Projects
Projects by Takushi Yoshida.pdf1. Project Axion
March 2014 - Present
Project Axion is an initiative to revolutionize the Internet economy by transforming the distribution of information, which is currently plagued with misinformation and hate. The project's inception traces back to Yoshida's firsthand experience of witnessing chaotic misinformation campaigns during the 2014 Indonesian presidential election, which were heavily facilitated through social media and other online platforms.
Axion aims to counteract the tendency of digital platforms to keep users glued to their screens, consuming irrelevant or manipulative content. By advocating for a shift in the Internet economy, Axion seeks to stabilize society and preserve its collective wisdom in an era where connected devices are ubiquitous. Support for this initiative is greatly appreciated.
The name 'Axion' is inspired by the hypothesized dark matter particle, symbolizing the project's goal to guide people towards a future of high-quality information, steering clear of the misleading and low-quality content that currently prevails.
For more information about our vision and mission, please refer to our website.
なぜアクシオン（Axion）という名前をつけたか？(Why do we call us Axion?)
Execution of Product Development and Digital Marketing Strategy Using a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) in a News App
Apr 2018 - Dec 2023
Developed an alternative news distribution method to social media.
Launched multiple MVPs to find a viable subscription-based content platform.
Focused on business news, inspired by the success of The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and Nikkei.
Shifted from a mobile app-focused strategy to a desktop-centric approach, involving newsletters, niche SEO, and optimization for Google Chrome's Discovery.
[Results]
<November 2020>
9 Patreon supporters at $10 each.
Majority of 400 sampled users were individual investors, followed by startup industry, IT company employees, engineers.
Mainly male users aged 20-40, using desktops.
12,000 returning users.
<September 2021>
Articles with long read times (4 articles over 10 mins, 20 articles over 7 mins).
33 Patreon supporters contributing about 30,000 yen.
80% podcast completion rate.
Majority male users aged 20-40 using desktops.
<October 2022>
Very long site engagement (average 3 min 13 sec, longest average page stay 29 min 38 sec).
High literacy among users; 7.97% viewed in English despite Japanese-only content.
Majority male users aged 20-40 using desktops.
<June 2023>
Monthly fee of 1,500 yen.
Average churn rate over 12 months: 3.1%.
Average Life Time Value over 12 months: ¥45,109.
User retention rate after 12 months.
Podcasts averaging 800 listeners per successful episode, with some episodes reaching over 3,000 plays.
[Link]
Tech News Website Operation
July 2015 - April 2018
Began writing a technology blog in 2015, which later evolved into a news website.
Utilized Wordpress for a self-hosted site that shifted focus to cryptocurrency content amidst the crypto boom.
Achieved a peak of 300,000 Monthly Active Users (MAU).
The majority of the content was authored by Takafumi Yoshida.
This endeavor was concurrently developed alongside a YouTube channel.
[Link]
Development of a news platform employing micropayments in cryptocurrency
September 2017 - April 2018
Initiated a project for content-specific micropayments.
Considered credit card micropayments for a news site with up to 300,000 MAU but abandoned the idea due to high fees on small transactions.
Explored cryptocurrency payments instead.
Attempted Bitcoin payments using a Wordpress plugin, but faced challenges with Bitcoin's performance limits and user literacy barriers.
Concluded that commercial use of Lightning Network technology for facilitating micropayments was impractical.
Development ultimately ceased in mid-2018 due to regulatory tightening by the Financial Services Agency.
[Link]
Video Production
September 2017 - April 2018
Collaborated with a former national broadcast director and an Australian video creator to convert events and round tables of major US technology companies into YouTube programs.
Launched a YouTube channel and transformed a home space into a studio for numerous video productions.
Engaged the Australian creator as a director for company promotional videos.
Performed video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro and created thumbnail images using Adobe PhotoShop.
Web Application Development
April 2018 - March 2023
Developed a web application using the headless CMS, Contentful.
Utilized static page generators, React, and NodeJS to create static HTML with pre-embedded data.
