We covered the winner 3 million yen, student business plan contest "SEEKS"

Targeted to studentsBusiness plan contest "SEEKS"Will be held in Kyoto from March 10 to 12, 2007. This time, GIGAZINE got a request and will be reviewing this business plan contest, so we will participate as a judge as much as possible ... so it was this interview article that I wrote to the executive committee of SEEKS .

Participants are targeting the students, and all the executive committee members are students. I was able to hear various stories including why such a project was born.
Mr. Tatsumatsu, executive committee member and Yamada, executive chairman of SEEKS.


· How did the planning committee gather in the first place?

GIGAZINE (hereinafter, G):
First of all, Yamada and Tatsumatsu are Ritsumeikan University but Mr. Fujimoto is a Kyoto university. How did you get connected?

Fujimoto (hereafter, Fuji):
In Kyoto, there were quite a few side-by-side exchanges between students, events and going out to play, and I was asked by the students who were interested in thinking about this project this time. Especially she (Mr. Yamada) is the executive chairperson who can dance Uri, this is expected on the day.

G:
It is quite unusual for women to be executive chairpersons at such events.

Yamada (hereafter, mountain):
It is not uncommon for the executive chairperson to dance.

G:
There were other members in the executive committee, did they gather together through such events or something?

Wisteria:
I agree. In addition, I also ask members who gathered at the IT development camp for students to participate in the contest advisory position.

· How was the plan of the business plan contest born?


G:
The idea of ​​a business plan contest is many overseas, but I have not heard much in Japan. Especially IT relationship was various at the time of IT bubble, but since then I have not seen it so unusual. Compared with the IT bubble, the amount of money for this contest is big. Where did you collect this from?

Wisteria:
This is a main sponsor, Celebrity Holdings, has received considerable cooperation. It is a form that it can be operated because it was there.

G:
Indeed, the money got together. I was wondering if I ran desperately to collect money clearly. That is why there are few companies on the back.

Wisteria:
I am still going around. About 10 sponsors. Several venture capital companies are available as sponsors who can not afford ordinary business plan contests. Normally, venture capital does not issue because it does not have plus even if you give money to the student's event, but this contest is because there is a possibility that the professional consultant will enter the student's plan and it will grow in the future. It is an attempt of feeling to try raising the level required for students by turning the business eyes of the capitalist into the event that students do.

G:
It is a guy who should be in the original form. If there are overseas business plan contests, venture capital will come, so do something at startup, but it is a story to try it in Japan as well.

Wisteria:
I agree.

G:
It certainly feels like why he was not in Japan until now. Mr. Yamada was a freshman and, as soon as I entered college, I decided to do something like this, but what kind of intrigue was it supposed to do? Did you have some interests before entering university?

Mountain:
I met Fujimoto at the exchange meeting of the business plan contest called WILLCOM CUP. I wish I could dance at the exchange meeting at that time ...

Wisteria:
Although Mr. Yamada did not drink, he got tension higher than the one drinking, so he is adopting characters as a proliferation from that side (laugh).

G:
Indeed, it is a very clear reason. Is it like this kind of wind adopted?

Mountain:
I myself did not do business or stock from high school, but if this character has something useful as a business,.

G:
It looks like an idol or a talent business. How did Tatsumatsu get involved?

Tatsumatsu (hereafter, stands):
Since I was a friend of Mr. Yamada, I am interested in business purely and I am participating.

G:
Is that a role to support firmly next to you? That means that Mr. Yamada is excited with Mr. Yamada on the table, executive committee of SEEKS, Tatsumatsu-san is backing up, Mr. Fujimoto is in the form of a back side.

Wisteria:
I agree. In relation to doing a contest for doing business, keeping in mind that people actually doing the company will make what they need, we have everything we need firmly, and then we give students It is a feeling that I leave it and make shapes.

G:
Fujimoto is a question to Mr. Fujimoto, but you are doing business quite a lot from the time you were a student. Why did you first decide to start a business with a student?

Wisteria:
Originally I did various investment relationships, so I saw what SOFTBANK, livedoor and so on were doing and found out that it was fun to talk with IT and finance. So I actually wanted to do it myself so I started the company.

G:
You have a pretty vision from the very beginning, you are working as a businessman.

Wisteria:
I agree.

G:
Did you say that you were doing various things before this SEEKS and opening that contest with that shit would be fun?

Wisteria:
This holding is from a completely different direction. Recent students, especially those in Kansai graduate, have only "normal employment" choices. There are other alternatives themselves, but I have not seen much of that choice. So, for example, my friend is doing a venture, I am living while I am doing a NEET, writing a blog and doing it as a business, whatever the content is, but by seeing the people living in various choices, students It is the reason I thought that the field of view would expand. In order to do that, it is early to see the person who is taking actions by themselves, but there are not many representative venture companies in Kyoto. Well, we only have to increase the number of people doing such activities, but if it is student by all means it will end at the study group level. So, by giving seeds of entrepreneurship, I would like to increase such students and to notice awareness by seeing that student.

G:
It is a pretty noble purpose.

Wisteria:
It is not the case (laugh) But just doing such a serious purpose is really a serious contest, so I am trying to be able to enjoy it as an event properly with the power of the chairperson who can hire a character.

G:
How long have you applied for the contest?

Wisteria:
There were 34 applications. Both are interesting plans and the levels are quite high.

G:
Tatsumatsu is a first year student, did you motivate your business until you entered the university?

Stand:
Although I was interested in business, I was playing baseball all the time in small, middle and high school, so it was rather that one, so it was not decided to do this kind of thing.

