The “Professionals” series showcases talented experts who support PayPay Group’s operations.
In this issue, we interviewed Aoki-san, the Senior Engineering Manager of the Technology Platform & Core Components Division. We asked him about his path to joining PayPay, his contributions in the infrastructure field, and his outlook for the future.
Shinya Aoki
Senior Engineering Manager, Infrastructure Technology Department, Technology Platform & Core Components Division, Product Group
I joined Yahoo Japan Corporation (current LY Corporation) after completing my studies in 2010. Initially, I worked as an ID system development engineer and later took on the role of a team leader. Later, I served as the Technical Director within the Payment Finance Division for 3 years, starting in 2016.
I was involved with PayPay since its start-up. After being seconded from Yahoo Japan in 2019, I joined PayPay in April 2020. I worked as the Tech Lead and the Manager for several backend teams and have been in my current position since November 2022.
Choosing to Join PayPay Because of Its Rapid Evolution and Fulfilling Environment
Please tell us your journey leading up to joining PayPay?
While on secondment from Yahoo Japan, I was overwhelmed by the rapid product development with limited human resources. Surprisingly, I was drawn to PayPay’s culture, which embraces rapid evolution without fear of change. Amidst the busyness, there was also enjoyment.
As I witnessed PayPay’s userbase and availability expanding, I came to the realization that my role was making a significant impact on society, which brought me a profound sense of fulfillment.
I was attracted to the fresh and stimulating environment at PayPay, where I could broaden my horizons by working with multinational team members daily, this led me to decide to join company.
What are the roles and responsibilities of your department?
The Infrastructure Technology Department supports PayPay’s service infrastructure.
The Cloud & Platform Infrastructure Team is responsible for managing, building, operating and improving infrastructure systems such as AWS, Kubernetes, Kafka, TiDB and more. On top of that, the SRE Team works on improving the stability, reliability, and scalability of product systems along with improving developer productivity through application CI/CD and Backstage (developer portal). In addition to these two groups, there is also the Core Engineering Team that provides solutions shared across all application teams.
As the head of the Infrastructure Technology Department, I oversee all these teams with the aim to maximize productivity across the entire Infrastructure Technology Department.
Facing Organizational Challenges and Paving the Way as a Infrastructure Department
What were the challenges the team had to overcome?
PayPay, now entering its 5th year since its service launch, is also transitioning into the next phase as a company.
When I assumed my current position in November 2022, I deliberated on the key priorities necessary to support PayPay’s continued growth. And so, I took a moment to reflect with the managers on the current state of the infrastructure domain. Back then, we were fiercely pushing forward, focusing on what needed to be done right in front of us. It’s not wrong, but looking ahead, it wasn’t enough.
How did you go about resolving them?
These days, using PayPay anytime and anywhere has become the norm. However, the key challenge lies in maintaining this sustainability. More importantly, it’s crucial to ensure the lasting sustainability of this state.
For PayPay’s long-term sustainability, we must continuously deliver added value, providing support to the engineers, products, and the business as a team responsible for the platform/infrastructure that underlies our products.
As an approach within the infrastructure, we defined 3 pillars, as the foundation of PayPay’s sustainability mission:
1. Business sustainability
2. Product sustainability
3. Developer sustainability
In order for the company’s business to achieve sustainability, we must continuously deliver products that are not only outstanding but also sustainable. In order to provide sustainable products, the expectation should be to maintain quality. Moreover, the Engineering team responsible for product development and operations must be sustainable.
Naturally, we understood that implementing this mission within the infrastructure department wouldn’t happen overnight. We maintained communication efforts to cultivate a collective comprehension within the department. And within the Infrastructure Team, we have organized ourselves to work towards a vision.
Endless Efforts in the Infrastructure Department
What do you value in your role at PayPay?
” Believes in our PRODUCT & TEAM ”
Believing in the future of PayPay, having faith in our products, and trusting the colleagues who create them.
In terms of PayPay 5 senses, I especially like this one. Without this foundation, I feel that the common ground of contributing to PayPay’s sustainability, which we in the Infrastructure Department have established as our core mission, would not be achievable.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
I have presented 3 key aspects to achieve our sustainability goals. While all 3 are important, we must create strong products to be successful in our business. To create robust products, we need skilled engineers, and ultimately, we must make our engineers sustainable.
Amid the evolving work landscape due to the pandemic, I aspire to dedicate my efforts to contribute to a more sustainable engineering organization.
Lastly, a message for our readers?
At PayPay, individuals can express their opinions and suggestions on how the company can work toward its envisioned future. We have a very open workplace.
In terms of mindset, I’m eager to collaborate with individuals who not only seek personal career growth but also strongly believe in supporting the Infrastructure Department to contribute to PayPay’s promising future on a broader scale.
Current Job Openings
*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.