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Imangi

IMANGI STUDIOS- THE COMPANY THAT BUILT ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS MOBILEPHONE GAMES

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Apart From the hardcore game developers and video game lovers, we all love a little bit of fun gaming. Many of us also play games on mobile phones to kill time. Nowadays, kids also love playing video games. Among all the mobile phone games we have been playing since childhood, Temple Run is one of the tops. Temple Run has a very wide fan base and it is the topmost game ever launched by Imangi Studios. Imangi Studios is an American-based video game company. It develops video games for Windows, Android, and iOS phones. Natalia Luckyanova and Keith Shepherd the famous husband-and-wife team founded the company in 2008.

About the Founders

Natalia went to Harvard University to study Physics and Chemistry for her bachelor’s degree. After graduating in 2003, she went to Boston University and completed her master’s in Computer Science. Her career started as a Software Engineer for Vecna Technologies followed by a Senior Consultant at Appian Corporation. In 2008, she joined The Advisory Board Company as a Technical Business Analyst and carried out her game developing project simultaneously. After a year, she left the company and co-founded Imangi Studios.

Keith Shepherd, husband of Natalia worked in the computer industry for many years. He along with his wife founded Imangi studios. And, the release of Temple Run helped them make billions. He is the CEO of Imangi Studios.

The idea of a new company

Natalia and Keith always wanted to start their company. They didn’t want to go for a conventional 9to5 job and wanted to think something out of the box. Natalia said it was right after they got married, they decided to develop a gaming company. The couple was very intrigued by the products of Apple which pushed them a bit further so they finally took the big decision.

Keith is a huge fan of Apple. So, when the company announced that they are entertaining outside developers who can develop apps for it, the two decided to give it a shot. But, since the couple was newly married, job security became a very huge factor. So, while Keith dedicated all his time to Imangi while Natalia continued her job to support the family.

The first game

Back in 2008, when Apple decided to give a chance to the outside developers, the couple saw it as a great opportunity. Thus, both of them designed their first game which is known as Imangi. It was a type of word puzzle and very soon it was released in the App store of the company.

Since the first game worked out just fine, they deiced to hire an additional member of the team. Kiril Tchangov, an artist joined Imangi, and together they continued building games for iPhone. Imangi’s first breakthrough was when the company released Harbor Master, a sea traffic game.

History and Success of Temple Run

After the sale of Harbor Master started reducing slowly, Imangi studios came up with Temple Run. The development of Temple Run was to experiment on different ways of controlling the characters in a three-dimensional perspective. Imangi’s previous game, Max Adventure created a problem for the touchscreen users to control it. So, this time they wanted to create something better which finally led to the designing of Temple Run.

After the couple was sorted with the movements of the main character, the next tough decision was coming up with a proper theme. Since the main character was only running, they decided to make a maze theme in a jungle environment. Keith also said that they drew inspiration for their game theme from the Great Wall of China.

This is how the team builds most of its games. First, they try to define the characters, and eventually, everything falls into place surrounding them. But, the hardest thing about developing a game is adding the fun element in it. Because there is no rulebook for creating anything fun or mystery about a game. So, that needs brainstorming and experimenting with by hit and trial method. What the audience might like or dislike is often the hardest yet most important question to be answered.

Before, releasing Temple Run in the market, the company has moderate expectations. But, they were surprised to witness the high demand and positive feedbacks. It was released in 2011, and by mid-2012, the game has more than 70 million downloads.

Hulu

Jason Kilar- Founder And CEO Of Hulu To Become The Next CEO Of Warnermedia

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The film industry has witnessed rapid growth for our love for entertainment. From the film studios to the movie theatres, from the orchestras to the operas, everything has bloomed over the past century. Every business has its ups and downs, but the annual revenue of the entertainment industry is rather hefty. Moreover, the pandemic has opened a huge slot of making money for the modern ways of entertainment, that is, the internet. The video streaming websites are having far more visitors during this lockdown than ever. Among these famous websites like Netflix and YouTube, Hulu has quite a remarkable journey. Founded in 2007, Hulu’s majority is owned by Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. Jason Kilar founded the company along with five other founding executives and he became the CEO of Hulu in late 2007. John Stankey, CEO of WarnerMedia announced that Jason Kilar will be replacing him as the new CEO effective 1st May 2020.

