STARTUP GROWTH TALK [7]Building Future Businesses: Communication with Stakeholders (Part 2)
This series features interviews between Dentsu Inc. employees supporting startups and entrepreneurs, executives, investors, CMOs, and others from startup companies. We explore how they overcame challenges encountered during the growth of their companies and businesses.
Continu ing from last time, Hiroki Ochi and Takato Akiyama of Dentsu Inc. interviewed Mitsuru Sugawara, President and CEO of QD Laser, Inc., which provides new semiconductor laser solutions for fields including communications, industry, and healthcare. What is the "importance of visualizing value" as explained by this company, which newly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market in February 2021?
Even the most brilliant technology or vision holds no value if it isn't communicated
Ochi: Last time, you mentioned that no matter how excellent the technology or how innovative the idea, society won't move unless you communicate how it will be implemented and what value or change it will create. This thinking resonates with what we conveyed to Mr. Sugawara when we first met him – that QD Laser needed to redefine its technology not from a technology-centric perspective, but from a societal perspective.
Sugawara: What Mr. Ochi told me really stuck with me: "Value is worthless if it isn't communicated. Even the most amazing technology or vision is meaningless if it isn't conveyed. Visualizing value and executing it is crucial."
Honestly, we thought laser eyewear had value simply because it helped people with poor vision see better. But people who can't see well have adapted to their lives without clear vision, so they aren't that troubled by it. I myself can barely see without my glasses, yet I live without them at home.
Akiyama: That's right. We also participated in sessions where people with low vision tried on Laser Eyewear. They were certainly pleased, but when we asked, "Will you use it?" we got the unexpected response, "No, not really," which left us perplexed.
Sugawara: So, simply telling them they'll be able to see isn't enough. We need to communicate what Laser Eyewear will change for them, and specifically what value it will create. As engineers, we tend to think from a technical perspective, but we must constantly consider how this technology benefits society and who it makes happy. Years ago, an investor told me, "Marketing is the most important thing for a startup." Honestly, it didn't click for me back then, but now I understand its meaning perfectly.
Ochi: Is there anything you consciously focus on from a marketing perspective, Mr. Sugawara?
Sugawara: I believe clearly communicating value is crucial. Even after going public, we've given hundreds of presentations to stakeholders. Through that process, we've refined our materials and delivery methods, tailoring content to each audience. We're constantly experimenting with "how can we communicate this better?"
Whether you're a researcher or a scientist, this is an era where you can't succeed unless you can communicate the societal value of your technology or ideas. Convenient tools and technologies for communication are readily available now. I believe significant opportunities will arise for those who can ride this wave and successfully implement that value in society.
In this effort to "properly communicate value," the support from the Dentsu Inc. team has been particularly influential. In a positive sense, they understood our value from a third-party perspective, starting from society, and built our story by combining differences and timeframes.
"Staying open" expands both ideas and business
Ochi: Another perspective I wanted to ask about is how to accelerate business speed. Naturally, implementing new technologies in society takes time, but the longer R&D continues, the higher the costs. What do you consciously do to speed up the pace to societal implementation, even just a little?
Sugawara: The biggest speed killer is when you have to backtrack. When problems you didn't anticipate initially surface later, forcing you to redo work, the time and cost invested up to that point become a huge loss. So, I think it's crucial to thoroughly consider every possible requirement at the very beginning. Though, to be honest, achieving that perfectly is incredibly difficult.
Ochi: So it's about thoroughly gathering input, understanding the structure, and then moving forward.
Sugawara: The key at that stage is "not closing the door." It's not just about thinking things through yourself; you actively seek out opinions from others. If there are stakeholders, you go meet them. If there are people succeeding in similar fields, you go learn from their insights. Trying to wrap everything up on your own usually leads to failure.
Akiyama: Mr. Sugawara often engages in conversations with us too, and I get the impression he always interacts with everyone with an open mind.
Sugawara: If you don't lay everything out on the table, the other party won't tell you the truth either. I believe you can't collaborate effectively with others unless you speak your mind openly and honestly.
Ochi: That's true. When we consider supporting startups, it's much easier to provide support if they openly discuss the core technology and ideas behind their business. Conversely, if they hide those aspects, it can make our decision-making difficult.
