Athlete Brains: Dai Tamesue's "Fluid Pacing" vol.31

A serial interview column where Mr. Dai Tamesue freely discusses "things on his mind right now." The only set theme is "What is autonomy? What is tolerance?" Mr. Tamesue shares his thoughts on various "things on his mind" in response to the mysterious "interviewer's" unexpected prompts. Well then. What kind of stories will emerge this time...? Stay tuned.

──Continuing from last time (#30), we'll once again explore the theme "What are numbers, really?"

Tamesue: Thank you for having me.

──Following last time's "Numbers for Athletes," this time we'll explore the perspective of "Numbers for Business Leaders," another facet of your identity.

Tametsu: For a business owner, numbers are obviously important. Sales, profit margins, stock prices, and so on. Cost reduction and efficiency improvements too. To put it simply, it's all about money. But just like an athlete's record or a student's test scores, I don't think numbers alone can tell the whole story.

──Because the number "money" is easy to understand.

Tamesue: In an era where money could be the sole metric, chasing numbers alone probably worked effectively.

──But things are different now, right? More people are thinking and acting on questions like, "What is true richness of heart?" or "How can we coexist with nature and build a sustainable society?"

Tamesue: I started using social media about ten years ago. Back then, "number of followers" wasn't that important. It was fun just being able to share thoughts with the world and connect with people. But once it became about "hundreds of thousands or millions of followers," that number suddenly became a crucial "metric." People started saying things like, "If you run for office with this many followers, you'll win," or "A book with this many followers should sell well."

──So the resulting numbers became "readable," you mean.

Tametsu: Lately, impressions are also getting attention. It's about "how much reaction you got."

──As a metric, it's evolved into something deeper.

Tamese: It's like shifting from "the number of followers" to "the impressions of reactions." Personally, I've published several books myself, and I care more about the reactions than the number of readers. I think this represents significant progress, whether in personal relationships, the political world, or of course, corporate management.

──Progress it may be, but it's also scary. It lays bare the misconception that having a high follower count alone makes you popular.

Tamura: Exactly. It also reveals whether people are genuinely interested or not.

──The theme of "numbers" concludes next time (#32), but I feel we've gained significant insight from the metrics of followers and impressions.

Tamesue: It's just the experience of an old guy with 10 years on social media, or rather, just my personal thoughts (laughs).

──To give you a preview of next time's interview topic: you know how there's "quantitative analysis" and "qualitative analysis"? The one that expresses things numerically is quantitative, while the one that expresses things that can't be measured numerically is qualitative. In ad agencies, marketing folks usually handle the former, while creatives tackle the latter. Honestly, this division has rarely felt quite right. The former are number-crunching pros using surveys and statistics, while the latter are closer to artists. Both work hard to satisfy clients, but...

Tametsu: That happens, doesn't it? I think a common example is this whole "team theory" thing. Analyzing it from a "numbers" perspective could be interesting.

──My vague impression up until now has been that the two are like two sides of the same coin, or front and back. Many people liken them to "the two wheels of a car," but it always feels a bit too neatly packaged. However, including this time, after hearing your thoughts centered on "numbers," I feel like I'm starting to see the answer, albeit vaguely.

Tamese: As usual, let's think about it while we run and chat casually (laugh).

──Thank you. (Continued in #32)

(Interviewer: Web Dentsu Inc. Editorial Department)

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Athlete Brains Production Team (Hibi)

Part 2 on numbers. While the importance of numbers in management is obvious, we're talking about the phenomenon where previously unseen things are becoming visible and quantifiable. It's not just about "quantity" like follower counts or business revenue; we're seeing a trend where qualitative aspects, like how much you moved people's hearts, are also being quantified. Even in sports "matches," previously unseen aspects are now being quantified. This not only enhances the ways we enjoy the game but also suggests that by quantifying more qualitative, emotion-based elements, we might discover entirely new ways to enjoy sports.

Athlete Brains Production Team Dentsu Inc. / Akinori Hibi (3CRP) · Genta Arahori (Late Bureau)

 

For details on "Athlete Brains," a team centered around Dai Tamesue that leverages athletes' cultivated knowledge to solve societal (corporate/social) challenges, click here.