Around the World with PayPay is a series of articles featuring our global workplace, with people gathered from approximately 40 countries around the world. The article consists of two parts: “FROM OUTSIDE” (published every first Thursday of the month) focuses on a comparison between Japan and the interviewee’s home country. “FROM INSIDE” (published every second Friday of the month) focuses on experiences within PayPay.
Continuing from the last issue, we’ve sat down with Rafael from Brazil! Don’t forget to check out past issues too.
* The Japanese version of the article is also available.
Rafael Da Silva Costa
Developer
Country: São Paulo, Brazil / Years in Japan: 5 / Location: Tokyo
“I think there are a number of similarities between Japan and Brazil. Japan has quite some influence in Brazilian culture.”
How are digital payments in Brazil?
It was a long time ago when I left Brazil, so I don’t think I’m fit to answer this question.
When I was living in Brazil, there were no apps like PayPay. There was cash or credit cards. Mind you, that was 25 years ago. So maybe now they use Google Pay or Apple Pay. Something of the sort. It isn’t as though Brazilians are adamant about using cash, so I’m sure they’d be using a payment app if it’s been made available.
Why did you join PayPay?
I knew about PayPay before I joined the company, because you see it everywhere. PayPay had a good reputation too. I had used the PayPay app before joining, but because I worked for one of the leading EC companies at the time, it was their app that I used more.
What’s good about working at PayPay?
The first thing that comes to mind is that decisions are made very quickly. This can be good and bad. It’s great for us engineers though because we can create services without getting bogged down by bureaucracy. It also contributes to the making of a very flexible work culture. Maybe that is one of the reasons why PayPay is succeeding with the remote work style. I moved to Tokyo right before I joined PayPay, but if I knew that we were going to be able to work remotely 100% of the time, I probably would have made a different decision.
How is a normal working day for you at PayPay?
I usually attempt to wake up around 8:30. Half of the time, I just tap the snooze button, so I don’t actually wake up at 8:30. (laughs) I start working at 10:00, usually by checking my inbox while I have a bowl of cereal. Until recently, there was a daily meeting at 11:00. I take my lunch break from 12 noon. I go through my own tasks after that, which differs depending on the sprint at hand. Oh, by the way, I’m a member of the “Wallet” team.
What do you think was the biggest positive impact of PayPay in Japan?
I think PayPay is succeeding in converting the country into a cashless society. At least it is trying its best and I think it is emerging as a success. It wasn’t that long ago that something similar would have been unimaginable, but look at all the people in Japan now using it. Let me also say, I think PayPay is doing a much better job than my previous company. (laughs)
Hope you enjoyed reading about Rafael!
See our currently available open positions here
Special Thanks：Rafael / Author：Naoko / Managing Editor：Az
* Employee affiliations are as of the time of the interview.
