CEO Insights Magazine

In the realm of corporate ascendancy, where strategic vision and innovation converge, leadership is the key to scaling new heights. At the forefront of such leadership is Shin Okubo, the Chief Product Officer of LIFULL HOME'S. With a diverse professional journey encompassing roles in publishing, engineering, and consulting, Shin's trajectory led him to LIFULL in 2006. Initially focusing on developing and managing new services in Japan's real estate sector, he later transitioned to spearheading international operations. From leading localization efforts to heading growth teams in Spain and startups like Trovit and Asoview, Shin's experiences have honed his ability to meld market insights with a global outlook, shaping his current role as a dynamic leader in the industry. Let’s read on.

As the Chief Product Officer, how do you guarantee that your product vision aligns with the company's priorities?

We introduced product management three years ago and have since rigorously applied teachings from books like 'INSPIRED' and 'EMPOWERED' by Marty Cagan. To ensure clarity and alignment, we visualize our product vision through videos and images shared internally across the company. In developing our product vision, we share progress and gather consensus from both middle and top management, ensuring integration with the overall business strategy. This collaborative approach prevents isolation and promotes alignment.

Our product vision is utilized in internal strategic announcement meetings and other forums to ensure widespread understanding and adoption. Emphasizing customer value and revenue generation, the business logic behind our product vision is grounded in solid hypotheses and closely tied to business activities, ensuring alignment with the company’s priorities.

How do you guide your team to maintain customer satisfaction? Additionally, how do you direct your team to gather and utilize customer feedback for further improvement?

When we introduced product management, we also revamped our analytics infrastructure by implementing product analytics and fully integrating UX research. The former aids in quantitative understanding, while the latter provides qualitative insights. These initiatives aim for a deeper user understanding. Today, over 200 employees use our analytics tools, and UX research is fully leveraged across many projects, essential for delivering customer value.

Our dedication to UX research and product analytics is so recognized that our employees frequently present at major conferences on these topics. In 2023, we received the 'Pioneer Of The Year' award from Amplitude, acknowledging our commitment to product growth and high customer satisfaction through continual feedback and improvement.

Tell us about your leadership approach. What guidelines or methodologies do you follow as a leader?

One of my guiding principles is that 'good output requires good input.' This lesson, learned from past failures, taught me that while ideas are plentiful, selecting the best solution from many options in a limited time requires high-quality inputs and

evidence-driven decision-making. In building a great team, I emphasize giving the team 'room to maneuver.' As the CPO, I have the authority to set the direction and make final decisions on product management, but the product managers and team members often know the specifics of project execution better than I do. Therefore, I make a concerted effort to actively listen to their feedback and collaboratively devise optimal processes, ensuring everyone feels ownership and satisfaction in their work. This approach amplifies our efforts and leads to multiplied results—a management style I found optimal through past experiences.

Additionally, in my role as CPO, I am deeply involved in developing product managers. Following the coaching methodologies outlined in 'EMPOWERED,' I rigorously apply these practices to support our product organization's overall capability development.

What are your expectations for the market moving forward?

The real estate market offers numerous opportunities for improvement, especially in enhancing user experiences and driving digital transformation. With technologies like generative AI, the pace of change is set to accelerate even further. At our company, we are advancing our AI initiatives, as demonstrated by the release of Japan's first ChatGPT Plugin for real estate portals.

What destination do you envision for the future?

LIFULL is committed to assembling 'the best team in the world,' and as CPO, my aim is to establish the world's premier product team. In 2023, we received Amplitude’s 'Pioneer of The Year' award, acknowledging our leadership in fostering a data-driven culture. While this recognition brings us closer to our goal, we recognize the necessity for ongoing refinement. Our strategy emphasizes incremental data-driven enhancements over immediate success. Drawing from my experiences in Spain and with startups, I advocate for integrating diverse practices to drive innovation. Looking ahead, we are steadfast in our determination to stay abreast of technological advancements like generative AI, ensuring that our LIFULL HOME’S product maintains its competitive edge.

What advice would you offer to aspiring industry leaders?

Through my experiences in Spain and with startups, I've discovered that the most effective route to meaningful outcomes often involves systematically integrating practices from diverse companies and industries. To maintain innovation and prevent stagnation, it's essential not to assume our own methods are superior. Instead, we should remain endlessly curious, actively seeking and implementing best practices from various domains.

I urge aspiring leaders to broaden their perspectives beyond their immediate fields and locations. In our case, we explore global best practices in areas like recruitment, online travel agencies (OTAs), used cars, and e-commerce to gain new insights. By fostering a culture that embraces external knowledge and continually seeks to learn from diverse sectors worldwide, we can drive continuous innovation and achieve lasting success.

Shin Okubo, Chief Product Officer, LIFULL HOME’S

Shin Okubo currently holds the position of Chief Product Officer at LIFULL HOME’S, boasting a professional background encompassing publishing, engineering, and consulting. Having joined LIFULL in 2006, Shin has spearheaded numerous projects, notably driving new service development initiatives in Japan and overseeing international operations in Spain.