What do you do at EAGLYS?
Currently at EAGLYS I’m in a position similar to that of a sales engineer as well as product manager. I stand in between sales and engineers, while also envisioning the direction of the product. My mission is to increase sales of our flagship product, the DataArmor series, and since I joined the company, I’ve gradually changed the of selling approach that salespeople have been doing up until now.
Usually we ask customers to test and evaluate our products, but unfortunately most of the times the process stops there. So my job is to push forward with this collaboration and find out how our products can be useful for the customer’s next goal, think about what is needed to expand the area of use, and build proposals based on such information.
Building a relationship with the customers is very important, but since we are a technology company, I believe that gaining trust and credibility in terms of technology, is a prerequisite for building the relationship. For that reason, during client meetings I always try to make proposals that will convince not only the sales staff on the customer side but also the engineers. We show the value of our products and engage in technical discussions with them until they are satisfied.
What kind of career have you had so far?
I was a Field Application Engineer (FAE) in the semiconductor field. I was responsible for accompanying the sales team to the customer’s site, making technical presentations, answering questions, and providing the post-implementation training and support all by myself. The head office is located in Silicon Valley, but the Japanese subsidiary only has a business development function, so I was the engineer in charge of dealing with customers nationwide, and work together with the sales team to acquire new customers or product license renewals.
What made you decide to work for EAGLYS?
Originally, I was interested in making CPUs, so I pursued a doctoral degree in semiconductor research. After that, I joined a major Japanese semiconductor manufacturer as a new graduate and started my career in semiconductor design verification. Eventually, I decided I wanted to experience working closer to customers, so I moved to a semiconductor design software company as a FAE.
My encounter with EAGLYS came at a time when I strongly felt that the next business opportunity was in the field of AI and security.
EAGLYS is a company that is working on cutting-edge homomorphic encryption, which is attracting attention worldwide. The projects they are working on are unique and interesting, such as supporting of DX in enterprise companies in terms of data utilization and confidential data collaboration between companies. Therefore, I thought that the fields of data utilization, security, and AI would be even more exciting for me. During my interview, I could feel the passion from Mr. Imabayashi (CEO) and Mr. Maruyama (CSO), and I was able to identify with their vision.
What we would like to achieve at EAGLYS?
My dream is to make EAGLYS’ world-class technology products and platforms available to as many people as possible, both in Japan and overseas.
Previously, when I was working for a large company, my role was small in such large organization, so it was difficult to be deeply involved in many things at the same time, like sales, manufacturing, and product development.
However, at EAGLYS I get to sell, manage products, and also be involved in the production side as well. It may seem like a luxury, but I would be happy if I can make contributions to the company by being involved in every aspect of it.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working at EAGLYS?
After receiving customer feedback, I discuss with the engineering team how we can build and develop the required functions. And of course I am always happy when I try out the new implementations and everything works as expected. Also, it is great to see the customer’s satisfaction when I show them the result. But, in my opinion, the most rewarding part is the process itself and the interactions with the customers and R&D team until we reach the desired results.
Who is well-suited to work at EAGLYS?
People who are proactive are well-suited for this job. However, it is not enough to be able to take action; you must also be able to look around and understand the situation you find yourself in. This company is suitable for people who can put themselves in the other person’s shoes, judge the situation, and be a team player, while still being able to do what needs to be done.
How do you envision your future career?
I am very passionate about technology, so I would like to stay involved in the engineering field. I want to become an expert in product marketing and product management. I want to be able to build win-win relationships with customers by properly communicating the value of our products to meet their needs and making proposals that can bring out that value.
