Hello, this is Kanno from the Coding Factory Department.
This may seem sudden, but I've started a project to ask some interesting coders in the Coding Factory about their work methods and way of thinking (I started this on my own?! So it will be an irregular series).
This time, I'm attacking Tanaka, who has the complete opposite perspective and stance to me!
The reason why I was interested in Tanaka is because we are the complete opposite. Even though we are both coders at Coding Factory, we are good at different things. I am a coder who loves markup, so my title on my business card is Markup Engineer (I am Tanaka's senior). On the other hand, Tanaka is a coder who loves direction, so his title on his business card is Director. Each of our areas of expertise is also listed on our business cards.
and,
Compared to the sociable Tanaka, I am shy.
While Tanaka is always proactive in everything he does, I am always thinking about how I can make things easier for myself.
While Tanaka is very enthusiastic about education, I take a laissez-faire approach.
...Hmm, maybe I'm a loser?
Anyway, I chose Tanaka because I wanted to know what a coder who is the polar opposite of me thinks. This time, I posed nine questions I wanted to ask Tanaka. Let's get started.
Q1. Do you enjoy your work?
On the left is Natsumi Tanaka, and on the right is me, Kanno.
Tanaka: I love my job! I like the fact that I can visibly see my results.
Kanno : Wow, so you want to feel like you've accomplished something. What about the coding itself?
TanakaI like how the code is instantly reflected in the browser!
Even a slight change in color can make you excited!
Kanno : Then what about direction? Tanaka is currently the only person with the title of director at Coding Factory.
Tanaka: What I like about directing is the great joy I feel when the finished product turns out exactly as I envisioned it. I feel a sense of accomplishment especially when the project is difficult.
Kanno is a masochist (lol)
Well, I understand.
Tanaka is irresistible (lol)
To that end, we are thorough in calculating man-hours and checking specifications, as this can become information that will help us in the future.
Sugano: I would like to convey those aspects, my strengths, to our younger members.
Q2. What would you like to challenge yourself with now?
Tanaka Project Manager!
Kanno : Oh, a project manager. What do you mean, specifically?
Tanaka : I'd like to do something like the massive projects we've done in the past!
Kanno : Wow! Amazing. A hero has appeared!
Tanaka: The reason I originally wanted to try directing was because I wanted to make good use of Coding Factory's resources to run projects.
In the future, I want to be like Mr. Kojima (Director of Coding Factory).
Sugano aims to become the next department head.
Tanaka: It's not like that. (laughs)
I think Kanno is suited to being serious though.
Q3. Tanaka graduated from a school related to film production, so why did he end up in the web world?
Tanaka : I made a website when I was in middle school. There was a time when it was quite popular among my friends.
Hurry up Sugano !
Tanaka: The people around me were using templates and stuff, but I wanted to be more free with my work, so I studied HTML. I rented a server and made CGI and stuff. I can't do that at all now though. I was amazing then! That was my peak (laughs).
Kanno (laughs)
Tanaka: With that background, when I decided I wanted to work on creating something, I chose the web.
I don't have much of a sense for design, but I think I can create things through coding.
What was your previous job, Mr. Kanno ?
Tanaka used to sell mobile phones and smartphones.
Kanno: I didn't have a smartphone either, but I did have a PC for sale.
Tanaka : Oh, a computer? It's difficult!
Kanno : Yes. It was hard. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about PCs though (laughs).
Have those experiences ever been useful to you in your current job?
(Tanaka) Yes, there are. For example, when I'm having a meeting with a client.
My experience explaining smartphones to customers in an easy-to-understand way has been useful, so I'm glad I did it.
Kanno: That may be the case for me too. My experience selling PCs in my previous job has come in handy.
You taught me how to flip the business switch.
Is that Tanaka ?
Sugano: It's like a business switch, or what we call work mode.
My true personality is a bit shy and I don't think I'm very sociable, but when it's time for work, I can just accept that I have to do it.