Early Life of Jason Kilar

Born in Pittsburgh, Jason went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989. He acquired a double major in journalism and business administration and later went to Harvard Business School. After completing his bachelor’s, Jason worked as an Analyst at The Walt Disney Company for two years. He graduated from Harvard in 1997.

Career Life

In 1997, he joined Amazon as Director of Retail and left the company in 2006 after his post as Senior Vice President. Next year, Jason founded Hulu and became the CEO of the company. He also co-founded Vessel and served as its CEO for four years. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Univision Communications Inc, Opendoor, Habitat for Humanity International, and Wealthfront Inc.

New Responsibilities

As a grave position of responsibility is passed to a person with lucrative former experience, both the company and the audience embark on a new journey. For the starters, Jason’s responsibility will start with launching the ad-supportive HBO Max and making it a hit. But, Jason has said he would prefer sitting at the backseat while praising the work of Bob Greenblatt, CEO of WarnerMedia Entertainment and Director to Consumer.

Given what are the consequences of the global pandemic, the timing to welcome the new CEO of WarnerMedia is a bit odd. Movie theatres are closed for over a month, the advertising market is collapsing and negativity is winding up. So, to lighten up the mood in the room, Jason will just order pizzas and drinks for the team members of the project. And, he will give the liberty to take decisions and support them for the commendable work they have done so far.

Leadership at Hulu

Jason had shown an immense sense of responsibility and leadership at Hulu which has brought him here today. It is believed that the main reason for Hulu’s success is its smooth user experience. Hulu always had an easy and clean user interface with less load of advertising. And, most users found it very appealing although many media partners criticized it.

Jason understands how the approach of a website can change the preference for the users. For years, he has been dealing with customers in this industry. So, he always prefers establishing a trustworthy relationship with the audience and listen to their feedback carefully. Because, at the end of the day, the company is selling its product to the global audience. So, if any new invention or changes are amended, it should be for their better experience.

Future Goals

Jason has also spoken of the future planning for the company. According to him, the world has started becoming a fan of VOD. In a population of approximately 7.5 billion, only 200 million users pay for video services. So, the platform for video streaming has only started gaining popularity, and it has to go way too far. Jason also plans to invest in the right technology.

For the time being, the industry has taken a pause and it will bounce back hard after the novel coronavirus crisis. He also says that a pandemic like this will bring changes in the mentality of the customers. So, they have to play accordingly as well. The consumer behavior will change in the next ten years which will bring significant changes to how WarnerMedia thinks today.

Tadao Kashio

Tadao Kashio’s Journey to start Casio Computer

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In the era of the 1970’s and ’80s, the only name that was in highlight for electronic devices was Casio. Scientific calculators, electronic musical instruments, digital watches, etc were majorly manufactured by this company. Even today, this is the most common name in the consumer electronics company. Almost 90% of engineering students use Casio calculators. And that’s how most of us know this name. Want to know more about the company and how it was founded? Read ahead to find out.

Casio Computer Co

Founded by Tadao Kashio in 1946, Casio Computer Co is a Japanese company that makes consumer electronics and commercial electronics products. It is currently headquartered in Shibuya, located in Tokyo (Japan). The products of this company include calculators, mobile phones, digital watches, music instruments. In 1957, this company introduced the world’s first entirely electric compact calculator. 

Founder Tadao Kashio 

Born in an ordinary family on November 26, 1917, Tadao had a rough childhood. He has seen the worst of the days in the early years of his life. But his condition did not hold him back from achieving academic excellence. Tadao was the best student in his class. He joined a company just after his school graduation, which recycled oil cans. Later he joined another company which used to make military medals for soldiers. He was working as a lathe operator and never failed to impress his managers with his skills. They encouraged him to take further education and asked him to take admission into Waseda’s worker’s school (Currently, Waseda University). He got a chance to enrich his professional knowledge there.

Later he took up a few jobs and demonstrated his excellence and continued to impress his managers. After getting experience in various fields, he started making pots, bicycle generator lamps, and pans. He gained a lot of popularity in his locality because of which he started getting some contracts for making various products.