Adopted a fully separated architecture (Jamstack) for the web application and CMS.
Switched to Ghost CMS later, abandoning Jamstack architecture.
Used Backend as a Service solutions like Netlify and Firebase.
GitHub Links: [Firebase App](https://github.com/taxiyoshida/gatsby-firebase-app), [Netlify App](https://github.com/taxiyoshida/gatsby-starter-netlify-cms)
Research on Fake News, Misinformation, and Disinformation
Jan 2017 - Dec 2023
Encountered large-scale fake news operations via social media during the 2014 Indonesian presidential election.
Began independent research in 2017 following the visibility of agitation and fake news issues in the U.S. presidential election and UK referendum.
Studied global academic papers and security reports, realizing the widespread implementation of social media psychological hacks similar to those observed in Indonesia.
Conducted personal research in computational social science, security, and machine learning.
Research on Recommendation Systems
2018 - 2023
Recognized the importance of recommendation systems for the service.
Found that recommendation systems play a crucial role in the spread of false and low-quality information.
Noted the increased complexity and difficulty in content recommendation within the advertising model due to multiple stakeholders.
Observed that content recommendation in subscription models is less complex due to fewer stakeholders involved.
Back Office Establishment and Operation
April 2019 - December 2023
- Established and managed back office operations, including finance, accounting, tax, and legal matters.
- Completed financial statements for five terms, handling tax declarations independently for two of them.
- Created business plans based on financial simulations in Excel.
- Conducted various registration procedures with the legal affairs bureau, typically done by judicial scriveners.
Product Planning
April 2019 - December 2020
- Developed comprehensive knowledge of technologies like paywalls, recommendations, payments, authentication, CDN, and marketing technology for a news content platform.
- Product Plan (December 2019): https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FcH8ek478eA4ezjnY9jot4spL-5ZyE-DEoptci7QBdM/edit?usp=sharing
Development of MVP (Minimal Viable Product)
January 2020 - March 2020
- Designed UI using Sketch and Canva.
- Decided against using a static site generator due to operational challenges for typical editorial teams.
- Adopted Ghost CMS, an open-source professional publishing platform built on a modern Node.js tech stack, featuring a JSON API with distinct Content and Admin sections for easy content management and publication.
MVP Testing 1st Phase
April 2020 - October 2020
- Produced up to 90 articles per month single-handedly.
- Concurrently ran a newsletter and podcast.
- Reached a cumulative user base of 172,000, with 12,000 returning enthusiastic users.
- Focused on securing potentially monetizable loyal users rather than chasing raw user numbers.
- Target demographic: Affluent and high-literacy males aged 20-40.
- Engagement metrics showed an average dwell time of over 10 minutes for the top 4 articles, and similar trends were observed in the podcast, with 794 listens for a 34-minute episode and 80% retention until the last 2 minutes.
Podcast Production and Distribution
April 2020 - December 2023
- Launched a technology trend podcast in 2020, distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Anker.
- Provided financial and technological insights into Tech IPOs amidst the buoyant U.S. stock market in 2021.
- Managed content production, including thumbnails, descriptions, AI-based transcription, and social media marketing.
- Achieved over 1,000 listeners per episode with a sticky audience, maintaining a dropout rate of only 20% in 30-40 minute episodes.
Fundraising from Individual Investors via Social Media
March 2021 - May 2023
Fundraised from readers of the news service, bypassing traditional angel investors.
Conducted legal research to ensure compliance and then initiated investment appeals via the internet.
Raised a total of 33 million yen from 24 individual investors.
Achieved a final valuation of 1.65 billion yen.
Financial Analysis of Major Conglomerates
December 2022 - December 2023
Conducted a financial analysis of SoftBank Group, researching the Net Asset Value (NAV) and Loan to Value (LTV) ratio.
Clarified details combining public information due to the unclear nature of disclosures, particularly concerning numerous unlisted stocks held.
Uncovered support schemes for startups in the portfolio that risked down rounds through a UK supply chain finance company.
