Produck Podcast

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Nao Yukawa, a University of Tokyo graduate who took an unconventional path from Japan to the U.S. and is now building a fast-growing startup at the intersection of health, wearables, and productivity. Nao shares his journey from studying AI and neuroscience in Tokyo to launching a company in the U.S. during COVID, starting with a bold (and ul...

In this episode, I sit down with Maprang Suwanbubpa – a solo founder, engineer, and serial entrepreneur whose life looks more like a world tour than a LinkedIn profile. From Bangkok street food to Copenhagen Michelin culture, from Airbus in France to motorsport PR in Mexico, and now building deep-tech in Tokyo, Maprang has lived, built, and rebuilt across continents. We dive into:- How she’s build...

In this episode, I sit down with Ryusuke Komura, Executive Director of Venture Café Tokyo and head of all Venture Café locations across Japan. We go deep into the origins, expansion, and philosophy behind one of Japan’s most iconic and influential startup events — the Thursday Gathering. From Venture Café’s Boston roots to its nationwide impact across seven cities in Japan, Ryusuke shares the stor...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Veronica Lee, the inspiring founder of Borderless, a global platform helping students from every corner of the world apply to and get accepted into their dream universities. Originally from Uzbekistan, Veronica shares her personal story of overcoming barriers to study abroad, how her journey led her to found Borderless, and why she believes a...

In this episode of the Produck 🦆 Podcast, I sit down with Aimi Komeya, President of Japan Venture Academy (JVA) — a student-run organization empowering the next generation of Japanese entrepreneurs. Aimi shares her inspiring journey from sociology student to startup leader, why confidence and community are essential for young founders, and how JVA is bridging Japan’s startup ecosystems — connecti...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Uttam Dwivedi, CEO and Founder of Avete, the AI startup on a mission to make Japan’s construction sites safer, faster, and more efficient. A civil engineer turned entrepreneur, Uttam shares how his experience on construction sites in Japan led him to uncover a shocking truth — despite Japan’s reputation for precision and safety, over 300 cons...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Francisco Soares, founder of Furious Green and the community builder behind the Tokyo Startup Lunch Club. Francisco shares the inspiring story of how a casual lunch with a few founders grew into one of Tokyo’s staple startup communities—now attracting 30+ people weekly. We talk about the challenges of starting a business in Japan, why authent...

In this episode, I sit down with Naman Garg, Founder & CEO of Youthyatra, an organization helping Indian students and young founders gain the skills, mindset, and opportunities they need to succeed on the global stage—starting with Japan. We talk about:- Why Naman chose Japan over the U.S. or Europe- How Youthyatra prepares students with startup bootcamps and real customer validation- The unta...

In this episode, I sit down with Maki Ozer, Community Manager at Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB), to explore how she’s breaking language barriers, fostering inclusion, and pushing Tokyo’s startup hub to become truly global. We dive into her journey from co-working spaces to cosmetics to leading one of Tokyo’s most important innovation communities. Maki shares how she connects Japanese and internationa...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Makoto Kern — founder of IIImpact, UX/product strategist, and host of the Make an IIImpact Podcast. We dive into:- How Makoto went from robotics and engineering to UX design and product strategy- Why most enterprise software fails without real user research- The “AI Competence Mirage” and why executives often misjudge AI’s true impact- How to...

Entrepreneurship isn’t all glamour and billion-dollar exits—it’s sleepless nights, tough calls, and sacrifices no one talks about. In this episode of the Produck Podcast, Jordan Reiss shares the raw reality of startup life: going deep into debt, facing painful layoffs, selling his company (twice), and ultimately finding a path to success. From Wall Street to Astro Gaming to building a new life in...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Sofian Meguellati, founder of DePitch Academy, three-time entrepreneur, and Solana enthusiast. Sofian has helped hundreds of Web3 founders refine their pitches and collectively raise over $1M+ in just months. We dive into:How Sofian built the first pitch academy for the Solana ecosystemThe unique challenges of pitching in Web3 and cryptoWhy s...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, host Lee Jean sits down with Maryam Fallah, the founder of Buddy, to explore her inspiring journey from Iran to Japan. Maryam shares how her own relocation experience led her to identify the struggles foreigners face when settling in Japan—and how she transformed those challenges into solutions. Backed by Mitsui and supported through Moon Creative Lab, Marya...