There's nothing good that comes from being a shy boy at work! (laughs)
I can't be so embarrassed to even ask the customers something!
Tanaka: That’s true (laughs).
Sugano: When I first started in my previous job, I found it difficult to approach customers who came to buy PCs because I knew that if I didn't, I wouldn't get any results.
Nothing will happen if we just wait for Tanaka .
I also kept quiet the whole time during my first job (laughs).
I don't usually talk much. People around me often ask me if I'm angry because I don't talk much.
Kanno : Eh?! I thought you were the most talkative person at Coding Factory.
Tanaka is the symbol of energy in our house.
Even Tanaka is working in top gear while at work!
Sugano and I have had similar experiences in this area.
Q4. Are there any points that you personally pay attention to when proceeding with a project?
Tanaka ~
Sugano
I've been doing this for three years now, and I have my own formula for winning, or maybe even a method for doing it.
Tanaka: I learned something from a project that didn't go so well in the past, but it's important to organize the documents you receive from the client properly so that you don't end up wondering what each document is for.
Sugano: It's about clarifying things that you don't understand or that are unclear. It's basic, but it's the most important thing.
Tanaka: My desk and stuff is messy, but the inside of my computer is super clean!
They are neatly categorized and organized into folders.
Kanno -hmm, so you admit that your desk is dirty.
Tanaka: I'm cleaning up little by little (laughs).
Kanno: Well, I guess I'm better than Maruyama-kun (the team leader and coder in the same department) (laughs).
Do you have any preferences when it comes to PC settings?
Each of our coders customizes it to suit their own needs.
Some people set it high and code while standing.
Tanaka : Nothing in particular. Almost everything, including the keyboard, was given to me, and I guess I'll just upgrade the specs of my PC a little. Oh, but I need two screens.
Sugano: On the contrary, it's amazing! It means you can handle any situation. I can't use anything other than my own customized PC. I think it's already useless (laughs).
I think that's important, too. I'm not very good with Macs. I've had trouble with full-screen windows before .
What is Kanno checkmated? (lol)
Q5. Last year, you worked in Osaka for a while. How was it?
Tanaka
About two months.
Kanno, you raised your hand yourself, right?
Tanaka : Yes. I thought we had to do it.
Tanaka is in Osaka and working with enthusiasm.
Kanno: This is amazing.
You're so nimble.
But is that because your hometown is Osaka? Have you also been to Hokkaido, for example?
Tanaka : I went. There had been no progress at all for over a month and I was in a waiting state, so I thought that if I continued like this, I would end up not delivering anything.
A similar situation had occurred with a project one or two prior to this one, where things weren't going well, but once we got on-site, things started to go well, so I suggested to Kojima that we should do the same this time.
Q6. I heard that you participate in a lot of external seminars. Why?
Tanaka: The reason I started going was because Matsubara-san, who is also at Coding Factory, was actively participating in these events, and I thought I had better go too.
I'm not good at reading books. I can read novels, but I'm really bad at reading technical books or work-related books, and even when I do read, it doesn't really sink in.
However, the seminar instructors speak in an easy-to-understand way, you can ask questions about things you don't understand, and it's great to be able to confirm with the people around you who are attending the seminar with you to make sure they understand what you're learning.
Kanno : So, deep down you love conversation.
By the way, what types of seminars have you attended so far?
Tanaka
I've participated in web direction events and TWDW for two years in a row.
Also, the other day I went to something called " Learning creative thinking with LEGO ."
Sugano
You can learn with LEGO?
Tanaka : Yes. It was super fun.
A lot of adults gathered together and made LEGO.
Considering disruptive innovation.
Sugano: Destructive?! That's not peaceful.
Tanaka : I was asked to make something with LEGO, so I just made a long stick. Everyone else made proper things though (laughs).
Next, I was asked how I would use this if I were to use it for something useful...
