This Week in Startups — “Secrets of Startup Recruiting in the US AND Japan!” (feat. Sho Takei) | E2233

Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Jason Calacanis
Guest: Sho Takei, CEO & Co-founder of Hire (Hiresearch.com)

Episode Overview

Jason Calacanis hosts a dynamic live episode from Tokyo, featuring Sho Takei, the CEO and co-founder of Hire, a data-driven recruiting startup. Against the backdrop of Founder University’s Tokyo program, Jason and Sho dissect the distinct challenges, strategies, and cultural nuances of startup recruiting in Japan compared to the US. The conversation dives into global talent trends, the impact of remote work, stock-based compensation, firing practices, the rise of AI in hiring, and highly actionable, “how-to” advice for founders on building their core teams.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Cross-Cultural Recruitment Landscape: US vs. Japan

Japan’s Cautious, Candidate-Driven Market

• Japanese candidates are generally risk-averse and have a strong focus on stability and risk management, differing from the US’ opportunity-seeking mindset.
  • Sho (04:50): “Japan is quite a candidate-driven market. Very passive. Candidates here are more about risk management, whereas in the US, it's all about growth and opportunity cost.”

Stock-Based Compensation

• Stock options are a newer, still-evolving concept in Japan. Early companies like Uber catalyzed this trend, but skepticism remains due to past foreign startups exiting the market quickly.
  • Sho (05:37): “Uber was really one of the first companies in Japan to offer stock, and that was a generational moment—but most people still want cash for stability.”
• Big IPOs—like Uber's—pushed interest in stock options but didn’t flip cultural norms overnight.

Foreigners in Japan & Tax Implications

• Talent relocating to Japan is driven by lifestyle, but taxes are less favorable than in low-tax hubs like Dubai or Singapore (08:12).
  • Jason: “That’s a competitive advantage for the Dubais of the world... But then you also have to live in Dubai, which, for some, could make Japan more attractive culturally.”

2. Remote Work & Return-to-Office Dynamics

• Remote work exploded post-pandemic, changing expectations permanently—talent now often demands either full remote or limited office days.
  • Sho (09:09): “Remote has changed everything. Now everyone’s like, ‘I only want to go to the office twice a week.’”
• Startups, especially at the earliest stages, benefit from a strong in-office culture for speed, alignment, and hustle.
  • Sho (10:19): “If I could, I’d have everyday office culture, especially in our stage, because we want to hustle, we want to be aligned.”

Memorable Advice

• Jason (10:28): “You can work from home if you’re in the top 25% of the company ... Performance went up.”

3. Regulatory, Funding & Market Entry Considerations

• Japan’s regulatory environment is more stringent—staffing agencies require official licenses and 5 million yen in the bank (11:26).
• Tactics for entering Japan: Understand cultural fit, regulatory barriers, and build trust, especially for US firms entering Japan (14:57).

4. What Works (and Doesn’t) from US Playbooks in Japan

• US startup practices, like intensive analytical interview exercises, can feel overbearing or even insulting to Japanese candidates.
  • Sho (15:46): “The Uber interview process in the West had complex exercises. In Japan, candidates would say, ‘Why are you testing me?’—it’s a red flag for them.”
• These intense processes helped filter for “startup mentality” but also screened out culturally misaligned talent.

The “Super Pumped” Philosophy — Assessing Drive

• Travis Kalanick’s standard: prioritize recruiting equally with operations, and filter for high drive (the “super pumped” ethos).
  • Sho (17:44): “Travis prioritized recruiting. ... He spent time with us recruiters weekly—recruiting became fun.”
  • On “super pumped” testing: “Ask them—do you ride Uber? Share promo codes? The real ones gush about it. Passion isn’t always about extroversion.” (18:57)

5. Firing & Probation: Japan’s Unique Challenge

• Letting people go is much harder in Japan; thus, companies are extra cautious hiring here.
  • Sho (20:19): “Firing is a lot easier in the West than Japan.”
• Tactics include moving employees to “new verticals” which are then shut down, or hiring as contractors to try before committing (20:55, 21:59).

6. The First Hires, Building Trust & Culture

• The earliest hires—beyond co-founders—should ideally come through trusted referrals; trust trumps even high competence.
  • Sho (23:59): “Hiring is guessing and firing is knowing. ... You want someone you can trust, maybe from a friend of a friend.”
  • On founder’s agreements: “It’s like getting married—define roles, expectations, vesting schedule.” (25:51)

7. AI’s Impact on Recruiting

AI For Writing Job Descriptions & Screening

• Nearly everyone is using LLMs like ChatGPT for job descriptions; AI-based screening is on the rise (29:20).
  • Jason: “The job descriptions coming out of AI are better than anything you could write... Sorting through applications is the next trend.”