What separates founders who ship, sell, and scale from those who stall? In this episode, former 500 Global leader and author of "The Funding Framework", Vijay Rajendran breaks down a practical system for building startups that last—from validating with customers (not code), to crafting investor-ready stories, to running a tight 10–12 week fundraise. We also dig into why teams really fail...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, we sit down with Lindsay Liu — UX designer at a leading FinTech company and founder of the rapidly growing Tokyo Design Community. Lindsay shares her inspiring career journey from architecture to UX, the challenges of designing for Japanese users, and how she uses tools like Claude and Lovable to streamline the product development process. We also talk about...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with serial entrepreneur, former product manager, angel investor, and Founder Institute mentor Jet Son Tan to explore what it really takes to build meaningful products across cultures and continents. Jetson shares his journey from Malaysia to Silicon Valley, from launching a startup in Taiwan to navigating corporate innovation in Japan. We talk ab...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, we sit down with Evan Burkosky — serial entrepreneur, startup mentor, and CEO of Kimaru AI — to unpack the concept of Decision Intelligence and how it’s transforming the way businesses make high-impact decisions. Evan shares his journey from commercial fishing to founding multiple startups in Japan and the U.S., his insights from mentoring hundreds of founde...

What if your startup could enter new global markets without spending a fortune on consultants, lawyers, or endless research? In this episode of the #ProduckPodcast, we talk with #femalefounder and global operator Karen Onuma-Mielke, COO of GlobalDeal. She’s building an AI-powered platform to help startups scale smarter—not harder—across borders. From writing her thesis on tech in low-income countr...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Dan Ring, founder of Elevate, to explore the real people strategy startups need—not just when scaling, but from day one. From London to Singapore to Tokyo, Dan’s journey through corporate HR and into startup advisory work has given him a unique lens on leadership, hiring, and organizational design. We dive deep into:✅ The hidden cost of a ba...

In this episode, I sit down with Egil Østhus, the CEO and co-founder of Unleash, the leading open-source feature management platform. Egil shares his journey from a developer hacking computers in the 90s to scaling a global SaaS business serving hundreds of companies worldwide. We dive into:✅ Why culture starts with leadership✅ How to build products that solve universal problems✅ The challenges...

🎙️ In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Nick Cawthon, a trailblazer at the intersection of UX design, technology, and product strategy. With over 20 years of experience working with Adobe, IBM, and the San Francisco Giants, Nick shares raw insights on staying relevant in a world being reshaped by AI.We explore:✨ The evolving definition of success in design and freelancing⚡ Why...

In this episode of the Produck 🦆 Podcast, I sit down with Addo Bari, a Product Manager at Virtusize, to talk about his unconventional path into product management — from mechanical engineering in Indonesia to building product in Japan. We explore how Addo transitioned into tech, the communities that helped him grow, and the rising influence of AI on the role of junior PMs. He shares deep insights...

Everyone talks about co-founders, funding, and product-market fit...But no one talks about this one powerful hack: accountability partnerships. In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with my long-time accountability partner and friend Son Tra, who I met during the Antler program. While I didn’t walk away from Antler with funding, I did walk away with something far more valuable: a week...

In this episode, I chat with Kei Watanabe, the co-founder of Glasp, a company on a mission to democratize knowledge on the internet. From humble beginnings and co-founder challenges to building a Chrome extension that went viral, Kei shares his incredible journey—from launching a startup in San Francisco to growing Glasp into a product with millions of users worldwide, including in the U.S., Japan...

In this episode of the Produck Podcast, I sit down with Nick Pittoni, Product Lead at Mercari, to explore his journey from gaming enthusiast to driving AI innovation at one of Japan's few unicorns. Nick shares how his background in economics led him into product management, how he discovered the power of LLMs while leading cross-border initiatives at Mercari, and what it’s like working on AI produ...