Sugawara: Protecting the technology or idea itself isn't the goal; we should recognize that the real goldmine lies beyond that. The "With My Eyes" project was born precisely from having candid discussions with Ochi-san and Akiyama-san.
Akiyama: Precisely. "With My Eyes" is a work born from insights gained by meeting various people with visual impairments.
※＝With My Eyes
A video work depicting individuals with low vision—those experiencing visual impairment due to various causes, facing daily challenges like "difficulty seeing," "sensitivity to glare," or "narrow visual fields making walking difficult"—as they attempt photography using laser retinal projection technology.
Visualizing a leader's vision can change society
Ochi: Hearing all these stories reaffirmed how profoundly deep QD Laser's technology truly is. The laser retinal projection technology is so profound that it could easily be dismissed with just a simple "Wow." But Mr. Sugawara created opportunities for us to actually meet people with low vision. By establishing an environment where we could openly discuss the lingering uncertainties within us without reservation, he enabled us to gain a deeper understanding of QD Laser. It was precisely this foundation that allowed us to collaborate on delivering value through "visualizing value."
Sugawara: Of course, the premise is that they genuinely strive to deeply understand us, which naturally leads us to want to share everything we can offer. I was deeply impressed from our very first meeting by how thoroughly you two researched our technology and presented us with various hypotheses. By synchronizing as partners beyond the confines of a company, I feel we can advance our current thinking and actions by one or even two steps.
Ochi: Looking back at the kickoff materials from when we first met Mr. Sugawara as a production partner for the website renewal, we were overwhelmed by how much we didn't know, so we sent him a massive list of questions. Then, Sugawara-san wrote answers to every single question and sent us tons of additional materials. That made us incredibly happy. After Akiyama and I pored over the materials, we ended up not proposing a website renewal at all. Instead, we proactively proposed a much longer-term project focused on maximizing corporate value (laughs).
Sugawara: Receiving that proposal made us feel our business could expand dramatically. In fact, the growth story the Dentsu Inc. team built for us has resonated widely—not just with corporate collaborations but also with joint research projects with universities. We still feel our business is actively expanding.
Ochi: Personally, I work with the belief that visualizing a CEO's vision can change society. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to make that vision a reality.
Akiyama: I believe QD Laser can change the world even more, so I'm excited to continue taking on big challenges together.
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Author
Mitsuru Sugawara
QD Laser, Inc.
Born in Niigata Prefecture in 1958. Doctor of Engineering, University of Tokyo. Specializes in nanostructure quantum electronics. Conducted research and development on semiconductor lasers at Fujitsu Laboratories for 20 years, establishing QD Laser, Inc. in 2006. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market in 2021. As a pioneer in quantum dot laser technology, from fundamental research to practical mass production, he received the IEEE Photonics Society Aron Kressel Award in 2014, the 16th Teiichi Yamasaki Award, and the 33rd Kenjiro Sakurai Memorial Award. He has also received numerous other awards for laser precision processing, retinal laser projection technology, and other achievements.
Hiroki Ochi
Dentsu Inc.
Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Economics. Witnessing his family's business operations, he joined Dentsu Inc. with the belief that "Value becomes worthless if it isn't communicated." After being assigned to the Regional Department of Media Services / Newspaper Division, he handled KIRIN for 10 years. As a media planner, he managed everything from TV to digital, PR, and even program planning, spearheading several Japan-first media projects. Later, he oversaw the team responsible for the Afternoon Tea brand. After leaving the KIRIN team, he developed a model for long-term partnership with startup founders based on the concept of "visualizing value," co-founding the startup-focused organization "Startup Growth Partners." He provided support ranging from QD Laser's IPO assistance to funding acquisition and mid-to-long-term strategy development for WOTA. His work has earned awards including the NY ADC: SILVER CUBE and ACC: Grand Prix.
Takato Akiyama
Dentsu Inc.
After joining the company, I worked in the marketing department before moving to the creative division. During that time, I spent two years in the radio and television department, engaged in planning, production, and content development. Currently, I handle integrated communications and branding, as well as supporting startup companies.
