At PayPay, we use data and technology to make money more accessible and convenient. In this series, we will show you what we as a company want to do and the vision we have for enriching people’s lives through easy access to financial services that meet changing needs as we all advance through different life stages. For this issue, we talked with Sho Kawakami of the Finance Business Planning Department, Finance Business Strategy Division.
Find other articles about PayPay’s financial business here！
Sho Kawakami
growth operations
After graduating from university, I joined a major company in the internet industry. I was seconded to a bank within the group, where I was involved in CS operations improvement and chatbot development projects in the CS department for about two years. After that, I was transferred to a department responsible for payment products, and was in charge of developing new payment services and growth operations for a year and a half. I joined PayPay in August 2021 and now am a member of a team that is responsible for planning, considering, and growing new financial businesses.
Tell us about your current responsibilities
I am in charge of planning new services, and improving and growing existing services with our financial service partners, PayPay Insurance Service and PayPay Bank. One of these services, the PayPay Insurance mini app, provides insurance that can be easily purchased anytime. We have been working on promotional activities to make more customers aware of and experience the convenience of this service, as well as making continuous improvements to the UI/UX.
PayPay Insurance overview:：https://www.paypay-insurance.co.jp/promotion/app/
What do you find fulfilling, fun, and interesting about your work?
It makes me feel very satisfied to be able to provide new financial services to more than 45 million customers. I think many people have a negative impression of finance as being cumbersome, complicated, time-consuming, and difficult. In this context, I like thinking about how users can have a positive experience with financial products on PayPay, and enjoy realizing these ideas in the products so users can feel that it is actually approachable, fun, and available anytime anywhere.
So what is the hardest part of your job?
The hardest part is the startup phase in launching a new service because I have to start from scratch for so many things, like setting goals for the service and developing a growth strategy.
Plus, because we are all working remotely, we mostly communicate with each other through chats, so I am extra careful that there is no misunderstanding in our exchanges.
Anything about the culture of your department & team that you want to highlight?
I am proud that we consider providing better services to our customers as a priority and take action to that end. We’ve always been getting feedback from customers who use our services, and learn from other FinTech companies inside and outside Japan. We constantly think about how we can utilize all this information in the new and existing services.
Many of our members have worked at various financial companies, so I learn a lot from them!
How do you find working at PayPay compared to your time at a financial institution?
I no longer need to go to the office, and by using the WFA system, I have a much better work-life balance. I can work where I want to. As I don’t commute, I use that time to do what I like or want to do.
Since I have a clear idea of what I’m responsible for, I feel that I’ve been able to have meaningful discussions and produce output efficiently through chat tools and other means.
What would you like to do at PayPay in the future?
We would like to go beyond the conventional image of PayPay as a payment service, and make PayPay something with which people associate all kinds of financial services, such as banking and insurance.
To do that, I hope to continue to think outside the box so we can provide a straightforward, enjoyable, and easy-to-understand financial experience, and provide value to our customers.
I also want to work proactively so that I can grow as fast as the company!
Please give a message to those interested in joining PayPay!
I think PayPay is a perfect fit for those who want to go beyond traditional financial services and want to create a new financial environment. PayPay is still in its beginning stages in terms of financial products. I’m looking forward to working with those of you who will help us make the future of finance at PayPay exciting!
We will also hold a recruiting session regarding our financial business on Friday, March 18.
In it, we will be talking more about PayPay’s financial business and what a typical day is like for our team. I’ll also be attending as a panelist, so please join us if you’re interested.
Currently available positions
Special Thanks: Sho Kawakami / Planning: Misako Ichikura / Editor: Az (PayPay Inside-Out Editorial Team) / English Translation: Language Communication Team / Translation Editor: Justin
*Employees’ affiliations are as of the time of the interview.
