Hello

Hello, I'm Maya from the Tech Blog team at KINTO Technologies! I interviewed those who joined us in October 2023 about their immediate impressions of the company and summarized them in this article. I hope this content will be useful for those who are interested in KINTO Technologies, and serve as a reflection for the members who participated in the interview.

IU

• Self-introduction
  I am IU from KINTO ONE New Vehicle Subscription Development Group. I am in charge of front-end development such as membership screens and contract simulation screens for KINTO ONE.
• How is your team structured?
  We are basically a front-end team, with six people. I am participating with Mr. Shirahama, who joined the company at the same time.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any surprises?
  Before joining the company, I anticipated it to be somewhat old-fashioned and rigid, given it is a subsidiary of a major corporation. However, I've found the working atmosphere to be more relaxed than expected. In particular, I feel a strong sense of speed, with services rapidly improving in short cycles from idea planning to implementation and release in a short period of time.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  Even though each person concentrates on their individual tasks and often works independently, we come together at meetings to share updates on the tasks each person is handling. When faced with challenges, we engage in group discussions to find solutions, and we conduct periodic reading sessions to enhance our knowledge.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  I knew about the Tech Blog before I joined the company, but I thought that only a limited number of people could write for it. However, the environment was inclusive, and everyone was not only welcome but also encouraged to write. I enjoy writing articles, so I would like to actively participate in Tech Blog.

Jongseok Bae

• Self-introduction
  My name is Jongseok Bae from South Korea who joined the company in October. I am an Android developer in the Prism Team at the Mobile App Development Group in the Platform Development Division.
• How is your team structured?
  The Prism team manages schedules and meetings using the Agile framework.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any gaps?
  At the beginning, I felt that the company was well explained through on-the-job training and other activities. I thought it was different from my previous experiences where companies typically provided only a brief explanation for about a day. I also felt that many in-house study sessions are held and it is really nice to catch up on information that might otherwise be easily missed.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  The team members are kind. I found it to be a good work environment where communication with others allowed me to ask questions, learn, and share opinions in the course of work.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  It was burdensome at first, but as I reflected on what I felt over the month, I realized it's a great way to organize my thoughts.

Martin Hewitt

• Self-introduction
  I'm Martin from France. I'm involved in Platform Engineering at KINTO Technologies.
• How is your team structured?
  The Platform Group consists of six teams, each specializing in a particular area of expertise, including SRE, DBRE, Platform Engineering, and Cloud.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any gaps?
  They faithfully introduced us to the company! This never happens in France. I felt that it was a modern company, which is different from the image I had of Japanese companies.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  Everyone is so kind! I was nervous at first, but I quickly got used to it.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  How fast!

U.A

• Self-introduction
  I am U.A from KINTO ONE Development Group. As a Producer and PdM (Product Manager), I am in charge of supporting the digital transformation of Toyota dealers.
• How is your team structured?
  I belong to the Digital Transformation Planning team within the Owned Media & Incubation Development Group. Our team directly visits Toyota dealers to ask about their problems and solve them with the power of IT. The team consists of six members in total: two producers, three directors, and one designer.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any surprises?
  I was surprised by everything: freedom to dress casually, hair color freely, and flexible work hours. I feel like I am in an enriched space, drawing on my past experiences while collaborating with specialists from diverse fields in each department. So, the more people I get to know, the more I can stretch my abilities.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  The Digital Transformation Planning team is full of personalities and never runs out of topics to discuss. I feel how important communication is every day, as I often come up with hints for digital transformation from everyday conversations.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  I am surprised that it has already been a month since I joined the company! I will continue to cherish each day.

