[Part 10] The beginning of that famous service was a side job! The overwhelming truth that casual side jobs change society.

Hello. This is Kamiyama.

In the previous blog, I talked about mindset.
The mindset of people who want to earn money, and the mindset of people who want to evolve society.
It's about how the way you set up your business changes depending on which one you are.

However, projects that evolve society have an image of being a heavy challenge.
Most people probably assume they'll quit their job and start a business, don't they?
It's natural to think that it's absolutely impossible unless you do it full-time.
It also carries the image of being high-risk.
That's why, unless you have a very strong passion, no one wants to take on the challenge.

The image that challenging societal evolution involves risk is wrong.

On the contrary, services that have brought significant evolution to society are almost all side businesses.
To give a few examples, Twitter, Instagram, Uber, all started as side businesses.

For example, Instagram's beginning was a side project challenged during nights and weekends.
Initially, it was reportedly built while practicing local programming.
However, because it wasn't accepted, they changed direction and created Instagram.

The same goes for Twitter.
Originally, Jack Dorsey (Twitter founder) was at a company called Odeo.
As an engineer, he started an idea he had been thinking about for several years as a side project.
After that, it spread rapidly, leading to its current state.

In this way, businesses that leave an impact on the world are starting from side projects.

The challenge of evolving society can also be launched as a side business.

Strictly speaking, side projects and side businesses have slightly different approaches.
While a side business mainly aims to generate profit, a side project is about expressing free creativity.
It can be said that it is one of the attempts to create services from more free ideas that cannot be done in one's main job.

However, the common point with a side business is that you can freely create a business while having a main job.
Without having to take big risks, you can study technology yourself and start a business.
In that sense, I will use the term 'side business' here.

The mindset I talked about in the previous blog: 'I want to evolve society'.
This, too, can be challenged through a side business.
There's no need to quit your job and start by taking on big risks.
You can learn how to create your own products and services, and just start casually.

I am more excited by big challenges than simply earning money.
The bigger the challenge, the more excited I get.

Changing the world or evolving society is so much fun that I can't sleep at night.
Such life-stimulating challenges can be started through a side business.

I think it's a good era where truly exciting things can be created.

Living in Japan, there's an image that if you're going to do business, you should do it properly as your main job.
However, that is nothing but completely outdated thinking.
At first, you should just try it casually, easily, and quickly.

You can quickly start a side business and casually take on challenges that change society.

No matter how big a business you aim for, let's start casually with a side project or side business.
Both Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) are from side projects.
The same goes for Uber, a startup with the world's largest market capitalization.
After all, even Uber started as a side project.

Google, which believed in the potential of side projects, had introduced the 20% rule within the company.
It's a rule that 20% of work time can be used for one's own side projects.
What resulted were the well-known Gmail and AdWords.
Even services that can now be called global infrastructure started as side projects.

Google later almost abolished the 20% rule, but this was a positive discarding.
This is because they adopted a policy of enhancing current services rather than creating new ones.
As an attempt to create new services, it was going well.

Services and businesses should be launched more casually.
It's good to start with something like, 'I just tried making this as a side job.'
However, when you try to start something, there's immediately a tendency to say, 'Build a solid foundation.'
That is what is degrading the status of side jobs and side projects.

The other day, I interviewed someone from a venture capital firm.
At that time, I also heard the sentiment, 'You should just do it more casually.'

People who have the mindset of 'I want to evolve society' should also definitely try challenging themselves with a side job.
It is common for projects launched casually to significantly change society.
Please, by all means, start the challenge of changing society casually.
Opportunities to gain such an exciting experience in life are rare.
Challenges are the greatest form of play, offering a sense of fulfillment above all else.