Sho’s Internal AI Recruiting Tech

• Hire’s system uses AI to automate note-taking, candidate scoring, and matching across jobs—making recruiters “10x” more efficient.
  • Sho (31:07): “We built a system where as soon as you finish an interview, it links to candidate profiles, finds similar matches, and suggests companies for them—just 10x recruiting.”

Human Touch Still Critical

• AI will not fully replace recruiters for high-impact roles; candidate experience and influence matter.
  • Sho (32:44): “At the end of the day, nobody wants to talk to a robot and join a company.”

On AI Interviews

• Good only for high-volume, transactional hiring (e.g., factories), not for core startup roles (33:28).

8. Convincing Passive, High-Value Talent to Move

• The top tier of talent isn’t on the job market; getting them requires referrals, deep understanding of their motivations, and often significant comp bumps.

  • Sho (34:04): “To convince someone not looking, you need to really roll out the red carpet—1%+ equity, big comp, solve their problems.”
  • On executive offers: “A tech exec here moves for a million US comp—an 80% jump sometimes. Or, pay for their housing, kids’ tuition, whatever’s needed.” (37:28, 38:02)

• Creative example: Hollywood negotiation that solved a director’s driveway problem to win a contract (38:21).

9. Founder “Salesmanship” in Recruiting

• Founders themselves should spend serious time selling the company vision directly to candidates, especially passive or high-value ones.
  • Sho (45:01): “Founders should spend at least 60 minutes selling the company—the candidate wants to hear from the founder.”
  • “Don’t grill candidates too early—get them excited first.”

Candidate Experience

• Responsive, thoughtful recruitment builds reputation and conversion; slow or impersonal processes drive great candidates away (46:31).

10. Tactical “Travis” Anecdotes

• Global recruiting “happy hours”: Travis Kalanick would do city tours, host private happy hours, meet top candidates, and personally sell the vision.
  • Sho (47:12): “He’d invite the best candidates, do a 30-60 min happy hour, sell the vision, then people would apply after.”

11. Founder Life—Work, Family, and Modeling Resilience

• Sho reflects on balancing intensity as an entrepreneur with family life, recognizing that time—not just hustle—is the most valuable investment (49:40).
  • Jason: “It’s the quality of time, not just the quantity. When your kids see you work hard and spend present time with them, you’re modeling what’s needed for their future—especially in the age of AI.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sho (05:37): “If you’re trying to work for a startup [in Japan] now, it’s expected to get stock—but people still want cash.”
• Sho (10:19): “If I could, I’d like to have everyday office culture, especially in our stage—just starting, we want to hustle, be aligned.”
• Jason (10:28): “You can work from home if you’re in the top 25% of the company ... Performance went up.”
• Sho (17:44): “Travis actually prioritized recruiting. ... He’d spend an hour every week with recruiting.”
• Sho (18:57): “If you’re a salesperson, you’re extroverted, engineer maybe not—but to be ‘super pumped,’ you need to love the mission, know the company, be proactive.”
• Sho (31:07): “Our system goes ... okay, here are other candidates you could match; here are other companies for this candidate. It makes us 10x recruiters.”
• Sho (34:04): “To really convince someone to leave, you have to understand them—sometimes, offer 1% equity or pay for their children’s tuition. Everyone has a price.”
• Sho (45:01): “Spend a 60-minute call selling your company. Passive candidates become active when you do that.”
• Sho (47:12): (On Travis’ recruiting) “He’d host a happy hour, invite the best candidates, show up, sell the vision, then people would apply.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:50 — Cultural risk aversion in Japanese hiring
• 05:37 – 06:49 — Stock options: then and now in Japan
• 09:07 – 10:25 — Remote work trends; return-to-office advantages
• 11:26 — Regulatory requirements for starting a recruiting company in Japan
• 14:57 – 16:48 — US playbooks vs. Japan: Uber’s interview process reaction
• 17:44 — Travis Kalanick’s unique focus on recruiting
• 20:19 – 21:45 — Firing and contract tactics in Japanese labor market
• 23:59 – 25:23 — First hires: referral importance & trust-building
• 31:07 — AI recruiting tools developed by Hire
• 34:04 – 38:13 — Tactics for shaking loose top passive talent
• 45:01 – 46:31 — The founder’s role in recruiting & closing
• 47:12 — Travis’ recruiting happy hours & personal pitch strategy

Conclusion

This episode delivers deep, tactical wisdom for founders hiring in Japan and globally, blending hard truths about local labor culture with actionable startup lessons. Sho Takei’s journey from Uber and Cloud Kitchens to starting Hire grounds the discussion in real operator insight, while Jason’s probing and founder-centric mindset keep the conversation practical and high-energy. If you’re looking to build a team, enter Japan, or learn how the world’s best think about recruiting in 2026, this is your must-listen playbook.

For more or to connect with Sho Takei and his team:
Hiresearch.com (H-Y-R-E search dot com)

Next steps:

• Work harder. Invest in trust. Leverage AI thoughtfully, but always keep the candidate experience at the center.