Most foreign SaaS companies struggle to land even a handful of enterprise clients in Japan.

Shay Khosrowshahi helped scale Ulife to 50+ B2B customers in just 18 months, largely through strategic partnerships.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we break down how he did it.

Shay is the co-founder of NXL and former Managing Director of Ulife APAC. After a 100M investment, he was sent to Japan to launch and scale the business in one of the most credibility-driven markets in the world.

We explore what partnerships really mean in Japan, how to align incentives with distribution partners, and why most founders underestimate the level of commitment required to succeed here.

Shay shares tactical insights on discovery calls, partner qualification, internal champions, cultural misalignment, and how to create momentum that compounds over time.

If you are a SaaS founder, CRO, or GTM leader entering Japan, this episode offers a practical partnership blueprint grounded in real execution.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• What a partnership actually means in the Japanese market

• Distribution partners vs strategic alliances

• Why hunger and ambition matter more than brand size

• The 70/30 discovery framework for qualifying partners

• How to forecast revenue impact to align incentives

• Managing harmony culture while still driving urgency

• Why early wins create long-term momentum

• When to double down or exit a partnership

• Why getting direct customers first gives you leverage

Guest Appearance:

🔗 Shay Khosrowshahi LinkedIn

🌐 NXL : www.yournextlevel.io

Show Notes :

00:01 Introduction to Shay and his Japan scaling journey

02:09 Defining partnerships in the Japan context

03:11 Types of partnerships that worked

06:39 How to vet partners and why hunger matters

10:47 The 70/30 discovery call framework

17:21 Training partners and building internal champions

29:20 Cultural hurdles and harmony-driven challenges

38:21 Measuring partnership health beyond revenue

45:32 Final advice on commitment in Japan

46:31 Why direct traction strengthens partnership leverage

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🎤 Scaling Japan Podcast

Grow your business in Japan with Tyson Batino

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🌐⁠ https://scalingyourcompany.com/podcast/⁠

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we explore the world of copywriting in Japan, a critical but often misunderstood part of doing business in the Japanese market.

We’re joined by Yuji Kobayashi, CEO of Kakusha and lead Japanese copywriter for Scaling Your Company, and Asama Toyozawa, CMO of AI Market with past experience at global firms like Spotify and Taboola.

Together, we unpack why trust-based messaging, tone, and phrasing are essential for success in Japan and how Western-style copywriting can fall flat if not localized properly.

From dissecting campaigns by brands like Nike Japan to understanding how language and psychology influence consumer behavior, this episode offers practical tips and cultural insights for businesses targeting Japanese customers.

Whether you're a founder, marketer, or localization professional, this is a must-listen episode for creating Japanese copy that converts.

🎧 Listen to learn:

• Why direct copy fails in Japan and what to do instead

• How Japanese consumers read trust (and spot inauthenticity)

• Cultural reasons behind soft, inviting phrasing in Japanese marketing

• The difference between writing for LINE, Instagram, and websites

• Examples of both good and bad Japanese copy (and why they work or don’t)

• When to use polite vs casual language across platforms

• Why buzzwords rarely work in Japanese copywriting

• How font and character choice can make or break trust

Guest Appearance:

🔗 Yuji Kobayashi on LinkedIn

🔗 Asama Toyozawa on LinkedIn

🔗 Asama’s AI Market Website

Show Notes:

00:00 - Introduction & Guest Backgrounds

03:36 - Why Copywriting is Critical in Japan

05:37 - Good Copywriting Examples

08:00 - Building Trust for Small Businesses

10:40 - Second-Hand Bookstore Case Study

12:43 - AI Market's Copywriting Journey

17:10 - Font Mistakes & Trust Issues

18:37 - Japanese vs Western Copywriting Differences

20:00 - Making Copy More Welcoming

22:41 - Formality Levels Across Platforms

24:05 - Expressing Results Differently

26:06 - Translation & Localization Challenges

27:58 - Buzzwords of the Year

32:00 - Why Not to Use Buzzwords in Marketing

36:05 - Platform-Specific Copywriting Strategies

39:05 - Instagram Text Layout & Eye Scanning

41:07 - Video vs Static Performance

43:06 - Closing Thoughts

📩 Want more insights?

Subscribe to our newsletter for Japan business resources and upcoming event invites:💌 https://scalingyourcompany.com/blog/#newsletter

🎤 Scaling Japan Podcast

Grow your business in Japan with Tyson Batino

📱 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & more

🌐 https://scalingyourcompany.com/podcast/

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we’re joined by Anna Skrypka, a cultural AI strategist, creative director, and founder of Anna Skrypka Studio. Anna is also the creator of the Augmented Human Method, a framework that unifies cultural intelligence and AI-powered go-to-market (GTM) strategy.

With over 15 years of experience in global tech and nearly a decade in Japan, Anna has helped scale SaaS and creative tech businesses for companies like Autodesk and Woven by Toyota. She now advises startups and corporates on how to enter and scale in Japan using culturally intelligent GTM systems.

In this episode, Anna shares how most startups are failing their Japan GTM — not because of product issues, but because they ignore cultural trust signals and scale with AI in the wrong direction. If you're a founder or marketer entering Japan, this conversation will change how you think about localization, AI workflows, and market fit.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Japan is a high-context market and how it changes buyer behavior

• How cultural intelligence improves GTM messaging and product resonance

• The 3 biggest GTM traps (Great Translation Fallacy, Silent Excellence Trap, AI Acceleration Paradox)

• How to use AI marketing workflows with cultural nuance

• Visual and narrative localization: what most GTMs miss

• Japan tech trends to watch in 2026

Show Notes:

00:00 – Introduction

02:40 – Cultural Intelligence: The Missing Piece in Japan GTM Strategy

06:23 – Trust Signals and Misconceptions About “Difficult” Japan

12:04 – 3 Big GTM Traps Companies Fall Into

20:59 – AI Workflows for Culturally Intelligent Marketing

34:50 – Visual Localization and Creative AI Tools

43:33 – 5 Questions to Diagnose If Your Japan GTM Will Fail

Links from Guest Appearance:

🔗 Anna Skrypka – Founder, Anna Skrypka Studio

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaskrypka/

🔗 Website: https://annaskrypka.substack.com/

📄 Case Study: The AI Marketing Workflow That Actually Works in Japan https://annaskrypka.substack.com/p/the-ai-marketing-workflow-that-actually?utm_source=publication-search

Coaching with Tyson

Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 with his coaching and advisory services.

📈 Visit here to learn how he can help

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