Meet Our New Team Members: January 2025 Update

Introduction

Hi, I'm Kossy. I joined the company in January 2025! In this article, I asked a few of our January 2025 new joiners to share their first impressions right after joining. I've put their thoughts together here. I hope this content will be useful for those who are interested in KINTO Technologies (KTC), and serve as a reflection for the members who participated in the interview!

S.H

Self-introduction
Hi, my name is S.H., and I joined the company in January 2025. I work as a project manager (PjM) in the Digital Transformation Solution Group, part of the Mobility Product Development Division. Before joining KTC, I worked at several IT and production companies, taking on roles in marketing, product management (PdM), direction, system design and development, and PjM.

How is your team structured?
We are a team of about a dozen members, working on multiple products and projects.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
I was impressed by the high level of technical skill here. There are lots of study sessions held both inside and outside the company, and they're always well-attended. I could tell they had a strong desire to improve themselves. As for surprises, honestly, I didn't expect people to be this dedicated to learning. Some online study sessions have over 100 participants, which is truly incredible.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
It's really easy to ask questions or get advice. Not only do mentors support you, but lots of people will jump in to help if you're stuck. It's a very supportive and comfortable environment to work in.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
Totally unexpected, so I was surprised when I was asked.

Question from you to S.H

What are your thoughts on driving digital transformation at KTC?

Looking across the group companies, I feel like there's still a ton of potential when it comes to promoting digital transformation. I want to help create better systems and work environments for both the teams on the ground and the customers they serve.

Wenjia Lu

Self-introduction
I handle QA tasks for the Platform Development Division.

How is your team structured?
We have 9 QA staff working alongside 4 other team members.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
It felt like a warm and welcoming team. And the work itself is rewarding.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
Everyone's always communicating and getting things done together.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
I wasn't sure what to write.

Question from S.H. to Lu

Has anything about KTC's company culture or events struck you as unusual??

Not really, nothing's felt especially different to me.

I

Self-introduction
I'm I. I joined the company in January 2025. I work in direction, in the Digital Transformation Solution Group of the Mobility Product Development Division. Until now, I've held roles in marketing, product management, and project direction.

How is your team structured?
We've got directors and designers on the team, and we handle multiple products.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
I think it's a great place to learn, with plenty of opportunities to stay on top of new technologies.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
It's a comfortable environment. There's solid support, not just for the work itself, but also for anything you might want to talk about on a personal level.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
I was surprised to be asked. This is my first time writing a post about joining a company.

Question from Lu to I

What's the one thing you most want to do at KTC?

I want to create products that really solve users' issues and also contribute to strong business performance for the company.

KS

Self-introduction
I'm KS from the KINTO ONE Development Division, Content Development Group. I am mainly in charge of the frontend development for static content on KINTO ONE.

How is your team structured?
We're a 10-person team with 1 assistant manager, 1 team lead, and 8 members. We work on development, maintenance, and operations for multiple websites, including KINTO ONE and our corporate site.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
Everything was explained clearly during the interview, so there were no surprises. I was impressed by how many study sessions are held within the company. I got the impression that the entire company is motivated to grow technically.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
It's a fun and collaborative environment for development. Communication flows smoothly, not just within the team but also with directors and designers from other divisions.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
I had read a few posts before, but I never imagined I'd be writing one.

Question from I to KDS

What's the hottest project in your team right now?

That would be the migration project for the KINTO ONE website, from Vue.js to Next.js. I'm responsible for designing and developing the design system and components.

Joonki Lee

Self-introduction
My name is Joonki Lee.It´s pronounced 'Ee,' not 'Lee,' so please don't get it wrong! I'm part of the Platform Group in the Platform Development Division, where I work on building environments and developing tools for developers.

How is your team structured?
Officially, we're divided into the MSP team and the SRE team, but I refer to them as the ‘managed platform team' and the ‘scratch team.' The ‘scratch team' mainly develops tools from scratch, whereas the ‘managed platform team' builds environments using SaaS and managed services.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
I felt like the managers were really approachable. There wasn't that many surprises.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
It's usually pretty quiet. Everyone's focused on their own tasks. But once a discussion kicks off, it gets lively and passionate.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
It made me think it'd be nice to share a bit about my daily work in Tech Blog.

Question from KS to Lee

I haven't been to the Jimbocho Office yet, what's it like?

The recent renovations have made the space feel more open and added a touch of style.

Kossy

Self-introduction
Hi, I'm Koshiro 🙌 I work in the Platform Development Division, where I handle the building and day-to-day maintenance of the cloud infrastructure that powers KINTO and other services!

How is your team structured?
Under the department, there are four groups: Platform, DBRE, Cloud Infrastructure, and QA. These groups are engaged in various initiatives as an organization responsible for the non-functional aspects of the service.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
Even though the company had only been around for four years, I felt that the onboarding process was well organized. Also, there were way more services in operation than I had expected, and the team was tackling technical challenges way more actively than I imagined. so I felt that these aspects created a gap in a good way.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
We get along really well. Every time I go into the office, we grab meals together. There's a lot of casual chatting too, and the open environment where we can talk about anything have been a great support.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
I'd actually been wanting to start writing Tech Blog for a while, so I thought this would be the perfect chance to finally jump in!