G:
Although there is a change from baseball to business to society, it is unusual to turn around at the university stage. Is there something there?

Stand:
I think that the motivation underlying the business is the same as sports, and that the organization is not so different from team sports.

G:
I see, you can see why Mr. Fujimoto put Mr. Tatsumatsu in there. What kind of activities are you doing since entering SEEKS?

Stand:
In SEEKS, I am going around the company with Mr. Yamada and Mr. Fujimoto and talking about what kind of student it looks interesting.

G:
What kind of student was interesting because some students seemed interesting?

Stand:
It is interesting for students to start up and work in a student group.

· How did you learn about IT?


G:
So next time, I hear strange things, does Mr. Yamada do PC or something?

Mountain:
Of course I am familiar with mixi and Google.

G:
Since there are places where business plan contests can not be separated from IT anymore, I think that there are aspects that can not be judged to know IT to some extent, but how did you start using the PC or the Internet with what kind of triggers? When did you start using it like when?

Mountain:
Since there is information education in the classroom of the school, PC was touching from that time. I started touching the Internet in earnest since I bought a Let's note by myself. I began to use PC with it as a machine. I am completely "Google child", the first is Yahoo! Although I was using, it gradually became clenched by Google Earth. I love to travel and I can go anywhere seeing Google Earth. It's fun, it's addicted to Google, like using Google Calendar and Gmail, it's now in a state of being captured by the PC.

G:
Method

Mountain:
Originally I could not understand how to erase one letter PC skill was bad, but I bought Let's note on my own stomach and started talking about IT. Since I started talking about IT, I got to understand IT.

G:
Indeed, it is quite interesting to say "Google child". So how is Tatsumatsu-san like? I heard he was playing baseball to high school. Since I entered college?

Stand:
I have started doing PCs in the middle or about the middle two. At the same time I pulled cable TV I started the internet. At first it is Yahoo! I was only watching a review of my favorite artists.

G:
Was it going in from there, in terms of years it is long. Is it since you entered college that you started doing it to a certain extent seriously?

Stand:
I started using Office etc. since I entered university.

G:
Indeed, in a sense, it is venerable. How did Mr. Fujimoto start IT relationship?

Wisteria:
It was a bit late for the PC to enter the house and it was the time of my 3rd grade high school. When graduating and becoming a preparatory school student, it became a long distance relationship, so it took telephone charges, so we had to use chat at telehodai, so we began to utilize the internet.

G:
It is amazing, you have been pressed for necessity. Indeed, it is three people, I thought that they are all similar patterns.

· What kind of plans did you receive?


G:
Are there college students still to apply for the contest?

Wisteria:
Well, there are a lot of 1st and 4th students. Is it a feeling that the 4th student who was decided on a job offer can not completely give up his idea yet? As you can imagine, I am thinking about the plan of my 4th birthday firmly, and my real plan is coming.

G:
Is there something like crimping the neck inside?

Wisteria:
There is no comment there (laugh)

G:
What is the point of judging?

Wisteria:
The student sorts whether it seems to be a business at first glance and see it by entrepreneurs and checks it in two steps whether there are really good plans on the spilled plan.

G:
Indeed it is pretty firm judging to see spilled. How long are you planning to break through the primary from among the entries?

Wisteria:
We are planning 12.

G:
So at the time of my going to the judging it is 12 pieces left.

Wisteria:
Yes. It is a form that 12 professional consultants go into the inside and ask what they did planning properly to review them.

G:
Is there a request that you want me to conduct such a review as a flow of the day?

Wisteria:
For the moment the remaining three judges are in the process of being adjusted, but we will decide which part will be judged prioritizing while looking at the balance of the judges.

· How did you request GIGAZINE for review?


G:
What made you ask GIGAZINE?

Wisteria:
Originally it was a reader.

G:
When were you reading from around?

Wisteria:
It's been around a year ago, before renewal.

G:
It is quite old, is not it yet when the titles were lined up in line? People who call me lately are mostly after renewal, so it is unusual for those who are watching from before renewing. What triggered you started reading GIGAZINE?

Wisteria:
There is a friend of the so-called net geek, and there is something interesting, so it is a form that I was introduced to see once.

G:
I see.

·appeal point


G:
Are there any appealing points?

Wisteria:
I think that it is attractive that you can invite people who can not meet just because you are doing a little in the business world and you can make your business plan fight with those people.

G:
Is there anything as executive chairperson?

Mountain:
Mr. Fujimoto, Tatematsu-kun, others We are doing my best supported by everyone and company. The thing that remains in the impression is that Mr. Mito of Celebrity teaches about the word mistake, mistake is divided into miss and take, even if you miss it, absorbing it by absorbing it is more than a mistake I listen to the fact that mistakes are not afraid because I can value it, I try hard with the feeling that I will try hard though I make mistakes.

G:
Does Mr. Tatsumatsu have an appealing point?

Stand:
Although it is not an appealing point, there are feelings that if you meet such people as having such activities, you can not return to normal university life already.

G:
Mr. Fujimoto is doing a company, but the other two are already thinking about the direction of finding employment?

Mountain:
I have not decided yet. I told you to dance, but I do not want to live as a dancer separately, I think that I'd like to have fun doing dancing when I'm off when I work hard in business. Taken by Mr. Fujimoto to step into the business world, people who are doing business are good at talking and raising excitement, so it is being supported by that kind of thing.

So, let's meet at the final examination on March 12, 2007 (Monday). Students who are interested may come to the venue on the day, or meet someone in GIGAZINE ... ....