 Starting own company 

In 1946, Japan was going through a major loss caused by world war II. After completing his graduation, Kashio started his own company to manufacture simple electrical relays. The company was called Kashio Seisakujo. It is commonly known as Casio in English speaking countries. He started this venture with his father, Shigeru, and three brothers – Kazuo, Toshio and Yukio. The first product of the company was the Yubiwa pipe which was a finger ringer to hold a cigarette. That product was celebrated by its users because it was giving comfort to them. During world war II, there was a lot of tension and stress in Japan and that’s why Cigarette usage increased, and the product went successful. 

Casio Computer

The first fully electrical product of the company was released in 1957, which was a compact electric calculator. His father was the president till 1960 and later Tadao became the president. With Tadao’s leadership, Casio became worldwide famous with products like digital watches cash registers liquid crystal display pocket televisions and other devices for business and private use. The company became a $2 billion-dollar global operation with thousands of employees worldwide.

In the 1980s, Casio’s affordable electronic instruments and its line of affordable home electronic musical keyboard instruments became very famous. With this, their wristwatches also got worldwide acceptance because they were one of the only digital and analog watches. Casio was the first company to manufacture watches that displayed timezones and temperature. Casio also made some contributions to the digital camera field.

Later Life                                

Tadao lived his entire life as the president of the company. In the history of Japan, he is one of the most celebrated industrialists because he founded that electric company when Japan was at the lowest point in the industrial area. His company emerged as a saviour. The boost in the Japanese economy was very evident.

Death

On 4th March 1993, Mr. Tadao died in Tokyo, Japan. The causes of his death were vague. The company was taken over by his brothers after his death. 

Bottom line

Casio is an outcome of tremendous efforts made by its founders even in the toughest time of their lives and countries. Currently, Casio sells ‘n’ types of calculators, watches, and other different products. The simple message from their story is, it is not the situation that determines your success, but your will power and hard work do.

Seiko

Seiko – Timeless business venture of Kintaro Hattori

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The leading Japanese firm Seiko is best to recognize for its optical products, electronic devices, and especially the variety of watches. In fact, the watches/clocks of Seiko had been used as official timekeepers in many intercontinental level sports events including Olympic. As well, the Grand Seiko watch is one of the most loved brands among watch lovers. This watch is considered a tough competitor of swiss watches, those rule the market over the decade. All the credit goes to Kintaro Hattori, a founder, and a top Japanese businessman who set up Seiko as a small shop with a vision to launch a Japanese watch in the market. However, the firm becomes a holding company since 2001.

About the company

 It is a famous Japanese firm that had been started as a watch and jewelry shop. Now, the firm also worked as electronics products manufacture that produces electronics devices, optical products, semiconductors, etc. However, Seiko’s main and long-time business is watching and clocks manufacturing and selling. The actual manufacturing of Seiko watches started in 1892. Before that, in 1881, the founder Hattori established a shop to sell watches and jewelry which later on converted into a company. As a matter of fact, the name of company Seiko is a Japanese word meaning success. As per the name, the soon firm achieved success and became one of the leading brands in the market.

The backstory of foundation

 A 13 years old Hattori saw a clock shop during his traineeship. That time, he got to know that the clock shop offers income in two ways. One way to get money by selling and the other way is to repair the watches. 

About founder- Kintaro Hattori

In 1881, at the time when Kintaro Hattori was 21 years old, he set up clocks repairing and selling shop in Tokyo. After a few years, he explores the business and established a factory named Seikosha. Sooner or later it is renamed as Seiko.

He was born in Kyobashi, Tokyo in 1860. During his teenage, he started working at sundries wholesaler as an intern. After that, Hattori worked at a clock shop where he learns the tactics to sell and also learned clock repairing. Kintaro successfully runs Seiko till his death in 1934. The Japanese pioneer who launched the Japanese wristwatch brand in competition with the famous Swiss died when he was 73.

Best of the Seiko

In 1960, the next and all-time popular model Grand Seiko was launched. It was the next version of one more famous watch Crown. 

Seiko is known for the quartz watch model called Astron. This model was introduced in 1969 which also became the first quartz watch on earth.

Thereafter, the company launched a quartz chronograph for the first time ever. Seiko didn’t stop here and further launched automatic quartz for the first time. 

After a huge success, the firm started a joint manufacturing unit with Orient and so established in 1985.

However, these all watch models were again launched in 1991 under the name Seiko kinetic.  

