The Project Story series focuses on what occurs behind the scenes of PayPay Group’s significant projects.
Through personal anecdotes from those in charge, we delve into the difficulties and pivotal mindsets that led to the success of each project. Let’s dive into the stories of the PayPay Scratch Lottery project members.
Arysa Kurata
Core App & Growth, Product Department, Payment Product Division, Product Group
After working as a project manager for overseas expansion at SoftBank Robotics, I joined PayPay in October 2021. There, I served as a project manager in the PMO department before moving to my current role in the Core App & Growth team in May 2023.
Shinichi Seko
Campaign Planning, Marketing Planning Department, Marketing Planning Division, Business Operations Group
I previously was in charge of planning cell phone rate plans and new services at SoftBank and joined PayPay in January 2019. After being in charge of synergy measures with group companies, I moved to the Campaign Planning Team in April 2023.
Miki Tanabe
Campaign Planning, Marketing Planning Department, Marketing Planning Division, Business Operations Group
After working in construction management in the construction industry, operations management and business improvement in the human resources industry, and marketing in the e-commerce industry, I joined PayPay in January 2021 and have been responsible for promoting campaigns. I came back to my post in December 2023 after a year-long maternity leave.
One person’s call to action instigated the launch of a new campaign!
Tell us about your current responsibilities
Kurata：
As a product manager, I am responsible for the PayPay Scratch Lottery project and redesigning the home screen. In this project, I proposed the scratch lottery idea to the Marketing Team, built the UI/UX flow, determined the specification details, and facilitated the process from development to testing and release.
Seko：
As the person in charge of promoting group synergy in campaign planning, I implement promotions for group company service users, introduce PayPay as a user incentive, and manage the Cho PayPay Matsuri (Super PayPay Festival).
Tanabe-san and I, the two of us, participated in this project. I oversaw the general planning, including cost estimation and compiling the plan deck for the management meetings.
Tanabe：
I am mainly in charge of promoting events such as local government campaigns, PayPay Jumbo, and Cho PayPay Matsuri. I returned to work in November 2023 after taking a year off with parental leave. I joined the project midway through, and I was responsible for building awareness among our merchants and notifying the users about the promotions.
So you were all involved in the launch of PayPay Scratch Lottery—Please give us an overview of the project
Kurata：
PayPay Scratch Lottery is a new promotional campaign that awards points to users if they win a prize by scratching off a lottery ticket given at the time of PayPay payments. We added the necessary features to the scratch-off tickets in this project and implemented the campaign.
This project was different from the typical marketing-led kickoff. Rather, it started with a pitch I made in the summer of 2022. At the time, I was in charge of a relatively small project as PMO and was eager to run a big project, so after consulting with my boss and senior PM, I proposed the scratch lottery as a new project.
I pitched the idea as a one-off campaign inspired by what Paytm in India was doing. It struck a chord with marketing, and they said, “Let’s put this in place of PayPay Jumbo!”
Seko：
There have been instances in the past where the Product Team offered some advice to the Marketing Team, but this was a rare case where they pitched us an entirely new scheme. Marketing was also looking for a new type of campaign, and we wanted a mechanism that would allow users to participate and enjoy the app experience. So when we received this proposal, we immediately got on board and decided to move forward with it.
Kurata：
Since this is a new system, we let it roll out gradually. We first introduced it as an individual campaign at specific merchants in September 2023. We then proceeded to open the promotion for all users and merchants starting in February 2024.
Reaching new heights & setting a record number of payments per day!
Looking back on the project, can you tell us what it was like?
Kurata：
It was my first time being involved in such a major project, and I was very nervous because even a small mistake in the campaign could lead to a serious incident! Determining the specifications was incredibly challenging, and I learned a lot from the technical side of the project through extensive communication with the tech team.
Also, in working with many stakeholders, we had to be especially careful in communicating with parties with different mother tongues. Sometimes, the message was conveyed in a way that was different from how I intended. I plan to mitigate this in the future by providing regular opportunities for alignment and by preparing multilingual specifications.
Tanabe：
This was my first project after returning to work, so I actually had to start with a mental recalibration. I remember thinking, “Wait, has it always been this hard to talk to people other than my mom-friends?” (laughs). I learned a lot through communication. I’d only had a few opportunities to speak with non-native Japanese speakers before, so there was a learning curve to finding the best way through trial and error.
Seko：
This project couldn’t be completed just within the Marketing Planning Department. By proceeding with the Product Team, I discovered many new perspectives that never crossed my mind before. The user-first attitude was particularly a huge lesson.
What did you find to be most challenging?
