Mentalist DaiGo and Fund Manager Hiroharu Fusa Discuss "The Psychology of Consulting" (Part 1)

Mentalist DaiGo is a psychology professional. He applies cutting-edge psychology to work across diverse fields, from business to entertainment. Hiroharu Fusa, meanwhile, is a fund manager active in global finance. During his studies at Oxford University, he had the rare experience of lodging at the home of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was residing in Oxford at the time. He then succeeded in numerous large-scale investment projects as an investment banker, a star of the financial world. He has since reunited with Aung San Suu Kyi and is now involved in consulting and investment aimed at Myanmar's growth. In this Design Talk, Tetsuji Nose of Dentsu Inc. Business Creation Center, who knows both men, serves as the moderator as they discuss "The Psychology of Consulting."

 

Why DaiGo is drawn to Oxford

Nose: Today's Design Talk theme is "The Psychology of Consulting." Why this theme, and why the DaiGo and Fusa duo? Could you start by introducing yourselves?

DaiGo: I had the opportunity to visit Oxford University through the Nippon TV program "Another Sky," where I was introduced to Fusa-san, who was living there at the time. Fusa-san has deep connections with the university, which allowed us to tour facilities normally off-limits to the public. We've been close ever since.

Fusa: Oxford University, following the example of American universities, started about ten years ago to establish various research facilities by gathering donations, primarily from alumni. Currently, the establishment of the Institute of Developmental Physiology and Regenerative Medicine has been decided, and I've been given the title of Special Strategic Advisor. Simply put, I'm helping with the fundraising.

DaiGo: Let me quickly introduce myself. While elementary school kids these days seem to think I'm the guy who plays Go Fish, I'm not a Go Fish expert (laughs).

My main job is using psychology to help companies develop products and online services. I also serve as a special-appointment professor at a medical university, where I established a Rehabilitation Psychology program, and I write books. Today, Mr. Fusa and I would like to introduce psychological concepts and techniques that are useful for presentations and consulting.

Fusa: Nice to meet you.

DaiGo: First, let's start with a topic we both share: Oxford University. I'm incredibly drawn to Oxford and hope to move there someday.

This is because I believe Oxford's "approach to learning" will be vital for future business. Haven't you seen recent news about "jobs that will disappear as AI advances"? This news cites Associate Professor Michael A. Osborne's paper 'Future of Employment' from Oxford University. It categorizes jobs into those "replaced by AI" and those "remaining for humans," with jobs requiring originality persisting. In fact, Oxford University has been educating students to cultivate originality for centuries.

Fusa: At Oxford University, it's being said that within just a few more years, half of what first-year students learn will be obsolete by the time they reach their fourth year. This means things previously considered common sense will be overturned at an even faster pace than we see today.

However, no matter how advanced AI becomes, it cannot generate solutions without human programming. For instance, humans possess the ability to "notice." This is the act of questioning what society considers common sense, thinking, "Isn't that wrong?" When speaking with the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, he mentioned, "There have been two major 'notices' in human history, but it will still take a long time for AI to achieve such insight." These two insights refer to Copernicus's heliocentric theory and Darwin's theory of evolution. They realized that the truth was the exact opposite of the prevailing worldview of their time. However, humans themselves have not yet deciphered the programming behind this "insight," making it impossible to program into AI. Oxford University is attempting to foster this kind of original thinking through education.

 

Should companies prohibit side jobs?

DaiGo: At Oxford University, students are thoroughly drilled in independent thinking, which is a way of thinking that starts from scratch, and original thinking, which is a way of thinking from an independent perspective. Adam Grant, the youngest tenured professor at the University of Pennsylvania, writes about methods for creating originality in his book. According to him, when the desire for results becomes stronger, people tend to fear failure and become less free to speak their minds and be creative. From the perspective of originality, it seems better to have a "side business." Most entrepreneurs who have demonstrated creativity and achieved great business success and success started out with a side business. Adam Grant's research shows that entrepreneurs who quit their jobs and take the risk of throwing everything away are more likely to fail. Conversely, the risk of bankruptcy is reduced by 33% when starting a side business without taking risks. Having a secure main job allows you to take on creative challenges.

Fusa: The investment world is similar. Often, what appears to be taking a risk actually reduces risk. It's called Calculated Risk – analyzing investment risks, calculating how much risk you can comfortably take, then taking that calculated risk to generate profit.

DaiGo: That's fascinating. Perhaps the true risk lies in not knowing what will become of you. Challenging yourself with a side hustle from a secure position, then applying the creativity gained there to your main job—that makes both the CEO and employees happy. That's the conclusion from a psychological perspective. If you're stable as a salaried employee, it's better to take risks.

On my show "NicoNico Douga," when I had Mr. Ryuta Shiiki, founder of DLE, as a guest, he said, "If I were reborn, I'd start a business in middle school." He explained, "If you start a business in middle school, even if you fail, you can try again in high school. If you fail in high school, you can try in college. If you fail as a college student, you can just get a job. If you take risks when you can, even if you fail, you still have options. So why does everyone wait until they have no options left to try?" That's his perspective. Interesting, right?

Fusa: As DaiGo said, independent thinking can't happen where similar people gather. When people from completely different industries with completely different ways of thinking come together, a human chemical reaction occurs, and new ideas are born. Therefore, from a management perspective, it might be better to have a policy allowing side jobs, except for working in the same industry. That would increase employee productivity and originality, contributing to the company.

Japanese companies suffer from a labor market with extremely low worker mobility—people rarely change jobs. The larger the company, the stronger the tendency for employees to stay their entire careers. That stifles original thinking and independent thought. Without fostering it, companies will face significant challenges in the coming era of AI advancement.

DaiGo: Next, I'd like to ask about psychological warfare in M&A.

*Continued in Part 2

You can also read this interview on AdTie!
Planning & Production: Dentsu Live Inc. Creative Unit 2nd Creative Room, Aki Kanahara