Revealed significant losses incurred by a Swiss financial institution's supply chain finance fund linked to the activities of the UK company.
[Link]
MVP Testing 2nd Phase
April 2022 - December 2023
Translated and distributed up to 130 articles per month from sources like The Economist, Bloomberg, Financial Times, New York Times, and Scientific American, along with original articles.
Concurrently ran a newsletter and podcast.
MVP2 was used by 220,000 MAU.
Achieved a low churn rate of 3.5% with a monthly news subscription of 1,500 yen and generated a lifetime value of 45,000 yen per user.
Oversaw product management, software engineering, and digital marketing.
Led a newsletter with 2,000 subscribers and a podcast with over 1,000 listeners per episode, as well as a YouTube channel.
Raised a total of 33 million yen in funding, with a final valuation of 1.65 billion yen.
Newsletter Writing
April 2021 - Dec 2023
Delivered five technology-themed newsletters per week.
Secured approximately 1,700 subscribers, with 100 paying a monthly fee of 1,500 yen.
Maintained an open rate of over 50% for emails sent throughout the week.
Japanese Startup Industry Research
2018 - December 2023
- Identified the relative fragility of the Japanese venture capital market compared to the U.S., China, and Europe, and the prevalence of small-scale startups due to the Japanese securities market's acceptance of small-scale IPOs.
- Revealed harsh investment contracts and business practices between startups and investors, often resulting in unfair downsides for entrepreneurs and employees.
iOS App Development (α ver)
2023年4月 - 2023年5月
- Initiated the development of an alpha version of the iOS app in response to investor demand.
- Adopted a minimalist design approach for the app's development.
- Utilized conventional tools like Swift and Xcode for the app creation.
- Progressively enhanced technical skills throughout the development process.
iOS App Development (βver)
2023年5月 - 2023年7月
- Developed 'Axion', a mobile news application for iOS, showcasing a comprehensive skill set.
- Managed all aspects of the project for the beta version created with Flutter, with software engineers.
- Designed UI, focusing on creating a seamless, user-centric interface.
- Ensured effective product strategy throughout the development process.
- Demonstrated ability to handle every aspect of iOS app development as a solo developer, from initial concept to UI design and technical implementation.
Key Visual for iOS App, design by Mio Hoshino, directed by Takushi Yoshida.
2. DIGIDAY Japan (Japanese Edition of US Digital Marketing Media)
Launch of the Japanese version of a US-based media company specializing in digital marketing
Penetrated digital marketing among the management layers in Japan, evidenced by the achievement of 1.4 million page views and the organization of several premier conferences, attracting industry stalwarts in marketing and media, by developing a sophisticated content delivery system and garnered pivotal insights from insiders spanning a spectrum of enterprises, from well-established corporations to burgeoning startups, thus displaying extensive expertise and comprehension in the domain.
Development of translation pipeline
July 2015 - September 2017
Addressed the lack of a definitive Japanese translation system for digital marketing and ad technology, prevalent in the U.S., which led to the circulation of incorrect information in Japan.
Established translation methods and an editorial pipeline to cater to the Japanese business community.
Adjusted vocabulary and knowledge systems to make digital marketing content more accessible and understandable for Japanese business professionals. At that time, digital marketing was not yet common and no formulaic translation method existed.
Supplied 60 translated articles per month, creating effective translations for digital marketing content where none previously existed.
Became one of the leading experts in the Japanese media industry on U.S. digital marketing knowledge, with methods replicated by advertising agencies and consulting firms.
Played a pivotal role in initiating the 'digital' market in Japan, propelling the lagging industry forward.
Original Content Creation
July 2015 - September 2017
Produced content tailored to the preferences of Japanese business professionals.
Conducted interview projects with digital executives of major media companies and interviewed executives of U.S. companies during their visits to Japan in English.
Established an editorial system on the Japanese side and solidified a Japanese terminology and knowledge system for digital marketing.
Production of Interview Series with Publishing Executives
July 2015 - September 2017
Interviewed all digital executives of major newspapers and publishing houses, establishing a community around the digitalization of media companies.
