CEO Message
The CEO’s founding thoughts
I want to live life challenging myself, working together with the best colleagues I can find, to do something of genuine value for the world.
When I was job hunting in 1997, the internet was not yet widespread, and maybe a third of students did not yet have cell phones. Of course, Google did not even exist. I had to rely on job-placement magazines that were as thick as a dictionary or encyclopedia. I went to the job fairs of many different companies, but I just couldn’t get interested in any of them. I still remember how frustrated I felt about not being able to meet people that wished to invest their most precious resource, “time,” in pursuit of something genuinely worthwhile.
At the same time, I admired the life of athletes and artists. They are the kind of people who were featured on TV programs like “Passion Continent” and “The Way of the Professional.” They spend their days in friendly rivalry with teammates, striving earnestly towards their dreams and goals. It made me think. “Why is it that in the business world it doesn’t seem possible to form such teams that work so seriously to achieve a common dream or goal? Why are we so exclusively concerned with inward things like career advancement, job titles, and salaries?” These questions troubled me.
Typical working adults tend to spend more time at work than with their family. So, the idea that all of that precious work time is consumed merely to support our family life I thought is somewhat sad.
“I only have this one life, so I want to make use of it, to keep challenging myself to create something of real value for the world, working together with the best companions I can find.” This is what I have come to think. However, no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find such a team in the business world. Finally, I thought, “Why don’t I just create one myself?” That is how I came to aspire to start my own business.
“I want to create an ideal organization where everyone can work as a team to seriously pursue a common dream, just like an athlete or an artist.” As I gradually grew as a person and gained professional experience, I learned about capital markets and how public companies work. I believe that I have grown, but nevertheless the vision of the organization that I am ultimately aiming for has not changed since I founded the company.
I want to live a life that enables me to invest my most precious resource, “time,” in continually challenging myself to create something of genuine value for the world, by creating an ideal team with colleagues and companions I can work together with to pursue a common dream. My goal is to create, in the business world, teams like the Shohoku High School basketball team in the manga series Slam Dunk.
This is what Atrae has been aiming for since it was established. As the founder of Atrae, I would feel honored and deeply fulfilled, if one day, after I step down from my current position, the next-generation of managers and colleagues carry on this idea and remain committed to making Atrae a company that inspires the enthusiasm and support of more and more people around the world, and serves as a role model for many corporate executives.
Atrae, Inc.
Chief Executive Officer
Yoshihide Arai