Sugano: Just a stick? (laughs)
Tanaka : Yes, a stick. (laughs)
So I decided to use it in conjunction with home appliances so that when you press it, the lights will turn on and the device will start moving.
Sugano : Maybe a universal remote control. It looks like a magic wand.
Tanaka :Yes. Apparently, creative thinking involves making something first and then thinking about how to use it.
(Left) The work that was described as just a long stick in the text (Right) A work created at the same seminar with the image of a "holiday." After creating this, the theme given to him was a difficult one: to combine it with other participants' good works to express someone's life.
To Kanno , that's an interesting way of thinking. It doesn't seem to be directly related to coding, but it's good to broaden your horizons by thinking about things from various perspectives! The seminar sounds good too.
It's the opposite for me; I'm fine with books, but I'm not so good with seminars...
Tanaka : Eh, why is it difficult for you?
Kanno: First of all, I'm not very good at participating in events with adults I don't know.
For some reason, I can't get into the business mindset and my inner shy boy starts to show (laughs).
I also like to explore and experiment on my own.
It's a bit the other way around after all.
Q7. You became a group leader last year. Has anything changed?
Tanaka: Until now, I was the one who was looked after and managed, but now my position has changed a bit and I am also the one who is asked questions, so I have come to know the company properly. Numbers, systems, etc.
Sugano : Oh, I see.
Tanaka: I had been looking at the numbers before, but only for myself. Now I pay attention to them for the whole Coding Factory.
Sugano: I see.
How about teaching someone?
Tanaka: I'm not good at teaching people. I'm not good at it at all. I want to teach people, but I don't really know how to convey it.
Kanno: It doesn't seem like it.
One of the good things about Tanaka is that he has a very "easy-going attitude."
I'm always smiling, and I don't know if it's good or bad, but everyone teases me (laughs).
I don't have that kind of personality. I feel like I'm being a little reserved, so I'm a little envious. I think that's true not only within the company, but also from customers, and I think that's a good attribute!
Tanaka is getting a lot of praise (lol)
Kanno: I actually respect Tanaka in a lot of ways. We're polar opposites, or maybe we're just different types of people, so I think he has a lot of things that I don't have.
Tanaka : I can say the same thing!
Kanno : Well, I guess there's something about everyone that we can respect.
Q8. Have you ever wanted to quit?
Tanaka : No, there isn't.
Kanno : Oh! No? Just be honest.
Tanaka : No, really not.
There are times when I fail and feel really down, but I wonder who will fill the gap if I quit now. I don't think that would be fulfilling my responsibilities.
When I was working at a udon restaurant before, the other part-timers suddenly stopped coming. This is what they call quitting. The manager told me at the time, "That kind of behavior is narrowing the world you can walk in, so don't ever do that."
The people at Sugano Udon Shop are so cool!!
So even if you fail, you don't want to give up because of it. That's a cool way to live!
So what's good about joining Coding Factory?
Tanaka : Wow, I met some great people! Hahaha! (laughs)
I didn't have much work experience before joining here, so I'm grateful to everyone who has helped me to expose my shortcomings as a working adult.
Sugano (laughs)
Tanaka: It's good that you said that!
There was a time when my senior colleague told me to do my job properly when we were alone in a conference room.
I was at a point where I wanted to do things properly, so I was grateful to have someone to tell me things like that. Instead of just getting angry, he gave me proper guidance.
Q9. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
Tanaka: Good luck everyone! Hahaha (lol)
After the conversation...
I once again felt that Tanaka has grown. When he first joined the company, he was restless no matter what he did, and there were times when I was nervous inside. But now he is in the same position (team leader) and is proactively involved, hosting study sessions within the company and being entrusted with the role of moderator in various situations. Of course, he is also busy handling projects. Tanaka is amazing!
Tanaka, I look forward to working with you in the future.
I was truly glad that Tanaka had come.
KANNO Shin