I struggled to find a job as a software developer myself. Then as I gained more experience and learned about great places to work in Japan, I wanted to start sharing that knowledge. So I built the job board I wish had existed when I first arrived in Japan.

I built a list of “good” companies first and shared it (without the companies’ permission). So some of my target companies already knew about the site thanks to that. Then I approached my own company (I was still working as a developer) and convinced them to be my first client. I then parlayed that and some good luck with cold outreach into a few more contracts with well-known companies, and then it snowballed from there. Increasing applicants was harder than getting companies to post.

My business model is free until you actually find a successful hire, so there’s no downside for companies. I have very little churn.

There’s no need to be fancy. For a business to exist, you need a customer, and some way to provide them value. That way can be a zoom call, a Google spreadsheet, a PDF, or a newsletter. It doesn’t matter. Just find this as fast as possible and start iterating from there.