iU President Gachon . Mr.Hiroki Kimura

■iU President Gachon . Mr.Hiroki Kimura

President of MIXI. The creator of Monster Strike. Without compromising on the philosophy of MIXI, which is to connect people online, he has grown the company into a four-digit billion yen business and expanded its focus from games to sports. And he is studying at graduate school. That's amazing.

◆ Mixi

The company name will be changed from Mixi to MIXI. While retaining the importance of communication that the social network Mixi has cultivated, we will work to enrich communication in various fields, not just SNS. Mixi in lowercase has a strong image of a service brand, but MIXI in capital letters is a slightly larger concept.

What we are focusing on now

Sports business. I think sports has the most room for growth from both a business and social contribution perspective. By stimulating communication within sports, sports funds will be created. Business will also grow.

They are particularly focusing on sports betting. Sports are the subject of betting. In Japan, publicly-run sports such as horse racing and bicycle racing are growing. In the United States, betting on major sports has been legalized. It's all the rage.

Betting alone is no fun, betting with friends is fun. I'm obsessed with trying to create new sports funding while having fun with everyone.

◆School/Learning

I was a dropout. I didn't fit in at school. I didn't attend sports days or school festivals in junior high and high school. I couldn't fit in with the others. I felt uncomfortable. I didn't skip school and stay alone, I played with my friends. I wasn't a delinquent or an honor student. I dropped out of college. Even at college, I couldn't get used to the school environment.

Two years ago ( 2020 enrollment), I attended graduate school at Waseda University. I wanted to learn properly as an adult, so I took a sports-related course. I was finally able to experience learning in a classroom with other students, something that normally happens at university level, even though I'm over 40 now.

Due to COVID-19, many of my classes were online. It was easy to juggle my work as a CEO and my studies. I was also able to submit my papers online. Thanks to technology, it was easier to learn than ever before.

years old and I am learning properly. I am grateful to be able to learn as an adult. It was a very good experience. I studied hard.

◆Message for you guys

If you can find something you want to do or something you can be passionate about, you will win in life. I 'm over 40 now, and I'm passionate about running a company and creating services. Take your time and look for something you can be passionate about and like. You'll be lucky if you find it while you're young. Even if you can't find it easily, you might find it while you're working. Please keep looking.