Monthly Archives: February 2015

Recommended Startup Business for 2015

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The U.S. based business magazine “Inc” release the result of their interview about best 8 business sector in 2015.

http://www.inc.com/graham-winfrey/best-industries-2015-the-best-industries-for-starting-a-business-in-2015.html

Their choice of best 8 businesses are as below.

  • Fantasy Sport Services (Online Sports Games)
  • Gamification Services
  • Relaxation Beverages (Opposite of energy kinda drinks)
  • Yoga and Pilates
  • Legal Marijuana
  • Food E-commerce
  • Public-Sector Technology
  • Agriculture Software

Needless to say that AGRIBUDDY which HUGS is working on current days is Agricultural Software. And not only it’s an agricultural software but, I say, it’s one step in front of being regular software as the system is aiming for “the users in under developed countries where hasn’t cultivated (As a business)”. Since we are considering that gamification of the system is important factor for our system to let the users enjoy the system, AGRIBUDDY is covering two sectors in above, gamification and agriculture software.

When I and Jiro (My partner) moved to Cambodia, it was just before the country get attention as business field. So, even though I was quite excited to say “I will be doing business in Cambodia”, no one really listened and general view of Japanese toward Cambodia was that Cambodia is the place to do volunteering, not a place to make money. However, now I am quite sure our feeling of “Cambodia will ignite” was correct as I see number of TV programs are featuring Cambodia and tons of business people are rushing in here now a days.

I decided to challenge in Cambodia with macro scale agriculture business because I was seeing a strong potential in the sector where most of business people won’t touch. I was thinking from the beginning that mixing agriculture and IT and finance will be a big business soon. Why I thought like that has no magic behind. In fact, it is very simple that there won’t be a business that doesn’t need IT and finance solution but, only in agriculture sector, there aren’t any of solution involving in yet.

Unfortunately, doing agriculture in under developed country is such a survival and are not able to get a result easily. However because of difficulties, I now could see which part we need IT solution the most or how to add financial service into where. Thanks for that I am getting vast amount to datas and experience. And the AGRIBUDDY is the things that I concentrated all of my past experience and time in Cambodia, I feel that is it a great timing as the world is becoming more aware of ITed agriculture business and I am feeling a leading wind finally.

Beside the Inc’s article this time, Google’s director Eric Shmit as well established agriculture start up project called Farm2050. It was a big news as well.

There are numerous numbers of problems which entrepreneurs need to tackle on. However, 90% of entrepreneurs are concentrate on 10% of such problems and agricultures isn’t included into that 10% even thought, we will be needing to produce 70% more of food as our population increase to 10 billion in 2050. When the interests of entrepreneurs spread into the subject that are really important, the number of technology related organisation increase to 100 to 1,000 times more than now. The project were established based on such thought and to support entrepreneurs who go on the business which mixed agriculture and IT tech.

As Inc article suggest, as Monsanto, notorious agricultural giant, bought out agriculture start up company with $800 million, it is now known that possibility of exiting with large price as well may being a cause to attract venture capitals or investors. Anyways, getting eyes of investors will ease the entrepreneurs to fund them and it means that more of start up will be established.

Cambodia and IT with agriculture and startups. When I begin our business, there were no wind at all but now I can feel the wind blowing for sure. I must grab this wind and ride on the big wave to produce a result that give a big impact to the world.

Absurd death

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Two Japanese were killed by “Islamic cult” group called ISIS who seems like to severely exasperate their grade 2 syndrome (Someone who behave like students). The incident happened to be the opportunity for me to know that there are various people and ideas in Japan. The ransom of 200 million USD the group suggested seems full throttle on grade 2 syndrome but some opinions of my Japanese people such as “we should pay, it is only 20 million” or “It’s PM Abe’s fault. Because he gave an interview in front of Israel flag and it made the ISIS angry” were quite surprising to me.

It of course was very sad and regrettable outcome that two of them were kidnapped and killed. And I wanted to rescue them if it was possible. However without being just sentimental and see the reality, we realise that people who had absurd death aren’t just only them.

We all die one day. I think having your loved ones around at the time of your death can be considered acceptable “peaceful death”. But there always certain amount of people who encounter sudden and unwanted death. Cause can be from something like traffic accident or incurable disease that we can expect to happen right next to us to something like an air raid or stabbing by passing maniac which can sound very unreasonable.

There aren’t any big or small in someone’s life. But for example, the death of 10 years old girl in Fukuoka who were killed by 46 years old suspect, boyfriend of her mother, are the incident that should not be happening more than the incident by ISIS, I think. It isn’t the logic of “it’s his responsibility because Goto went to the war zone with his own will, so he should be killed”. But the logic on the difference of the possibility of them to avoid that the risk of their death. It is quite different to hear someone say “I am going to war zone” and “I am going to school”. The possibility of the danger they can expect after their departure of the day has a big difference.

Well, of course both of their lives are equally and extremely important and precious. What I think is that it should be considered as serious issue that in Japan, the country where suppose to have the highest level of security, has such a crime of the girl just leaving her house for school and then killed. This should not be happening. But people who scream for world peace don’t even look at this crime and only focusing on a killing incidence that had happened in the middle of war zone. It is quite strange to me.

Anyway, losing the lives of 2 people were painful result, however I support the decision of current Japanese government of not paying ransom or not to put a pressure on Jordan to release the death law inmate despite heavy criticism from Japanese citizens. Unfortunately majority of people in this world are low in education and unable to think things logically then act with immediate intention. If they learn that they can gain huge ransom by kidnapping Japanese, or can release their people from prison, then it could have been lead to the habitual situation of any Japanese are easy bulls eye for all crime groups.

But, it would be the best if one day whole world will be safe enough for anyone to visit though…