Ahsan Rasel

• Selp-introduction
  My name is Rasel from the Mobile App Development Group, Platform Development Division. I am from Bangladesh. I support the Android version of my route by KINTO app.
• How is your team structured?
  We are a 4-member multinational team, including myself. We are from Japan, Bangladesh and South Korea. Our team uses the Agile methodology for our workflows.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any surprises?
  At orientation, I was able to learn in detail about the company's structure, mission, and vision of all divisions. I had an orientation in my previous job, but it wasn’t as detailed. I found it much easier to get my opinions across to the CIO/CEO.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  Everyone is very kind and easy to work with. I had a lot of questions after I joined, but I'm grateful that everyone was happy to explain in detail. In case of any difficulties in Japanese, I can switch to English for smoother communication, which I find to be a good thing.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  It feels fast. I have written on technical blogs before, but this is my first time to write a non-technical blog post. —a surprising task, especially considering how recent my joining of the company has been.

Yuhei Miyazawa

• Selp-introduction
  I am Miyazawa from Operation System Development Group, Platform Development Division. In my previous job, I was developing e-commerce sites on the vendor side (Systems Integrator). Currently, I am developing a system to handle back office operations related to KINTO ONE used vehicles.
• How is your team structured?
  Development is being promoted by an in-house team of 5 people and approx. 20 vendors. In order to promote in-house production, many people with high technical expertise are employed, and here you will never find the mentality of "professionals only promote and rely on vendors for technology."
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any surprises?
  Freedom and discretion in the way you work. Good communication culture with respect for others!
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  It is not noisy, but not too quiet. It is a peaceful atmosphere. The team relationships are so good that if someone suggests, "Let's have a drink at that restaurant," it will happen.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  I was relieved that the content was about self-introduction and company introduction.

Ryomm

• Selp-introduction
  My name is Matsusaka / Ryomm (@ioco95) from the Mobile App Development Group, Platform Development Division. I am in the team that takes care of the iOS version of the my route by KINTO app.
• How is your team structured?
  The iOS development team of my route consists of six people, including myself.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any surprises?
  When I joined the company, my first impression was that it was rather conservative, but when I proposed ideas of what I wanted to do I found support from people around, and I’m now I find myself able to spend my time flexibly.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  There is plenty of work time, allowing me to work silently and concentrate on what I have to do. It feels refreshing to be able to come and leave at any time I want due to the full flex time Some of us start working at 5:00 a.m. on days when we work from home, and I truly feel a sense of freedom.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  It's refreshing that the blog creates articles on GitHub.

Pauline Ohlson

• Selp-introduction
  Hello! My name is Pauline Ohlson. Hello! My name is Pauline Ohlson. Starting October, I was assigned as an Android engineer to the Mobile Development Group in the Platform Development Division.
• How is your team structured?
  I am working in the Osaka office where my seating placement is together with the iOS engineers working in Osaka. Many of my Android project colleagues work in Tokyo so I collaborate with them from Osaka.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any gaps?
  My first impression was that KINTO’s history is interesting, and the future ambitions are inspiring to work for so I am very excited to join the company. I was also excited about the many company initiatives to use the latest tools and technologies. At KTC there are more occasions than I expected to get along with everyone. I was also happy to have the chance to talk directly to the CIO and the CEO.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  Everyone is very nice and works with passion while keeping a little bit of playfulness at the same time. Everyone is also very considerate towards each other which makes it easy to work effectively.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  This is my first time to write a blog in this context; I think it is a cool and very fun idea!

Hiroki Shirahama

• Self-introduction
  I am Shirahama from New Vehicle Subscription Development Group, KINTO ONE Development Division. I am in charge of the front end of KINTO ONE.
• How is your team structured?
  We have six team members including myself and IU, who both joined in October.
• What was your first impression of KINTO Technologies when you joined? Were there any gaps?
  I found it incredibly refreshing to have the freedom to choose my work hours with full flexibility.
• What is the atmosphere like on site?
  It's like silently moving forward with the task for which you are responsible. Since there are daily work reports and weekly reviews, I think it is an environment that makes it easy to understand what team members are working on and to consult about their tasks.
• How did you feel about writing a blog post?
  I have been curious about it, but I never thought I would write it so soon.

Conclusion

Despite being a request on short notice to write for the Tech Blog, thank you all for your willingness to share your impressions of immediately after joining the company! I hope that this article captures a new aspect of KINTO Technologies.

I look forward to many more interesting contents from you in the future! :)