Kurata：
We had expected bugs at the beginning, but there were more bugs and problems during the beta test than we had anticipated. With only a few days left until launch, we had a few close calls as we tried to iron out the issues one by one. I kept telling myself, “It’s going to be OK,” but secretly, I was panicking (laughs). I was really glad that we could successfully release the product on schedule, thanks to everyone’s efforts.
Tanabe：
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought, “Oh gosh, we’re never going to make it!” Kurata-san and I would chat daily and say, “Hey, at least we caught it now. We have two weeks; we’ll get through this.” Having each other’s back was really reassuring. I felt sorry for bombarding her with so many questions though. With that said, I honestly think I couldn’t have done it without Kurata-san’s support.
What has been the response like to the campaign? Is there anything you can share about future projects?
Seko：
Since the campaign started, the number of payments per day and total transactions have been very strong, often setting new records. The number of users making payments is also increasing at twice the expected rate. One of the reasons for this is that the recognition of point redemption has increased 1.2 to 1.3 times compared to PayPay Jumbo. Users who were unaware of the rewards in previous campaigns because the lottery was automatically drawn after payments are now aware of the extra points through scratch-offs and see the rewards as a great value, leading to their subsequent use of PayPay (service ended on April 15, 2024). In this promotion, we also wanted users to feel the joy of earning points and the fun of using PayPay by sliding in a proactive action on their part, so we’re also keeping a close eye on the user satisfaction level.
Kurata：
We’re looking forward to making scratch cards available outside of payments so users can find some amusement in our campaigns.
Tanabe：
I’d love to continue to provide an experience that not only feels like making a great deal but also makes people think, “Hmm, PayPay is interesting!”
If fear doesn’t hold you back and if you’re up for a challenge, you can thrive here
What do you value most in your work?
Kurata：
In terms of PayPay 5 Senses, I value “Speed is our bet on the market.” I believe we were able to deliver the campaign in this project because we responded swiftly to various issues and additional requests.
Seko：
For me, “Speed is our bet on the market” and “Be sincere to be professional.” I think our uncompromising attitude to providing good products while maintaining a sense of speed is evident in the scratch lottery!
Tanabe：
I value communication, so I’d say, “Ego is not welcome, communication is necessary.” Although we work in a remote environment, I make sure to communicate well with my colleagues, including small talk, to get a better idea of their personalities and to communicate in a way that best suits them.
What is rewarding about the work at PayPay?
Kurata：
Walking around town, I see our services being used, and it is gratifying to see users’ reactions in person. It is also fulfilling to be able to communicate what I want to do and see it come to life, as was the case in this project.
Seko：
Not only does my work directly contribute to the company’s growth, but I can also see the reactions to the projects I have planned on the street, on social media, and so on.
Tanabe：
We’re managing big campaigns, so we see them around town. The scales are so big that they directly translate to business performance metrics. This is unique to this job, and I think it is also unique to PayPay.
Please share your future goals and vision!
Kurata：
From Day 2 onward, I will hand the scratch lottery over to another member, and I hope that expanding its usage scenarios will evolve the campaign into one that users can enjoy even more! As for myself, I have another major project in the works: the renewal of the home screen! I’ll definitely make the most of what I have learned this time to run the project even better.
Seko：
PayPay Scratch Lottery is still on Day 1 and is not yet complete, so we will continue to improve the functionalities and environment so that users can enjoy it more. I hope people will come to recognize it as one of the major PayPay promotions and that it will evolve into a well-loved campaign.
Tanabe：
I want to improve scratch lottery features and create an environment where users can have more fun with it. On a more personal note, my ambition is to be the first person that pops into people’s minds when they want to try something new.
Lastly, a message for our readers please!
Kurata：
PayPay is a company that lets you realize whatever ideas you might have and gives you the room to try them. As a novice product manager, I wasn’t sure if I could create such a large-scale campaign from scratch, but I was able to overcome the challenge and feel that I’ve grown.
It is an environment where you can always learn, so I think it is perfect for those who want to grow, are up for a challenge, and have a can-do attitude.
Seko：
People who can win at PayPay are those willing to take on new challenges without fear of failure. I’ve tried and failed in the past too. Even when something blows up in your face, our work culture focuses more on “what could I have done better” rather than “why did I fail.” So, I have been given opportunities to take on new challenges. If you’re someone who can learn from your mistakes, rectify, and grow, this is a company that can propel you to new heights.
Tanabe：
I am working shorter hours while balancing work and childcare. Even with time constraints, they respect my desire to “try” and “dare” and entrust me with challenging and accountable tasks. It is a beautiful environment where people around me are willing to support me.
The pace of change is pretty fast, so if you enjoy change and can work towards a goal even when you are busy before a launch, you will be outstanding! We would love to work with you if you want a fulfilling and nurturing experience!
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*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.