Challenge

A story of the endeavors toward realizing a vision
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History
2020/07/30

#02 Features of RareJob reflected in the early startup challenges.

Now and the future.

It is much harder to look at the two axes that are essential to business success steadily and simultaneously than to read written in words.
Besides, it is easy to lose the noble vision when you are busy with a lot of practical work.
However, if you rush to your ideals and neglect reality, even a small fray could be fatal.

RareJob logically formulates strategies and hypotheses and keeps accumulating trials. We are searching for ways to improve and continue to take small steps without ignoring the participants and the field realities.
In the initiate business models, such RareJob spirit founded at the bottom of the numerous challenges.
For example, measures to disseminate services.

For example, measures to disseminate services, the spread of the new online English conversation business deserved an incentive to try.
Therefore, compared to the offline English conversation school, RareJob launched its service starting at ¥129 for 25 minutes overwhelmingly and more reasonably.
Although the price was outrageous, the market had a business growth potential.
The convenience of using the online method and the high quality of Filipino teachers would have been passed on if the customers had a try. That’s why the free trial experience was assessed from the beginning to ensure users register after knowing its value.

Initial launch service site

Guidelines for hiring teachers also reflect RareJob spirit.
Most “Rare Job English Conversation” instructors are Home Based Tutors (HBT: Home-based instructors), and this was something RareJob decided from the pre-service stage.
Due to the low service price, it is essential to increase in units of 1,000 of students to monetize, and if that is the case, the number of lessons supplied also must increase steadily as the scale of the business grows.
HBT system adapted the rapid increase of the tutors and did not need to secure a workplace for them. In reality, HBT tutor supply was not adequate for the rapid business growth, so we limited the number of students and organized an office with PCs for new tutors.

Lesson base near the University of the Philippines

Of course, there are no surplus funds for a venture company that has just started.
Getting the maximum effect at the lowest cost is a matter of life and death related to business survival.
“Unit economics” (profitability per customer), which is generated from the persistence rate, cost ratio, and advertising expenses, was important.
However, at the beginning of the service, there is no data to measure the appropriate value.
While groping, conducted a small hypothesis verification to find the optimal solution, RareJob found the possible price.

Uncertainty is not only a kind of risk but also a driving force for challenges. There’s no answer, so we search. Modify it while trying it little by little.
Uncertainty is not only a kind of risk but also a driving force for challenges. I don’t know, so I challenge. Modify it while trying it little by little. Completeness is not required too much, assuming improvement. It could be said that it was because Nakamura was an engineer. He could challenge without hesitation with his quantitative and objective axis of judgment, based on numerical values.

Both Nakamura and Kato continued, “keep doing what should be done,” even while attacking through various new measures and service development, such as hypothesis building and testing, judgment based on numerical values, cost control, and heartfelt practice attitude toward customers. Build a system to realize it. It’s a simple matter to list them side by side, but their RareJob spirit of keeping their eyes on their business and their customers ultimately differentiated them from competitors. It would be a while later that it was the reason why RareJob could survive among many online English conversation companies.

Competitive comparison

Their strategies spin their logical stories; however, their hearts are snuggling up to their customers.
The RareJob philosophy cultivates and expands still.

Gaku Nakamura
Co-Founder, CEO
He received secondary education at Kaisei Junior High School and Kaisei High School before entering the University of Tokyo, where he obtained undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Information Science and Technology. He later joined NTT Docomo Inc., where he engaged in research into next-generation telecommunications.While working as an engineer, he thought of the idea of launching a new business connecting individuals. In 2007, he founded RareJob jointly with Tomohisa Kato, his classmate from junior high and high school. He took the position of CEO of RareJob in 2015.