India Dev Speaks vol.7 – What’s It Really Like at Pay2DC?

Launched in 2018, PayPay has grown into a mobile payment service with 60 million users (as of October 2023) – one in every two smartphone users in Japan. It boasts a diverse workforce with engineers from around 50 different countries and regions across the world.
The Pay2 Dev Speaks series gives the latest on the Pay2 Development Center (or Pay2DC), PayPay’s first overseas development center launched in India in October 2022, through the unique voices of the team on the ground.

In this edition, three engineers cover various topics of interest including what it’s like to work in a Japanese company and how that is benefiting their careers.

*Pay2 Development Center changed its name to PayPay India on May 30, 2024

Why I joined PayPay

Opportunity to gain startup experience with trustworthy colleagues

Kanav:
In my previous job, I was an engineering manager in a venture business. I’d worked there for about five years and was looking for my next challenge when I heard about the launch of Pay2DC. I applied for a job because I knew about PayPay, having spent four months working in Japan in the past, and the opportunity to be involved from zero as a startup member felt very appealing.

Parmeet:
I changed jobs because my previous company went through an M&A, and I didn’t agree with the policies of the new management team. I applied to work at Pay2DC without thinking too much about it, but after coming to the office and talking with the team, I decided that I really wanted to work there. The interviewers were excellent and asked just the right questions. Their approach wasn’t one-sided too, rather, they examined whether I was skill and culture-fit through a mutual discussion. Nice people – that’s the main reason I decided to work here.

Sarthak:
I was job hunting because my previous employer asked me to start working in the office on a hybrid-basis but it was difficult for me to relocate. I was quite excited when I received a scout message from PayPay, and found out about the business, its scale, and the challenges being taken on. I decided to apply because I thought my skill set and experience could be well used. I also felt that it was a great opportunity to gain experience in learning and building products, processes, and infrastructure from scratch in a development center that had just opened.

Impression before & after joining

At first, I thought “hmm a Japanese company…” but the work style is flexible and accommodating

Sarthak:
When I applied, I was somewhat skeptical about joining a Japanese startup with a dozen or so people. But after doing some research and meeting the team, I realized I was completely wrong. The business operates with a reliable backing, and the PayPay service is used by 60 million users which is half of Japan’s population. The office is very lively, filled with people discussing ideas, and everyone is nice and welcoming of new team members.

Another thing is the sheer speed until delivery. Pay2DC’s sprint cycle is one to two weeks, compared to two months in my previous job. It’s also necessary to ensure quality and scalability being a product offered in Japan. I think that’s the challenge you’re up against at Pay2DC.

Parmeet:
In India, people tend to think of Japanese companies as having strict disciplines and long work hours. At the same time, the quality of Japanese products is also well known, and that it takes that much of an effort to maintain. The work culture in India is similar in some ways, so I personally didn’t have a very negative impression to begin with. In fact, I didn’t really have an issue placing myself in a hard-working environment since I’m still young and single.

After joining though, I found that PayPay was not at all like a typical “Japanese” company. I keep a good work-life balance thanks to the flexible work style and my workload is just right. I’m not under pressure so much that I can’t indulge in discussions about engineering. I’m busy the right amount and comfortably so.

Kanav:
The Pay2DC team is growing, and now that we are capable of completing a development project end-to-end without help from Japan, it’s easier to manage projects. This has helped unburden some members from heavy workloads. On the other hand, PayPay now has a significant social responsibility due to its user base of 60 million people, and the high expectations its users have require the release of new feature after new feature. That means that the key to our success is how quickly we can deliver high-quality products.

Work environment and culture

Birthdays, festivals, hackathons. Team building to create the power to innovate.

Kanav:
Pay2DC’s office is located in a very nice neighborhood in Gurgaon, near Cyber City which is a popular place people go to. It’s on the border of Delhi and Gurgaon and is close to the Metro, making it easily accessible even from Delhi.

Sarthak:
The corporate culture is attractive and the company cares about its employees. There are various activities like getting together at the end of the month to celebrate someone’s birthday, having team dinners, or joining festival events. It helps to strengthen the bond within the team and maintain liveliness.

There are also two hackathons a year, held together with the product team in Tokyo. It presents a great opportunity for engineers to get exposure to new ideas and other innovations. I am grateful for this environment that gives me the chance to give shape to new ideas in an engineer-driven way.

Challenges and growth unique to Pay2DC

Tackling advanced challenges through healthy competition with fellow experts

Parmeet:
We have a group of smart, experienced members from whom there’s a lot that can be learned. Having worked in startups, most of my colleagues were usually of similar age and experience until now. At Pay2DC, some team members have ten years more experience than I do. By learning how they think and giving shape to their thoughts, I think I’ve already grown significantly after five months. It’s very fulfilling to be able to work in the very environment I was looking for when I was job hunting.

Sarthak:
After joining, I was assigned to a project in a totally new field for me. But, I was thankfully able to deepen my knowledge of that area over the months of my involvement. Although it was a very unfamiliar and taxing task, it was like stepping into a new world.

I definitely want to continue gaining experience like I have over the past six months. I want to be involved in challenging tasks, absorb as much as I can from my teammates, and become the person that can keep adding value. I haven’t decided on a career path yet, but for now, I want to focus on helping to provide users a life that is more convenient and enriched.

A message to developers in India

Join Pay2DC to experience high-quality Japanese product-making from India

Kanav:
Even though PayPay’s service is not offered in India, there are similar fintechs, so it isn’t as though you’re developing something completely unknown. The only difference is that the market is Japan. The challenges and solutions that engineers face are the same. Being able to work on high-quality Japanese products is a big advantage. It’s great if you want to focus on creating top-notch products and writing good code.

Now is a great time to join the company too, as the issues that fintechs have faced are being solved at an ever-increasing pace.
The plan at Pay2DC is to increase the headcount by five times over the next two years. If you want to partake in building a company where things are ever-evolving as the team grows bigger, look no further.

Parmeet:
One thing I focus on when choosing a job is the people who work there. More specifically, I look for a team of collaborative and talented people. That is exactly what Pay2DC had to offer. My compensation and work conditions are great too. So, if you enjoy solving engineering challenges with a team of experts, I highly recommend working here at Pay2DC!

Sarthak:
Pay2DC is a wonderful place for those who want to make high-quality products. You’ll be involved in exciting projects and be able to work on complex and advanced problems given the vast user base. You will also have the chance to visit Japan and meet the product team over there, as well as see PayPay being used in town. If you’re looking for a rewarding and fun job and you want to “work hard, party harder,” here we are.

*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.