In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we’re joined by Anna Skrypka, a cultural AI strategist, creative director, and founder of Anna Skrypka Studio. Anna is also the creator of the Augmented Human Method, a framework that unifies cultural intelligence and AI-powered go-to-market (GTM) strategy.

With over 15 years of experience in global tech and nearly a decade in Japan, Anna has helped scale SaaS and creative tech businesses for companies like Autodesk and Woven by Toyota. She now advises startups and corporates on how to enter and scale in Japan using culturally intelligent GTM systems.

In this episode, Anna shares how most startups are failing their Japan GTM — not because of product issues, but because they ignore cultural trust signals and scale with AI in the wrong direction. If you're a founder or marketer entering Japan, this conversation will change how you think about localization, AI workflows, and market fit.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Japan is a high-context market and how it changes buyer behavior

• How cultural intelligence improves GTM messaging and product resonance

• The 3 biggest GTM traps (Great Translation Fallacy, Silent Excellence Trap, AI Acceleration Paradox)

• How to use AI marketing workflows with cultural nuance

• Visual and narrative localization: what most GTMs miss

• Japan tech trends to watch in 2026

Show Notes:

00:00 – Introduction

02:40 – Cultural Intelligence: The Missing Piece in Japan GTM Strategy

06:23 – Trust Signals and Misconceptions About “Difficult” Japan

12:04 – 3 Big GTM Traps Companies Fall Into

20:59 – AI Workflows for Culturally Intelligent Marketing

34:50 – Visual Localization and Creative AI Tools

43:33 – 5 Questions to Diagnose If Your Japan GTM Will Fail

Links from Guest Appearance:

🔗 Anna Skrypka – Founder, Anna Skrypka Studio

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaskrypka/

🔗 Website: https://annaskrypka.substack.com/

📄 Case Study: The AI Marketing Workflow That Actually Works in Japan https://annaskrypka.substack.com/p/the-ai-marketing-workflow-that-actually?utm_source=publication-search

Coaching with Tyson

Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 with his coaching and advisory services.

📈 Visit here to learn how he can help

🎤 Send in a voice message:⁠ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠

In this follow-up to Part 1, we continue our conversation with Ryosuke (Ryo) Murai, CEO and co-founder of AI Market and former CSO of Connected Robotics, where he led a ¥1.7B Series B raise.

This episode is all about how to stand out as a potential co-founder, what really matters during the decision-making process, and how to build a founding team that can last, especially in the Japan startup ecosystem.

Ryo shares his perspective on the co-founder "dating process," how to assess fit beyond just skills, and why 3 co-founders ended up being the right structure for their team.

If you're thinking about starting a company in Japan, or advising someone who is, this is an honest and practical look at how co-founder partnerships are actually formed.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• What founders look for when choosing a co-founder

• How to communicate your vision without overhyping

• Why startup experience isn’t everything (and what matters more)

• The emotional and mindset fit behind great co-founder teams

• Why AI Market chose to bring on a third co-founder

Show Notes:
00:00 – Introduction and recap from Part 1
01:34 – What makes someone stand out as a co-founder
04:50 – Selling your vision and framing your skills
09:00 – Is track record necessary? What else matters?
14:05 – Dating analogy continued: chemistry and red flags
19:50 – Co-founder role clarity and team structure
23:40 – Why 3 co-founders worked better than 2
28:12 – Final thoughts for founders entering the co-founder search

Guest:
Ryosuke (Ryo) Murai – CEO & Co-founder, AI Market
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryosukemurai/

Coaching with Tyson

Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 with his coaching and advisory services.

📈 Visit here to learn how he can help

🎤 Send in a voice message:⁠ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we’re joined by Ryosuke (Ryo) Murai, CEO and co-founder of AI Market and former CSO of Connected Robotics, where he led a ¥1.7B Series B raise. Ryo shares what it actually takes to find a strong co-founder in Japan and opens up about how he and Tyson teamed up to start AI Market.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation where we dive deep into co-founder decision-making, mindset alignment, storytelling, and early fundraising strategy in Japan.

If you're planning to launch a startup in Japan or are in the early stages of finding a co-founder, this episode is packed with practical insights from two operators who have done it.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Ryo decided not to launch solo
  

• What makes someone an attractive co-founder
  

• How to sell your startup vision to a potential co-founder
  

• Where to actually meet co-founders in Japan
  

• The importance of founder-market fit and track record
  

• Why AI Market chose to bootstrap with angels instead of raising VC
  

Show Notes00:00 – Introduction

02:27 – Why Ryo decided to look for a co-founder

04:08 – How Ryo and Tyson met and decided to team up

06:52 – What makes an attractive co-founder

13:58 – Selling your vision and founder-market fit

27:40 – Co-founder fit is like dating

30:03 – Where to find co-founders in Japan

35:04 – The Benefits of Having Three Co-Founders

38:00 – External Resources: Accelerators and LinkedIn

41:40 – Why AI Market didn’t raise VC and chose angel funding

45:20 – Alternative Funding Strategy with Angel Investors

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Links from Guest Appearance:

🔗 Connect with Ryosuke (Ryo) Murai on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryosukemurai/

Coaching with Tyson

Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 with his coaching and advisory services. 📈 Visit here to learn how he can help

🎤 Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message