Be a Flexible Leader not a Boss, like my Startup Founder Kazy Hata

Elaine Tung
Nov 8 · 4 min read

Recently I have read an article saying there are three common characteristics founded in Insurtech Startup Founders, which are insurance profession, technology expertise and entrepreneurial spirit. And I discover one more from my CEO, which is flexibility — work fast, think ahead, never put on airs.

Having such a flexible leader, justInCase team is getting bigger and stronger to create value via innovation which assures you a better life.

Follow him: https://medium.com/@kazy.hata

Here’s his story…

The needle in the haystack

Since early childhood Kazy was fascinated by the world of numbers and equations. A passion which had tremendous value in his high school but turned out not to be unique during his math studies at Kyoto University. Kazy’s entrepreneurial spirit made him want more. So, he promised himself not to rest until he would be at the top of his profession. His striving for excellence led him to the idea of applying his mathematical talent in the area of finance which lastly paved the way for his career in the insurance industry. After years of analyzing and experiencing the industry first hand he developed a hitherto overlooked disruptive approach to the insurance business.

Why not combine traditional insurance with state of the art technology? justInCase was born.

Insurance for the 21 first century, digitalized and affordable. But as every exceptional leader knows, a visionary mind needs to be settled in a balanced and disciplined body. For this reason, Kazy trains his physique on a daily basis, disconnecting his mind from daily worldly distractions, preparing it for facing more challenges.

This fierce passion for fitness and competitiveness has also found its way into our office. Spontaneous plank contests among employees? Just a normal day at justInCase.

Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a bold single step

3 years ago, Kazy had a fateful encounter. A young successful US-entrepreneur, 25 years of age, who had already founded three Startups, should change Kazy’s course of life. How could a man 10 years younger than him have achieved so much more? During this time of his life, Kazy was caged by the dreary bureaucratic structure of his employer. A man like him, a risk taker who values efficient, practical and creative thinking could not bloom in such a rigid company. His mind was set, he would not compromise his aspirations, his environment would have to change. Then his startup journey began, aiming to provide affordable insurance for everyone and create a better society.

The idea for smartphone insurance, justInCase’s first signature product, didn’t fall from the sky but from his hand. Millions of people each year break their smartphones due to small accidents. Where others saw a daily problem Kazy saw a market opportunity. He came up with a patented technology which offers premium discount for customers who treat their smartphones better. We only sell insurance that is yet to exist.

A Startup Leader is not born he is made

All beginnings are filled with hardship and obstacles. This law of nature is especially true for Startups. Being a Startup CEO is completely different from being CEO of a corporation. Tasks include for example recruitment, insurance license application and budget management. Tasks that normally require separate departments in a corporation were all handled by himself, who did not have any experience of the above. If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur you need two things more than anything else:

“The Startup always comes first. You think the beginning is tough? Trust me it’s the Warm-Up for the actual race. You have to have a thick skin in the Startup business and unyielding faith. Be ready that you will receive innumerable Nos from investors and potential partners. All these challenges make me grow and become stronger.”

Flat hierarchy & team diversity as the key to success

justInCase has always meant to be a place of innovative change. And this does include the working structure itself. Kazy believes in the power of the disruptive potential of the individual and work therefore in a flat hierarchy which gives all our employees the chance to make an influence to our work culture and products with their own ideas.

“I never thought about a specific work culture. This is a wrong approach in my opinion. A culture cannot be induced artificially, we are humans not robots. At justInCase we are authentic, we grow dynamically without limitations there are no mind locks. This is our strength.”

Only one thing was set in stone from the beginning. justInCase is a company for the rebellious, the misfits, the mavericks. A unique personality is of utmost importance if you want to facilitate innovative change. This also explains our diverse workforce. Different cultures and different paths of life result in new perspectives and ideas. Progress develops through conflict, debate and friction, while keeping respect for each of the team members. Our work environment is a melting pot for such intellectual cultural clashes.

*CLAP MY ARTICLE (UP TO 50 TIMES) TO ENCOURAGE ME TO KEEP WRITING*

Co-written by our intern, Jan Roth

Photos from https://coralcap.co/2019/10/justincase-office-visit/

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