Matsusaburo Tsukuda<\/strong> Ryuta Sato<\/strong> Under the concept of “bridging management and technology,” we provide one-stop DX support spanning everything from discovering client challenges and formulating strategy through to development. Our main service areas are divided into three: DX consulting services, CTO advisory services, and CIO assistant services. In all of these we accurately identify the client’s challenges and provide accompanying support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our strength is that our support is led by people who have actually served as CTOs. By combining deep technical capability with specialized management knowledge, we work to draw out the maximum benefit from DX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recently, in addition to operational automation \u2014 which has been one of the traditional approaches to DX \u2014 we are also focusing on providing solutions that leverage generative AI. We provide services that utilize the latest AI technology, including building organization-wide generative AI platforms, constructing dedicated in-house RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) environments, and building task-specific AI agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We usually start our support with consulting to develop a deep understanding of the client’s challenges. We clarify where the client is now \u2014 their “as is” \u2014 and then map out the “can be” \u2014 the state they should be aiming for. Conventionally the framing is “as is to be,” but at our company we focus the question on “can be.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because simply indicating a “to be” often leaves front-line staff unclear about “what exactly should I do starting tomorrow?” and “where do we need to be in six months?” Through our support work, we have seen cases where the means become the end \u2014 where people lose sight of the fundamental purpose of what they’re doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To prevent means from becoming ends, you have to close the gap between as is and to be. We believe it is important to carefully analyze the process toward the goal, take into account the client’s company culture and practices, and concretely show the path forward \u2014 the “can be,” or “what to do next.” The analogy is rock climbing: making it visible where to place your hands and feet on the next move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also keep DX talent development within the client organization in mind. In recent years, when operating companies try to hire DX or PM talent directly, the salary ranges often don’t align \u2014 and recruitment challenges have become an increasingly visible issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By working to develop DX talent internally within the client organizations we support, so that they can continue their DX journey sustainably, we are able to provide support with deep knowledge of each client’s situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have approximately 30 people active, including contractors. Of those, roughly a third are on staff as consultants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In terms of project structure, we typically start the initial upstream phase with two to three people, with the team growing gradually as the project expands. We also form project teams that include external partner companies and contractors \u2014 not just our own staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of our projects are long-term. There are cases where visible results start to emerge after more than a year, at which point the project expands further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our advantage over major consulting firms is simply cost. Rather than assigning people full-time, we can assign resources in fine-grained increments \u2014 0.2 to 3 people per month \u2014 which helps keep initial investment down. We can avoid the scenario where three or four consultants descend on a client simultaneously at project launch and the client can’t keep up, meaning clients don’t have to incur unnecessary costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The default is fully remote. Most meetings are online, and our staff live in various locations. That said, we do visit client sites in person when needed. We also have well-developed benefits to support relationship-building within projects, including an unlimited communication travel allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being able to work fully remote from the outset is a major working-life advantage \u2014 made possible precisely because we are a lean team. That said, the flip side is that because staff are spread across different locations, communication ability is one of the most important qualities for joining our company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We don’t over-manage our staff \u2014 when they work and what they do is largely up to their own judgment. What we value is having output ready by the deadline, and clearly defining roles in service of that goal. For that reason, communication ability and the ability to manage your own tasks are even more essential here than in a face-to-face working environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a varied mix \u2014 including people who worked as PMs at SIers and those who were at operating companies \u2014 and the majority have no prior consulting experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they have in common is some form of involvement in IT-related work. We believe that without familiarity with work in the IT industry, meaningful communication with clients simply becomes difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ability to think not from a purely technology-centric standpoint, but from the perspective of how much impact something can have on management. It’s not about having management knowledge per se \u2014 it’s about being able to think through how to connect technology and management together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We place great importance on the perspective of “management with both feet on the ground.” For that reason, rather than someone who charges ahead relentlessly, we believe people who can pause and reflect on management questions are more likely to thrive. Without the mindset of viewing technology and management as pointing in the same direction \u2014 not just making the technology succeed, but steering the business toward success \u2014 it is difficult to build long-term, healthy relationships with clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My career began as an engineer developing semiconductor equipment. I then went independent with a former manager of mine, gaining experience in both engineering and management, and at 30 I left that company, moved to the United States, and founded a startup. It was a business providing a service that had human translators translate emails \u2014 what would today be called a crowdsourcing service. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, and after returning to Japan about a year and a half later I went back to my former employer. I subsequently joined a gaming company, where I served as CTO for about ten years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, Initial Engine as it exists today spun out of a system development business I launched at that gaming company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No. I was torn between becoming a sushi chef and becoming an engineer \u2014 and the main reason I chose engineering was related to that indecision. Everything from logistics to new technologies was being created in America at the time, and I had a strong desire to go there. Back then, the two professions for which a visa was relatively easy to obtain were engineering and sushi chef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My original preference was actually to become a sushi chef, but that world is one where it’s standard practice to spend about ten years training under a senior chef. My girlfriend at the time strongly talked me out of it, saying “you’ll definitely end up in a fight with your senior chef \u2014 don’t do it.” So I ended up choosing engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also have an engineering background \u2014 I came from a liberal arts university into the IT industry. I started out working on ERP development and similar areas, and after about four years of experience, moved to a startup targeting the global market where I worked on application development for Android and iOS. I was primarily building applications for users in Asia and South America, and about two years in, I was appointed Director and CTO. The team was incredibly diverse \u2014 members from Spain, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and beyond \u2014 and I worked on some remarkably high-difficulty projects. It was a struggle at times, but the network of connections with other CTOs I built through that experience has become a real asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was through those connections that I met Tsukuda. We immediately found common ground in the idea that our CTO knowledge and experience could be put to use as a bridge between technology and management, and that brought us to where we are today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I originally came from a liberal arts background and hadn’t been aiming to become an engineer, but my encounter with programming during job hunting was the catalyst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was drawn to the fact that something I created could take on a visible form and might be useful to people. I’m someone who gets interested in all kinds of things, so feeling that engineering might also be a good path was the turning point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Initial Engine originated as a spin-off from a business unit at the gaming company where I was serving as CTO. Because the gaming industry is subject to large market fluctuations, there was momentum among company leadership to find new business pillars. Within that context, the president of the gaming company \u2014 who is now one of our shareholders \u2014 and I together started a new system development business focused on my area of expertise: systems and web service development. Initially we were taking on development projects one at a time, but since I was also the CTO, we were increasingly receiving requests not just for development but for solving technical challenges \u2014 and upstream needs around what a development organization should be doing and how. That’s when the word “DX” began to spread across society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Against the backdrop of DX becoming embedded in the broader social consciousness, and in an era where “being technically capable is taken for granted,” I began to feel that the focus should be on how to connect technology to management outcomes. It was around that time that Sato, who shared a similar perspective, joined, and as we worked together to put our thinking into words, we faced the challenge that it was difficult to find synergy with the gaming company’s core business. That led us to choose the path of spinning out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We launched the new business in 2021, so it has been about four years. At the time of the spin-off, we were a team of around seven to eight people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to continuing to strengthen hiring and expand the organization, we want to provide comprehensive support in domains where DX has until now only been implemented partially. Our goal is to build an organization that can support company-wide DX \u2014 the aim of “turning companies into software” through DX. Because our strength is our close, long-term engagement style with clients, we want to build a structure that can cover an ever-broader range of company challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a separate axis from our consulting work, we are also beginning to develop products with data management as the core. We are still in the discussion phase, but we also want to look at products that combine the data management domain with generative AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two things I want to focus on: building an AI-native development organization, and forming a consulting team capable of AI-driven transformation. As businesses and organizations grow, we enter a phase of building the internal structure \u2014 and being able to support that robustly from the technical side, while keeping the management perspective in view, is something I see as our strength. I want to advance organizational expansion and business growth on both axes simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What came through in the conversations with Representative Director Tsukuda and CTO Sato was a clear and practiced ability to