Production of Interview Series with AdTech/Martech Vendors and Major Platform Executives
July 2015 - September 2017
Enhanced the credibility of our publishing platform by executing a series of exclusive interviews with executives from top Japanese publishers and leading Ad Tech/Mar Tech companies, including Meta, Adobe, Salesforce, and Twitter, among others.
Establishment of Conference Business
July 2015 - September 2017
Interviewed executives from Japanese and international companies, securing attendance and sponsorships for conferences that formed a significant revenue pillar.
Contributed to the success of conferences attracting 60 newspapers and publishing houses and 30 technology vendors, leading to regular event scheduling.
Assisted in translation and original content creation for the launch of an owned media for a major U.S. company contracted by a group company, ensuring smooth progress.
Production of advertisements
July 2015 - September 2017
Created advertisements for a major beverage manufacturer, appealing through Flash animation visuals and marketing pitches targeting the branded beverage.
Achieved the required engagement levels for the campaign.
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3. The Jakarta Shimbun (in Indonesia)
Investigation of Gasoline Subsidy Corruption
October 2011 - October 2014
Scooped a major corruption issue regarding the Indonesian government's oil fuel subsidies.
Conducted the investigation involving interviews with over 100 stakeholders and extensive analysis of public documents, news, and other resources.
Uncovered the existence of "oil rights" within the government, the impact of kickbacks on national politics, and suspicions of profound effects on energy policies and national finances.
Reporting and analyzing Indonesian presidential election in 2014
April 2013 - November 2014
Provided the most significant and accurate analysis and predictions among Japanese sources for the 2014 Indonesian presidential election.
The analysis was based on lessons from past elections, understanding of administrative, political, judicial systems, social and cultural insights.
Conducted interviews and analyzed various sources, including newspapers, magazines, books, online media reports, public documents, government statistics, local corporate studies, and research papers.
Creating a Biography of President Joko Widodo
Jan 2014 - Dec 2014
An in-depth investigation of his life, from childhood, through his tenure as Mayor of Surakarta, Governor of Jakarta, up to his presidency. Interviewed more than 100 people involved. We combed through newspapers, official documents, and articles.
Research in Jakarta Urban Problem
2012 - February 2015
Developed and led the bi-weekly column series "Jakarta Focus," focusing on Jakarta's urban planning, problems, and infrastructure.
Influenced by a colleague with a master's degree in architecture, delved deep into the dynamics of the city.
Provided insightful and critical analyses of Jakarta's urban development challenges and opportunities, conducting thorough investigations and interviews.
Presented complex urban planning concepts and issues to a broad audience, enhancing public awareness and dialogue.
Collaborated with urban planners, local government officials, community leaders, construction companies, Japanese corporations, and the Japanese government as ODA sources, presenting diverse perspectives and potential solutions to Jakarta's urban issues.
Contributed to increasing public engagement and informed discussions on Jakarta's urban planning and development.
Coverage of International Politics in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Region
April 2011 - February 2015
Analyzed and reported international discussions on economic partnerships like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) during the APEC summit held in Bali, Indonesia, on October 7-8, 2013.
Focused on the South China Sea issue, particularly the discussions on the early conclusion of the "Code of Conduct (COC)" at the ASEAN summit held in Brunei on October 9, 2013.
Covered numerous bilateral meetings between the Indonesian government and various national leaders.
Participated in roundtable discussions with Marty Natalegawa, the Indonesian Foreign Minister.
Conducted extensive coverage of bilateral summits and ministerial meetings between Japan and Indonesia.
Coverage of Japanese manufacturing clusters in Southeast Asia
September 2010 - February 2015
Covered the Japanese corporate community in Indonesia, which included a significant concentration of Japanese manufacturing industries, as well as strong presences in finance and trading sectors.
Reported on the construction of industrial estates, the rush of Japanese manufacturing relocations under the "China Plus One" strategy, the worsening business environment in Japan, and industries like the automobile and motorcycle sectors, where Japanese companies hold a significant market share.