In the next part of Jay’s journey at Early Reflections, we see how his goals have changed from simply wanting to develop software to helping the company grow actively. Initially attracted to Early Reflections by its people and culture, Jay now discusses his experiences working as a foreign employee and the flexibility that maximizes his productivity. He also shares how the company supports its employees in unleashing their full potential.

Working at Early Reflections, is there anything that made you feel comfortable as a foreign worker?

One thing is that I can speak English whenever I want, as almost everyone here understands English. I remember that during my first week of work, I had an opportunity to do a presentation. At that time, I was worried about whether I should do it in Japanese. But CEO Tanaka assured me that I could choose whichever I felt most comfortable with, so I decided to do it mainly in English.

Great. If somebody who doesn’t speak Japanese that much joins Early Reflections, do you think they can catch up?

Yes, I think so. One of our goals is to expand into the global market, so we are planning on how to accommodate foreign workers better. This includes more English presentations, meetings, and converting our materials to English. As a foreign worker, I am, of course, trying to improve my Japanese. But my Japanese coworkers are also improving their English so we can communicate better. For example, I send messages in English on Slack every day, and everyone tries to reply in English. I don’t push myself to create perfect Japanese sentences. I just write it in English at first, and sometimes add some Japanese. We all try to adjust ourselves for each other, which is excellent for promoting diversity.

Perfect. You said culture code No.6 hooked you because it values personal time. How has it been actually working for your work?

Apart from meetings, I have the flexibility to manage my own time, which I believe maximizes productivity. As a morning person, I start my day at home, doing research for the program I will write later in the day. I usually arrive at the office before before 11 a.m. Most of the time, we eat lunch together, and I always enjoy some snacks later in the afternoon. Occasionally, I finish my work by 4 or 5 p.m., and when that happens, I go home early.

So, you leave when you are done with your work. It’s not like you stay until working hours end.

Yes. I believe that work should be output-based, especially in tech companies. Everyone has their own optimal time to focus. Some people, like me, can focus more in the morning, while others find different times more effective.

As a morning person, my brain gets tired in the evening. So, I start my work early and get things done fast with high focus. As soon as I finish my work, I can leave. There is no use in pretending to be working; It’s better to rest or study for the next day.

When I was in a big corporation, I hesitated to leave early. As long as my boss and colleagues were still working, I used to feel like I needed to stay. But now, I don’t have to be worried since Early Reflections values personal time as a company.

I see. It seems like a flexible working environment suits you. How about your coworkers? What are their working styles like?

The working styles of my colleagues are quite varied. For example, one colleague primarily works remotely to raise their child, while another takes a nap after lunch. Everyone adapts their schedule to what suits them best within our core working hours.

That's interesting......

By the way, there is another interesting program at Early Reflections.

What is it?

We have something called “Personal Growth Hour” every Friday afternoon, where we dedicate time to studying. Studying is considered part of our work because learning enables us to create new things. It’s a perfect cycle. Balancing a full-time job with study time can be challenging, but having Fridays set aside for this purpose makes it manageable. I take pleasure in it because I love studying.

Great. Do you think working at Early Reflections maximizes your potential?

Yes, I do. When I was in a big corporation, I was expected to stay within one field. However, in a startup, everyone needs to be a generalist. For example, I’m currently assigned to a project related to data analysis, a field I knew almost nothing about initially. But I’m trying to learn how to do it, with the help of my coworker, who’s a data scientist.

At Early Reflections, I know that I am not just a software engineer; I can do more. I can leverage my English proficiency and interpersonal skills for business development as well. That's why I’m trying to add business development tasks and thinking about how to globalize our company.

I love your passion. Were you that passionate from the beginning?

No, actually. At first, I thought I would be just a regular developer. My main goal was to develop products and help the members learn more about programming and software engineering.

What made you change like that?

Around April, CEO Tanaka asked me, “What do you want to achieve in five years?” I was confused, as I had never thought about that.

At the time, my response was, “Maybe just development?”.

However, after a while, I realized that just focusing on development wasn’t as fulfilling as I had expected. I started to think about how I could contribute to making the company bigger. In particular, I saw many opportunities to help globalize the company.

What is Early Reflections currently working on to globalize the company?

We are developing a product that can be used by almost anyone in the world. Also, we post English content on LinkedIn and Facebook. Moving forward, we plan to add English features to our company website and our products. We are also eager to establish a branch abroad and hire a more diverse workforce.

I see. Are you the only one who works in so many aspects, or is everyone like this?

Everyone makes their contribution. For me, it's the globalization of the company. One of my coworkers, focuses on developing new products, while another is learning finance to help build the company. Early Reflections offers us opportunities to pursue our passion for the company, allowing us to grow both individually and as a team.

Thank you, Jay, for sharing your experiences in this two-part interview. We look forward to seeing more of your success and contributions at Early Reflections!