Official timekeeper

Seiko made in the list of best watchmakers with its one more achievement. It has been the official timekeeper in several international sports events. The FIFA World Cup, Olympics, and now signed an agreement with IAAF for being the official timekeeper in the next IAAF World Championships.

Bottom line 

A Japanese company Seiko is recognized for launching leading watch brands in the market. Especially, it is best known for the exclusively made wristwatches. Apart from manufacturing watches, the firm is also known as a one-stop solution for clock and watches. It means, Seiko produces all the parts of watches like rock crystal oscillators, sensors, LCDs. As well, one can get the lubricants needed for watches. 

Seiko is continuing its legacy, dedication, and perfection with its plus 130 years of innovation. It has become a name that is known to everyone and competing with the best in business. In 2001, , the firm becomes a holding company since 2001. The company has definitely come a long way from launching the basic product to the best one. We can definitely say that Seiko is a timeless business venture of K. Hattori. Something that you learn in life at earlier stage or later, always helps you to build big dream for yourself.

TDK CORPORATION

TDK CORPORATION- ONE OF THE LEADING ELECTRONIC COMPANIES IN JAPAN

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Many Japanese companies have transformed from small scale industries to business tycoons over time. The quality of work and employees, both are highly appreciable in Japan. Moreover, the country has made some exceptional developments and pushed its threshold over the past century. With electronics and telecommunication reaching higher potential, a Japanese company, TDK Corporation unleashed its true power.

The establishment of TDK Corporation took place back in 1935 in Shiba-Ku, Tokyo city. The company developed soon after Yogoro Kato and Takeshi Takei invented the magnetic material, Ferrite. So, TDK Corporation received the patent for producing the world’s first ferrite cores and that’s how the journey began. Currently, the TDK headquarters are based on Nihonbashi, Tokyo. And, the company’s main products are electronic components, power supplies, and sensors.

The Founding History of TDK Corporation

In 1930, the invention of the ferrous magnetic material, ferrite took place. And, after a few years, the launch of the company, Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo K. K. (Tokyo Electric Chemical Industry Co. Ltd) took place. The company received the patent of it and thus started the production of ferrite. The CRT tubes of television used the ferrite for deflection in yoke cores. Thus, the production increased and common people started buying televisions.

Expansion through the early 1900s

In 1937, Tokyo established the Kamata Plant as with the demand for colored movies, the demand for ferrite ores increased. After a couple of years, the Japanese Naval Institute of Technology expressed its interest in the product for use in marine radios. So, another plant was constructed in Hirasawa-Cho. In April 1945, the production came to a halt due to an accident in the Kamata plant.

And, when it restarted late in the same year, the company showed interest in the modern communication industry. In the late 1940s transistors came into the market and the production increased for IF transformer cores. In 1951, the company also started the production of ceramic capacitors. For the next few years, new types of capacitors were designed for some of the world’s new inventions. This led to the establishment of another plant for the company for producing hard disk drives.

Growth in the international market 

In 1961, the company was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the first time. The company made a breakthrough when it introduced “Synchro Cassette Tapes” in 1966. Everyone loves music and with this new product, TDK grabbed everyone’s attention. During this time, TDK expanded its business to the USA and established an office in New York. Also, in 1968 the world witnessed the development of TDK Taiwan Corporation followed by entering the European market in 1970.

For the next decade, many new products were launched including multilayer ceramic chip capacitors, switching power supplies, multilayer chip inductors, etc. With every new invention in the world, a product of TDK rolled out in the market. In 1982, the company got listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the next year the company’s name changed to TDK Corporation. Before the company rushed into a new century, it opened a subsidiary in China and acquired SAE Magnetics, a Hong Kong-based company.

The digital era

In 2000, the company acquired Headway Technologies, a company based in the United States. The company also acquired a polymer lithium battery manufacturing company, Amperex Technology in 2005. The same year, TDK also acquired the Lambda Power Division, a part of a London-based business. After a couple of years, Imation Corporation acquired the sales department of TDK brand recording media.

In 2008, the company acquired a German-based company, EPCOS. The next decade started with TDK implementing its Environmental Action 2020 Plan. In 2014, TDK stepped back from the recording media business. And, the first product of TDK, that is, ferrite was recognized as one of the top 100 innovations in Japan after the war.