Question from Lee to Kossy

What's one tech topic you're really into right now?

That would be Platform Design Patterns! I'm interested in platform design patterns within the context of Platform Engineering, especially those that take into account the characteristics of platforms tailored to different users, such as variations in the responsibilities delegated to development teams!

TY

Self-introduction
I'm Yamada from the Corporate IT Group in the IT & Information Security Division. I mainly work on building the employee master data and developing systems that help improve and streamline business operations.

How is your team structured?
It's called the Innovation Drive Team and has nine members. One thing that sets us apart is that we support not just our own company, but also other group companies.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
Not really. I even had the chance to tour the office during the interview process, so I had a pretty accurate idea of the workplace. A big plus was that the managers from Nagoya took the time to travel and meet me in person during the office visit. That made a strong impression and helped me decide to join. I really appreciated that.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
Everyone's open to constructive discussions, and people are quick to lend a hand if you're stuck. Super easy to work here.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
To be honest, I'm writing this right up against the deadline and kind of kicking myself for it...But I'd be happy if someone reading this gets curious about our company and considers joining us!

Question from Kossy to TY

Is there any tech or project you'd like to try at KTC?

From a tech perspective, Data Space is a technology I'd like to try out. Right now, most of my work involves tackling small-scale issues that don't quite become full-blown projects, but I'm passionate about improving convenience for our users (employees), and I want to keep pushing that forward.

Naoki Takigawa

Self-introduction
My name is Takigawa. I'm on the scratch development team in the Platform Development Division, where I test and develop tools used by engineers. I am mainly working on frontend development!

How is your team structured?
Kossy already gave a great summary, so I'll refer you to that.
Under the department, there are four groups: Platform, DBRE, Cloud Infrastructure, and QA. These groups are engaged in various initiatives as an organization responsible for the non-functional aspects of the service.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
During the interview, I was told the team was newly formed and the training structure might still be in progress. But when I joined, I found onboarding materials and OJT training were already in place. So I was like, "Wait, this is actually well prepared."

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
There's a welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy to ask questions. A lot of our team members in the Platform Development Division are based in Tokyo, and we usually travel back and forth between each other's bases about once a month.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
My first thought was, "What should I even write?"

Question from TY to Takigawa

What technology area are you currently most interested in or really into?

Probably AI field...? I'm interested in using AI to boost development efficiency. Right now, I'm experimenting with a bunch of tools, such as Devin, OpenHands, and GitHub Copilot✖️MCP. I'm running them in parallel while building an AI dev team to explore what works best. Reviewing will be intense... lol

Yu Qiao

Self-introduction
I'm Yu a.k.a Alex! I work as a generative AI engineer in the AI First Group in the IT & Information Security Division. I mainly support Generative AI initiatives, including business promotion and Proof of Concept (PoC) projects!

How is your team structured?
There are six of us on the team, each with different specialized skills and active in their own specialized areas.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
The vibe I got during the interviews matched what I experienced after joining, so there weren't any big surprises. As Takigawa-san mentioned, I had heard the training setup might be a bit underdeveloped. But it turned out to be more solid than expected in a good way. That was a nice surprise.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
It's a place where you're free to take on any challenges you want. And if you ever hit a wall, you can always ask for help.

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
I feel like writing it again!

Question from Takigawa to Alex

What kind of headphones do you always wear during meetings? If you have any favorite features, let us know!

I actually got them at my previous job. When COVID hit and we all shifted to full remote work, our team needed good noise-canceling headphones. So my boss and I went to Yodobashi Camera together and picked them out.

you

Self-introduction
I'm you from the Cloud Infrastructure Group, part of the Platform Development Division! I work on a variety of tasks centered around AWS, including building, operating, and continuously improving our internal infrastructure.

How is your team structured?
The Cloud Infrastructure Group currently has nine members. It's a flat environment where we can easily talk and collaborate with both our manager and team leaders. Everyone in the group is really driven, so it keeps me motivated every day.

What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises?
My first thought was, "this company is evolving fast!" I was impressed by how well-structured the internal systems and workflows were. It was much more organized than I had expected. If there was any gap, it was actually a positive one: communication was smooth and technical challenges were being tackled across the whole company.

What is the atmosphere like on-site?
It's a fantastic workplace where people aren't afraid to take risks, and we can openly share ideas and opinions about our work!

How did you feel about writing a blog post?
I'm already thinking about the topic for my next Tech Blog!

Question from Alex to you

What challenges would you like to take on at KTC in the future?

I want to keep driving the evolution of both technology and culture at KTC. One person alone can't achieve much, but I'm committed to doing everything I can to make a meaningful impact. Right now, I'm especially focused on learning new technologies and sharing them with others.

Finally

Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts after joining our company!

Our team at KINTO Technologies is steadily expanding with new members coming on board! We'll be posting more new-joiner stories from across divisions, so stay tuned!

And yes: we're still hiring! KINTO Technologies is looking for new teammates to join us across a variety of divisions and roles. For more details, check it out here!