for a growing tech company is entering Japan. Some of the world's most advanced software and hardware leaders are located in the country. cracking Japan is part of the growth and expansion plans of the startups that cater to these companies.
The barriers to entry are high. Even if Japan is part of a company's growth and expansion plan, many early-stage tech companies write it off as impossible or too difficult to break into.
When we were featured on Product Hunt, our company attracted its first Japanese client. Awareness alone wasn't enough to sustain and grow a reliable pipeline. Over the past eight years, we have grown our initial interest to 400+ of our highest paying clients by making community central to our offering and our approach to relationship-building, all without having a dedicated presence in the county.
Our journey to breaking into Japan might be different to other companies with similar models, but the core tenets remain the same. We learned a lot along the way.
Follow the first user.
The tech community in Japan is very active and connected, so a single customer can play a large role in facilitating your expansion there. If the first users like it, they will be your number one ambassadors. Their indifference will speak volumes if they don't. Your product should be ready for prime time before you start working with Japanese prospects. Japan is not a testing ground for products.
Companies don't always spend enough time in Japan.
Setting up Japanese-language mention tracking once you have the smallest amount of traction is a good idea. It can be surprising how quickly word about good technology will spread.
The first user was a developer at a large tech company. As Bitrise spread throughout his organization, we began to see a number of new customers at other companies as well.
Through our mention tracking service, we were able to see how user adoption correlated with local discussions about us on social media.
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