Produce a product
 needed by the owner

Joined mid-career as a product manager (2020)

Yoko Baba

I heard something like this

  • ・What is your background?

  • ・ What is your current job?

  • ・ What are your future goals?

Joined GA with the desire to be involved in product creation

In my previous job, I was mainly in charge of advertising promotion for our company's products. However, at the same time, when I started to handle web direction, I became completely absorbed in the charm of product creation. I believe that meeting an engineer who was on the same team as me at the time changed my career. So, when I was looking for a new environment because I wanted to be more involved in product creation, I happened to meet a career change agent and the first company recommended was GA technologies Co., Ltd.. I wanted to work in an organization with engineers, so I immediately decided to change jobs.

A major role immediately after joining the company

Currently, I am a product manager for an asset management app called OWNR by RENOSY. OWNR by RENOSY is a smartphone application that meets the needs of real estate owners, such as "I want to know the status of my property," "I want to check the contract," and "I want to consult about something I don't understand." Not only can you check information about your property, occupancy status, monthly remittance details, etc., you can also consider future steps such as buying or selling investment properties. Rather than just buying real estate and finishing it, we would like to realize better asset management by allowing customers to easily check the property after purchase.

When I was entrusted with OWNR by RENOSY for the first time, I was puzzled, thinking, "How can someone like me, who has little experience as a PdM, be able to take on such an important role?" However, everyone in the company pushed my back, and I made up my mind.

keenly aware of the importance of understanding the essence

The most important feature that I worked on for the first time after becoming a product manager was the tax return support function. At RENOSY Real estate investment Service, we have a relationship of trust between our sales staff and our customers, so we appreciate being able to receive immediate feedback such as points for improvement.

While analyzing customer feedback, we found a big difference in the content immediately after purchase and after a while. It was about "confirmation". We rarely receive feedback on tax returns immediately after purchase, but once a year, at the time of tax return filing, we hear more and more requests for enhanced support for tax returns.

It's embarrassing to say, but partly because my previous job wasn't in the real estate industry, when I first joined the company, I didn't know much about filing tax returns for Real estate investment. I thought lightly that "Speaking of final tax returns, it would be nice to be able to enter income and miscellaneous expenses." For the first time, I realized that I did not understand the tax return of Real estate investment at all. This made me keenly aware that a project will never come to fruition unless you understand the essence of it, rather than doing it because someone told you to. For several months, we asked for the cooperation of members of the company who own properties, departments that are familiar with tax returns, and affiliated tax accountants, and conducted thorough interviews.

Not everyone in the GA company is a real estate owner, and in-house owners can talk directly to members who are familiar with tax returns and experienced people. It was very difficult for people who said they had never filed their tax returns by themselves without consulting anyone to understand why this project was necessary. I really wanted to carry out this project in order to reduce the burden on the owner as much as possible, so I received many opportunities to explain. I remember feeling relieved to finally stand at the starting line when the project started after the planning meeting where I challenged myself again.

For the voices saying "I'm glad there is OWNR by RENOSY"

Most people who Real estate investment use loans. And as long as there is real estate income, the final tax return must be implemented every year. Therefore, OWNR by RENOSY will have a long relationship with the owner over several decades after purchasing real estate.

We are working hard every day to ensure that people who have purchased real estate from RENOSY say, "I'm glad there was OWNR by RENOSY." To be honest, it's hard to say that even existing app functions can meet all the needs of owners. However, the development members and designers, including myself, put their heart and soul into creating it.

The product manager not only does the overall product design, but also deeply understands the user's problem, thinks of ways to solve the problem, brings the planned project to the release, and gets the user to know and use it. I think it's my job to do things and make them satisfied. I would like many real estate owners to use it, and I would like to make repeated improvements based on their feedback.

* This article is based on information at the time of the interview. Please note that it may differ from the latest information.

Joined mid-career as a product manager (2020)

Yoko Baba

After graduating from university, joined Trenders Co., Ltd. After engaging in web marketing, transferred to a new company as a founding member due to a spin-out of a new business department. He has extensive experience in advertising promotion, web direction, and alliances. Joined GA technologies Co., Ltd. in 2020. Currently, he is the product manager of the asset management app "OWNR by RENOSY" and the property purchase management system "SUPPLIER by RENOSY".

Mid-Career

Mid-career employee interview

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