Enigmo Inc. Representative Director and CEO Masahiro Suda

Let's work as one team to create a global brand!

Profile

After graduating from Keio University Graduate School of Computer Science, he worked as a strategic planner at Hakuhodo before founding Enigmo in 2004. He launched BUYMA in 2005, which was listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. He then launched an English version of BUYMA and expanded the business globally. In his personal life, he founded M-Work, an entrepreneurial support business aimed at revitalizing Mito City. He has completed the Amazon Jungle Marathon, the Antarctic Triathlon, and the Sahara Marathon.

President Suda has wanted to make an impact on the world since his student days. He set a goal to start his own business by the age of 30, and he achieved his goal by founding Enigmo Co., Ltd. at the age of 29. He said his dream is to create a global brand and brighten up Japan, just as Japanese companies made their names known around the world after the war.

　During my student days, I was busy with club activities and part-time jobs, so I felt something was off.
As a teenager, I was the representative of an event production club that has been running for over 1 years, and I planned and managed the school festival, invited artists to concerts, and sold tickets.
I've had the opportunity to work in a variety of jobs, including managing a virtual space at Nie.
　When I was deciding on a lab, I started thinking for the first time about what I wanted to do in the future, and I wanted to make some kind of mark on the world. I thought I could either create new inventions and technologies as a PhD, or make an impact in business as a CEO, so I first joined a computer science lab where I could pursue both. I eventually realized that business would allow me to progress faster than research, so I decided to pursue a career in business, with the goal of starting my own company in the future.　

■ Set a goal to start a business by age 30

　Rather than jumping right into starting a venture, I decided to study marketing and user thinking before starting my own business, so I joined Hakuhodo, hoping to learn business. I realized that without a big goal, I would get bogged down in my daily work, so when I joined the company, I resolved to start my own business by the age of 30, and I made this public to my fellow coworkers. I wanted to learn as much as I could during my career as a salaryman, so I said yes to everything my superiors asked me to do and worked frantically. It was during this time that I met Tanaka, who would later become my co-founder, and we hit it off. As we exchanged ideas for our future startup, Tanaka proposed the original plan for what is now BUYMA. At the time, there were people buying things from overseas on sites like Yahoo! Auctions, so I knew there was a clear demand and was convinced this was a good idea. Ultimately, I founded Enigmo, Inc. at the age of 29 and 10 months, successfully achieving my initial goal of starting a business by the age of 30.　
　What I've been particular about in running the company is capturing people's mind share, so that just as Cookpad or Classy will come to mind when thinking of cooking, BUYMA will come to mind when thinking of brand-name clothing. Initially, I wanted to create a site where you could buy anything from around the world, but after analyzing the trends in products that sold, I realized that what sold was not cheap mass-produced goods, but rather small-lot, diverse items like clothing. The first product that sold was Abercrombie & Fitch perfume, and as I created matches in such niche areas, I began to specialize in brand-name fashion, as I do now. In any case, the fact that we never shifted from our focus on overseas is what has ultimately differentiated us from other companies.
　Also, from the very beginning, I've wanted to create a brand that can be accepted overseas. As a child, I was happy to see Toyota and Sony doing well on the world stage, which gave me pride and self-affirmation as a Japanese person. However, I feel that no such company has emerged in the last 30 years. My dream is to ring the bell in Times Square with all of our employees. I would like to become a company that is listed overseas and brighten up Japan. Recently, our recognition overseas has been spreading, with our topic being taken up at Harvard Business School. Our first goal is to increase the proportion of overseas sales to 20 percent. Looking ahead to a future in which the digital world is pervasive in our lives, I would like to actively explore new services that utilize VR, etc.

■ All employees work together to expand our services

　What's rewarding about my work is seeing people all over the world use our service. I was happy when I went fishing as a hobby and found out that the person on the boat with me knew about BUYMA. Another thing is seeing our employees smiling. I pay close attention to the interactions and atmosphere between employees, so as not to overlook even the smallest of anomalies. Previously, when our advertising business wasn't going well, friction arose within our organization, which had been one team. Since then, I've been conscious of "keeping the threads taut," and we make all email and Slack exchanges publicly available so that even the slightest bit of discomfort can be detected.
　Both the company and the product are still in a living state, and can be changed in any way, so we will accept the opinions of new graduates if they have strong feelings. I would like to work with people who are not selfish, who put the company or service first, and who are passionate and can make changes. I believe that people who are not smart or experienced, but who have a spirit of challenge and are passionate, will ultimately be the ones who will produce the best results, even if they fail and take the detour.

■Message

　It's important to increase your enthusiasm. I think you can't get that enthusiasm unless you take action, so I want you to take action in whatever way you can, whether it's a part-time job, a club, or an internship. I believe there's nothing you can't achieve, so set high goals for yourself and work hard.

Student Newspaper April 2022 Edition by Nao Suzuki, 4th year student at International Christian University