社内で新規事業を立ち上げる方法 with Junichi Yamashita
Featuring guest
Junichi Yamashita
We explored practical methods for driving innovation within organizations with Junichi Yamashita, who developed Coke ON (65 million downloads) at Coca-Cola and launched multiple new businesses at Rakuten. Rather than theoretical frameworks, we focused on realistic approaches that actually work in corporate environments. Yamashita shared specific strategies including the '30% rule' for gaining executive buy-in, starting with 2-3 committed team members, treating internal stakeholders as first customers, and communicating complex digital concepts in accessible language. We discussed the balance between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, effective collaboration with external consultants, and sustainable ways to pursue new challenges while maintaining core responsibilities. This 47-minute conversation offers actionable insights for leaders facing the common challenge of turning innovation rhetoric into concrete progress.
Themes of Inquiry
- Corporate Innovation
- Digital Transformation
- Internal Entrepreneurship
- Stakeholder Management
- Product Development
We explored practical methods for driving innovation within organizations with Junichi Yamashita, who developed Coke ON (65 million downloads) at Coca-Cola and launched multiple new businesses at Rakuten.
Episode Summary
We explored practical methods for driving innovation within organizations with Junichi Yamashita, who developed Coke ON (65 million downloads) at Coca-Cola and launched multiple new businesses at Rakuten. Rather than theoretical frameworks, we focused on realistic approaches that actually work in corporate environments. Yamashita shared specific strategies including the '30% rule' for gaining executive buy-in, starting with 2-3 committed team members, treating internal stakeholders as first customers, and communicating complex digital concepts in accessible language. We discussed the balance between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, effective collaboration with external consultants, and sustainable ways to pursue new challenges while maintaining core responsibilities. This 47-minute conversation offers actionable insights for leaders facing the common challenge of turning innovation rhetoric into concrete progress.
The Guest Biography
Junichi Yamashita
Junichi Yamashita is Senior Director at The Coca-Cola Company Japan, where he leads the Coke ON loyalty program that has achieved 65 million downloads and connects with over 500,000 vending machines. He launched the world's first vending machine subscription service, Coke ON Pass, in 2021. Previously, Yamashita worked at Rakuten in ecosystem and membership strategy roles directly under the CEO, leading smartphone business and ROOM shopping SNS. He also served as Japan Country Manager for a Korean startup, building operations from zero, and worked as a strategy and IT consultant at McKinsey and IBM.
Continue the Dialogue
The Third Way — The Intrapreneur's Path with Junichi Yamashita
We explored the often-overlooked third path of innovation: driving change from within established organizations. Through Junichi Yamashita's experience building digital products like Coke ON (65 million downloads) inside traditional Japanese companies, we discovered how to create momentum when starting with nothing. We discussed the two types of 'no' in Japanese business culture and why understanding this distinction matters for intrapreneurs. The conversation revealed practical strategies for moving beyond inspiration to actual implementation, including how to craft scenarios that win stakeholder support and leverage being different as an organizational advantage. We examined why the hardest part isn't execution but creating that crucial first moment of momentum, and explored lessons from digital transformation that apply directly to current AI initiatives.
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