Why Is Every Feature of Wasurenai Offered Free of Charge?

Q: First, could you give us an overview of the Wasurenai service?

Sato: In short, it’s a system for centrally managing IT assets within a company. It can manage both SaaS and hardware, but the primary focus is on SaaS.

It currently integrates with over 140 SaaS services, visualizing accounts and contracts held by user companies, helping eliminate oversights in IT management.

This contributes to reducing costs through unnecessary account deletion and prevents security risks like shadow IT. The main users are corporate IT departments.

(Shadow IT refers to IT devices, systems, or cloud services introduced by departments independently, without the knowledge of the IT division. This can lead to information leaks.)

Source:  https://lp.wasurenai.jp/

Q: So that was a major motivator in creating Wasurenai?

Kinjo: Exactly. I joined the project as PM after the direction had been somewhat defined.

Based on our CEO Tange’s desire to ease the burden on IT departments and insights from team members with actual IT operations experience, the service’s core was shaped.

An important aspect, beyond the features, is that all functions are offered entirely free of charge.

Q: Wait, Wasurenai is free?

Kinjo: Yes, that’s right. Driven by Tange’s strong conviction, we’ve made it completely free with no limitations.

Q: Even if you increase the number of managed accounts?

Kinjo: Yes. And while Wasurenai offers efficient IT asset management, it’s not a comprehensive solution for fundamental issues in operations.

For actual process improvement, we offer another service called “Jousys Concierge.”

Wasurenai is a tool for visualizing the current state and facilitating smooth management—so for now, we’re offering it entirely free of charge.

(For more information about the IT Concierge, please refer to this article.)

(For more on Jousys Concierge, please refer to this article: “A Unique Support Service Born from Firsthand Experience: Jousys Concierge.”)

Turning “Lack of Knowledge” into an Advantage for UI/UX

Q: Can you explain your roles within the Wasurenai project? Mr. Kinjo is a PM, but what about Mr. Sato and Mr. Fuchigami?

Sato: I’m also a PM. Mr. Kinjo manages the project overall, while I’m closer to the front lines—handling development management and creating operational systems.

I joined the project around June 2023, right before the service launch.

Fuchigami: I joined as a design director around November 2023, after the initial release. I now handle a wide range of tasks, including UI/UX proposals, design direction, and hands-on design work.

Q: You all joined at different times. What challenges did you face improving the product?

Kinjo: I joined around the alpha version stage, when requirements and specs weren’t yet finalized. We weren’t yet delivering what users truly needed.

Although development was outsourced to a group company, there were gaps in understanding user-centric features. I started by refining how we communicated specifications.

Sato: When I joined, Mr. Kinjo was handling everything alone. We needed to grow the team and build a better environment. I focused on that groundwork.

Fuchigami: My biggest challenge was not understanding IT department operations. I had no prior experience, so I had to learn what pain points our users had.

I leveraged user feedback from account managers and used my “lack of knowledge” to my advantage—designing intuitive UI/UX even for those unfamiliar with IT ops.

I also handle a wide variety of tasks, like landing page (LP) design, copywriting, and building simulation features.

Source: https://lp.wasurenai.jp/

Q: You’re also in charge of that?

Fuchigami: When I joined, the LP was very basic. I proposed improvements to support future feature expansions and sales efforts.

I created content that would highlight hidden pain points for potential clients, developing the concept and logic with support from other members.

DAAE’s Defining Traits: Speed and Flexibility

Q: What aspects of the project feel distinctly “DAAE” to you?

Kinjo: Definitely the speed and flexibility.

Unlike a typical waterfall-style project, we can flexibly add features like “Wouldn’t this be cool to implement?”—if it’s high priority, we move fast.

Sato: It feels like a small group turning things over quickly. Our core product team is just three people (me, Kinjo, and one other).

There are four in testing and about three assisting with tasks. We operate with agility.

Q: With that kind of rapid implementation, is there any risk of optimizing certain parts of the system at the expense of overall optimization?

Kinjo: That’s a good point. Right now, the product still lacks many functions, so overall optimization isn’t at risk yet. But we remain aware of that risk.

We have other SHIFT members give neutral feedback to ensure we maintain balance.

Q: Mr. Fuchigami, what feels most “DAAE” to you?

Fuchigami: Prioritizing speed over perfection. By “not seeking 100%,” I mean we aim for functionality that works, even if it’s minimal at first.

In order to help create one of the key pillars of SHIFT’s revenue, we focus on implementing and improving as fast as possible. It’s been a valuable and enjoyable learning experience for me.

Building a More Efficient Operational Framework

Q: Lastly, what are your future goals for Wasurenai?

Fuchigami: We want to gradually improve it and grow our user base by encouraging more companies to adopt it.

I hope to leverage my expertise in branding and marketing to support the product’s growth.

Sato: The features are steadily improving, but we still lag behind competitors in system integration. We plan to strengthen that area.

Also, as operations are becoming more efficient, we’ll create better systems for collaborating with teams outside our own.

Kinjo: We’re expanding SaaS integration and making good progress. Next, we’ll focus on integrating with MDMs and EDRs for hardware management.

We’ve also heard requests for network management functions, so we’ll work on those mid- to long-term—ultimately aiming to establish Wasurenai as a new pillar of revenue for SHIFT.

(*The content of this article and the affiliations of the interviewees are as of the time of the interview.)