By Eric Turner - Founder of Japan Dev

Key Points:

• The author, Chrisopher Day, built Japan Dev to help foreigners working in the Japanese tech industry. He noticed a lack of English-language resources specifically tailored to them, and wanted to create a platform where they could find relevant information and connect with each other.
• The journey began as a blog in 2019 and evolved into a full-fledged business by mid-2021. Day initially operated as a sole proprietorship, but later incorporated to ensure liability protection and manage tax implications.
• Japan Dev is currently bootstrapped, meaning it hasn't received external funding. It relies on advertising and sponsorships from tech companies in Japan for revenue.
• As of August 2022, the platform boasts over 250,000 monthly page views and partnerships with nearly 150 companies. Chrisopher Day and his wife, Manami, manage the entire operation on their own.

After hearing concerning stories about Japan's tech industry, the author set out to find reputable companies and eventually created Japan Dev, a job board aimed at helping tech professionals find quality jobs in Japan.

In 2019, the founder of Japan Dev started a new prototype of a job board based on a list of 50 tech companies in Japan. The site was initially called "Good tech companies in Japan" but it soon became a problem due to its lack of a job application button. The founder realized that companies were too protective of their image and there was no good way to monetize the platform. They decided to turn Japan Dev into a job board, charging a fee when a company hires someone.

Over eight years, the platform evolved from a simple list of companies to a successful job board that generated $62,197 in revenue in one month. The journey involved numerous challenges, including pivoting from a company discovery platform to a job board, overcoming the cold start problem, and navigating the complexities of running a business in Japan. Despite initial struggles and a year of no revenue, Japan Dev has grown significantly, now partnering with nearly 150 tech companies and attracting around 250,000 monthly page views. The founders plan to further scale the business by automating processes and expanding content offerings to support job seekers in Japan.

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