2016 witnessed the acquisition of two companies, namely Micronas Semiconductor Holdings AG and Hutchinson Technology Inc. The company came into a joint venture with Qualcomm in 2017. Faraday Semi LLC is the latest acquisition of TDK Corporation. The company also has its museum which reopened in 2017 after renewal.

Future Plans

The company is currently focusing on automotive products and wants to decrease the sale of mobile phones. Shigenao Ishiguro, CEO, and President of TDK Corporation said that it is not very productive to invest in a product that has already reached a saturation point of innovation. The company is currently working on several automotive projects especially focusing on magnetic sensors.

Sharp

TOKUJI HAYAKAWA- A SUCCESSFUL JAPANESE BUSINESSMAN WHO FOUNDED SHARP CORPORATION

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We have heard many stories about big businessmen and how they achieved success. Though the path of success is never an easy one, few of us always have some privilege. And, it is truly an advantage to be a part of a financially affluent family and pursue your dreams. Because, the ones who are suffering from poverty, cannot dare dream big. But, many people have overcome the obstacles and harsh adversities of life. They are now successful and remembered as some of the inspiring personalities. Tokuji Hayakawa, a successful Japanese businessman started from nothing and built a masterpiece empire. He founded the company Sharp Corporation. But, before that, he invented a belt buckle that can be fastened without perforating and “Ever-Ready Sharp” mechanical pencil. This invention led to the establishment of his own company. And, currently, Sharp Corporation witnesses annual revenue of more than ¥2 trillion. He founded the company in 1912 in Japan. It now serves people worldwide.

Early life struggles

Born into a family in 1893 in Tokyo, Tokuji suffered from a great family crisis. Later, he came to know that an Ideno family adopted him. His family went through a tough time, and due to poverty, Tokuji was unable to complete his basic education. He left schooling when he was studying in the second standard. And, to meet the need of his family he started working for an ornament maker.

But, even if he was quenched with the sadness of not being able to go to school, he worked hard. Tokuji’s hardworking nature and sheer interest led him to learn new skills very quickly. And, with time he gained the trust of his master.

The invention of “Tokubijo”

In the 19th century, the demand for belts suddenly increased. Because, previously, it was only boys who used the belt for trousers. And, with the advent of new fashion styles, the craze for belts increased for both men and women. This caught Tokuji’s attention one day as he saw the belt of a film actor had come undone. This gave him the idea to invent a new kind of belt that can be fastened to any length.

After he came up with this new kind of belt, his master pushed him to launch a patent and the outcome was surprisingly good. The demand for this type of belt increased and he decided to go independent. Thus, in 1912 he opened his industry to carry out the production and started hiring laborers.

The business world

After he established his business in 1912, it came to know as Hayakawa Metal Works in 1924. In 1913, he received a patent of a water faucet which turned the future of his business. After a couple of years, he was able to come up with a prototype of a sharp mechanical pencil from which it got its name. Eventually, Tokuji expanded his business in the sphere of electronics manufacturing, televisions, calculators, home appliances, etc.

Sharp Corporation

The main products and technologies of the company include LCD panels, solar panels, mobile phones, air conditioners, CMOS and CCD sensors, flash memory, and many more. The company, for the first time, started producing televisions in 1953. In 1964, the company built the world’s first transistor calculator. The company’s name was changed to Sharp Corporation in 1970.

In 2000, the company’s mobile communication division launched the world’s first commercial camera phone. The company gained so much popularity that it stood as a strong competitor for Apple and Sony. In 2007, the company acquired a part of Pioneer Corporation and in 2009 they came into a joint venture.

After the company celebrated its 100th anniversary, it hit the biggest loss in its history. Due to this, the company was a force to cut jobs, and finally, it bounced back in 2014 making a net positive profit. In 2013, Samsung invested in Sharp Corporation. Currently, the company has responded to the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic. And, it will be producing surgical masks inside one of its TV factories.

Awards and Honors

Tokuji has been the recipient of many prestigious awards both from his homeland and abroad. He received the Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon in 1960 and Award from the City of Osaka in 1968. In the 1970s, Tokuji received Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star, Second Class, Okochi Production Award, Osaka Cultural Awards, and so on. He passed away at the age of eighty-six.