First and foremost, you must identify user needs based on data, not on a hunch. If you misidentify what our users need, the foundation of all our services, then your very starting point is going to be wrong. Often user needs are difficult to identify, so you can only uncover them when you analyze their data in depth, from different angles. Furthermore, user needs are always changing, so you must be attentive to their changes and keep your data up-to-date.

Once you have pinpointed the users’ needs, you must apply them and create services with perfect details, like only LINE can offer. We can only survive the fierce competition when we offer unique and distinctive user experiences that stand out from the cascade of alternatives. The work doesn’t end with the release of a service. There is no guarantee that the users who were initially satisfied with a service will still choose it a year later. You must aim for a standard that exceeds their ever-changing expectations, observe their reactions, make the necessary modifications, and do what it takes so our users continue to choose us.

It is also important to ensure you maintain the trust of our users throughout the service development process. LINE was only able to grow into the global life platform it is today through earning the support and dedication of our users. That is why our continued growth depends on not only maintaining the trust of our users, but further strengthening that bond.
As LINE has grown, the scope and level of user and stakeholder expectations have also grown. This is because the influence of our services has increased, not only with the number of users, but also with their breadth, encompassing users, shareholders, governments, local communities, partners, and LINERs. Accordingly, all LINERs should always be thinking in terms of “how” they are achieving their goals, not just “what” they’re achieving.

In your work, you will face numerous problems to solve and, yes, each of them will be difficult. Therefore, you must prioritize your tasks and focus on solving the problem at hand. You can only solve problems when you properly allocate your time and effort according to the importance of each issue. What’s more, you will find that you can come up with new, out-of-the-box solutions when you’re intensely immersed in the work, rather than simply “working hard”.

Moreover, in an ever-changing global environment, it is vitally important that LINE stay ahead of the curve, working with agility to assess reactions and find solutions. You might miss the optimal timing if you wait until you have a perfect plan. When you execute first and then react to the unexpected and unknown while trying different methods of accomplishing your task, you will find solutions that you could not have foreseen while planning.

Finally, you must boldly undertake all your tasks and keep pushing yourself, unafraid of failure. What we’re aiming to do is necessarily challenging and tiring for anyone, but instead of succumbing to adversity, you should try to find meaning in those challenges and redouble your resolve. If you truly did your best—if you gave it your all and went beyond your limits—your time and effort will be still meaningful even if you meet failure at the end of the road. Or, even better, they can serve as valuable lessons for your next challenge. And, when you finally do succeed, you will feel an even greater sense of accomplishment.

To be lean and mean, each team must have honest and thorough internal communications. In an open environment, team members will suggest ideas to find solutions, and the team leader will listen to them, set a clear direction based on their input, and take responsibility for those decisions. Team members must trust their leader's judgment and work together to achieve the team's goals, even if the decision differs from their own.

In the process of accomplishing a task, a common objective and direction must be shared clearly from start to end, and everyone must constantly exchange feedback. LINE is in a stormy sea full of waves. In order to overcome the waves, everyone on the boat must work together and play their part. If a leader does not offer a clear direction or explanation, or if the members don’t do their best, ignoring the leader's instructions and rowing however they like, the boat will not arrive at its destination. LINE teams need to be able to quickly exchange opinions, adjust the direction according to prevailing conditions, and synchronize their progress with all members in real time, no matter what changes they encounter. Only then can you survive in an ever-changing environment, through quick and precise actions.

The more difficult the challenge is, the more important the support of your teammates is. There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment and pride you get after overcoming challenges together as a team, challenges you once thought were insurmountable when you were on your own. When teammates complement and encourage each other in difficult times, a bond is formed, creating a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts, and an energy that you cannot create alone.