alt Hacker NewsSelling SaaS in Japan
Comments
I am creating the SaaS https://picxstudio.com, and I am the only developer. I don't know how to sell or do marketing, and I don't like the idea of having a partner or co-founder because I have put in 100% effort while others might not contribute equally. So, please tell me how I can sell this app in Japan. Japanese people love creating AI images, videos, and applications, and the best feature of my application is that it's chat-based and supports native language (Japanese), so users don't need to use English at all.
It is interesting to see how the Japanese market validates the idea of sharing information instead of hiding it. I get annoyed when companies hide their features behind a contact form because I just want to do my own due diligence. Giving people the information they need to research independently seems like a much better way to sell software.
One thing I agree with the Japanese on is that documentation is king! One major reason I decline various software demos or testing opportunities is the lack of proper documentation or screenshots. Maybe it's because I am from SEA; I tend to hesitate to confront people or ask questions, especially during a demo.
The "download service documents here" (something like サービス資料ダウンロード) call to action part is true. But everything else sounds like a marketing fluff for the company in the article. Like yes, the process is longer, but it's mostly due to risk-aversiveness of most of the companies.
This is really interesting! Japan is such a unique market for SaaS.
From what I've heard, the biggest challenges are: - Preference for local payment methods (not just credit cards) - Need for Japanese language support (not just UI, but customer service) - Relationship-based sales culture (can't just do self-serve)
Curious what your experience has been. Did you need a local entity to close enterprise deals? And how important was having Japanese-speaking support staff?
I'm still pre-launch, but I've attended (and presented at) a couple conferences / industry events for my SaaS in Japan. You can get a lot of traction by getting out there and actually talking to people. Networking is important (probably this is the same anywhere?) and talking to other presenters is as important as talking to potential customers, because you can get that relationship going for mutual benefit.
Brilliant article and thank you for sharing.
Local payment methods seem to be a really huge thing. For instance, I'm told that in India most people want to use Google Pay, and even street vendors have QR codes at their stalls. If anyone can weigh in on that I'd love to hear about it.
I run a successful SaaS biz in Japan. Its possible, but its waaay hard. The article is right in principle. Unless you are 110% all in on localizing and hiring lots of local staff, to the extent that you will give up priorities in other markets, its not worth trying. Otherwise its a waste of blood and treasure—a local player will eat your lunch.
A consultant like Nihonium or whatever wont be able to help you really. Like any good consultant, they will be there to tell you things you already know. The motivation to do it needs to come fundamentally from your own company.
And even after doing all that, VCs will still undervalue your company vs a similarly sized US company.
Great insights on selling SaaS in Japan! I found the emphasis on documentation being "king" particularly valuable, especially how it helps those who hesitate to ask questions during live demos. It’s a good reminder that GTM strategies must be tailored to specific cultural and regional nuances.
> The process is different. You just can’t treat sales and go-to-market as a whole in Japan the same as you would in North America or Europe.
As if the european market didn't consist of dozens of languages, legislations, cultures and histories.
> When should a SaaS company consider reaching out to Nihonium?
Aah, that's what the article is about