elevate technology into management impact \u2014 something uniquely possible because of the CTO experience concentrated within this company. Rather than stopping at ideals (“to be”), the company’s conviction is to focus on what clients can do starting tomorrow (“can be”) \u2014 showing them, like a rock climber, exactly where to place each hand and foot next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I want prospective applicants to appreciate is the appeal of honing a management perspective while deploying IT expertise in a fully autonomous, remote environment. The opportunity to grow from a purely technical orientation into someone who can think about “how much does this technology contribute to profit” \u2014 that kind of growth could be the defining moment in a career. For anyone who wants to take responsibility for their own output without being managed, and to take on the grand experiment of turning companies into software, this is the finest place to forge those combined “technology \u00d7 management” skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ConsulNext Senior Consultant<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Started his career as a software development engineer in 2000, and in 2002 joined an independent SIer as a technology officer. After accumulating experience on the front lines of system development, he founded a startup in Los Angeles in 2006. After returning to Japan, he joined Techcross in 2015. Building on his achievements there, he was appointed Director and CTO in 2016. While playing a role in driving both the technical and business sides of the organization, he was also involved in launching an e-commerce business. In 2021 he established the DX Division that would become the predecessor to Initial Engine, and subsequently became the company’s Representative Director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joined Works Applications as an engineer in 2011. In 2015 joined a startup targeting the global market. Was appointed Director and CTO in 2017, driving SNS, fintech, and blockchain businesses. Subsequently served as technical advisor and development support for multiple companies, and in 2023 joined Techcross Holdings’ DX Division as CTO. He has now launched Initial Engine \u2014 which aims to help all kinds of companies become software-driven \u2014 and serves as its Director and CTO.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nFrom Solving Client Challenges to Leveraging Generative AI \u2014 Initial Engine’s DX Support as the Bridge Between Management and Technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/initialengine_ph01.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you tell us about Initial Engine’s business?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Your expertise covers both management and technology. Could you walk us through how the support process typically works?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Why do you place such importance on “can be”?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 So you make the path to the goal tangible. Are there other things you keep in mind?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Leveraging the Strengths of a Lean Team Through Flexible Structure and Client-Aligned Project Management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/initialengine_ph02.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you tell us about your headcount and project structure?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Where do you see your competitive advantages over other firms?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 What about working style?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Key to Thriving: the Combination of “Technology” and “Management” Perspectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/initialengine_ph03.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 What kinds of backgrounds do people at your company have?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Are there other skills that would be beneficial to have?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 In terms of mindset, what characteristics tend to make someone a good fit at your company?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Challenges of Two People Led to the Birth of Initial Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/initialengine_ph04-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 I’d like to ask both of you about your careers. Mr. Tsukuda, could you start by telling us about your career?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 You started your career as an engineer \u2014 was that always your intended path?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Mr. Sato, could you tell us about your career?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 What first led you toward engineering?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Thank you. Could you tell us a little more about how Initial Engine came to be founded?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 So although the company was founded a year ago, the business itself has been around for longer.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Organization Expansion and Strategy That Initial Engine Has in Mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/initialengine_ph05.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you tell us about your vision for the future? Mr. Tsukuda, could you go first?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Mr. Sato, is there anything you are thinking about for the future?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\u3010Post-Interview Note\u3011<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/img-tsukada.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Masahito Tsukada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nInitial Engine Inc. \u2014 Company Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Representative Director & CEO<\/strong><\/td> Matsusaburo Tsukuda<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Founded<\/strong><\/td> February 19, 2024<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Address<\/strong><\/td> NOVEL WORK 5F, 4-30 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Business Activities<\/strong><\/td> \u30fbDX consulting
\u30fbCTO advisory
\u30fbCIO assistant services<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nInitial Engine Inc. \u2014 Job Listings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n