Table of Contents
Accenture has strong connections with CXOs at major companies and is well-versed in their management agendas, leveraging these strengths to shape the future.
We spoke to Karasawa Hosho, Managing Director of the Strategy Group in the Business Consulting Division at Accenture, who has a strong track record of providing support in fields such as entertainment, media, telecommunications carriers, and high tech, about the yet-to-be-seen future of widespread technology.
May I ask you about your career path that led to where you are today?
Hosho Karasawa (hereinafter, Karasawa): For the past decade or so, I have focused on emerging technologies, putting effort into strategy planning and launching new businesses.
In the past, I have been working on cloud, IoT, and 5G, but recently I have also been working on spatial computing, AI, and generative AI. I started working on Web 3.0 and blockchain two or three years ago.
You are currently focusing on Web 3.0, but looking back at Accenture, what kind of services does it provide in general?
Karasawa: My main job is strategic consulting, so I often start by talking to CXOs of large companies and answering questions like, "What is Web 3.0?", "What impact will it have on the industry?", "How should your company approach it?", and "Why now?".
For companies that have further along in their consideration, we sometimes provide strategic-level support such as formulating business concepts and medium-term management plans, and for companies that have a strategy but haven't decided on service specifications, we sometimes create specific service designs.
We also sometimes work with other groups to actually create things, or take on the operation of systems and operations.
As we provide end-to-end support like this, we sometimes go a step further and consider starting a joint business with our customers.
When Web 3.0 emerged, I imagine that different know-how was required. What was your way to respond it?
Karasawa: First of all, I don't think that companies need to rethink everything from scratch just because it's Web 3.0.
For example, the importance of community management has been recognized again with Web 3.0, but it's not a particularly new concept.
Community-driven marketing has been a theme for a long time in consumer businesses.
For example, one global electronics company entrusts customer support to a community.
Each time a member provides support, their rank in the community increases, and when they reach a certain rank, they can be involved in the planning and development of new products for that company.
This is very Web 3.0-like, isn't it? But it's been going on for more than 10 years.
I think that Web 3.0 may create new needs that did not exist before, but I think that in the majority of cases it will solve existing needs and problems better.
In the end, we only see the technologies contained in Web 3.0 as one means, so we see XR and generative AI as things to be used in combination, not as competing forces.
Exactly 10 years ago, SMAC (social, mobile, analytics, cloud) was all the rage and was called the third platform and created a buzz, but now it has become a commonplace tool for companies to use, so I believe that Web 3.0 will also become like that in a few years.
As Accenture, what is your mission in the area of next-generation technologies such as Web 3.0, XR, AI, and generative AI?
Karasawa: Accenture's mission is to "realize an unseen future through technology and human ingenuity," and I think Web 3.0 is a better embodiment of this.
Currently, we are aiming to return services and data that are designed with companies in mind and siloed for users to a more human-centered and user-centered one. I think this is ultimately a re-emergence and enhancement of democracy.
Just take generative AI as an example, but technology will continue to develop at an exponential rate in the future. This is exactly what Ray Kurzweil once proposed as the "Law of Accelerating Returns."
The issue is the balance with humans, and how humans maintain sovereignty over technology will become increasingly important.
In addition, disparities in the real world will also widen, so I think we will be asked again how we exercise our sovereignty as people in this environment. I believe Web 3.0 also plays a role in enlightening people.
What other strengths does Accenture have besides its ability to provide end-to-end support for Web 3.0 business development and support?
Karasawa: First, let me add a little more about the value of a one-stop service. The important thing here is the reduction of multi-vendor interest adjustment and management costs.
If you split the work among multiple companies and request it, each company must first determine the detailed division of responsibility, which takes time to do and reach an agreement.
In addition, collaboration between multiple companies at different levels not only increases costs, but also requires effort from the management side. Furthermore, if a conflict of interest occurs, it may cause a troublesome situation for the management side, such as mediation.
In this field where speed and agility are important, it is fatal to still be adjusting interests even after technology and market trends have changed.
Therefore, a one-stop service is effective in terms of "speed," "agility," and "cost efficiency."
Another strength is that we have been facing technology for a long time. We are familiar with corporate IT and have many tech talents.
We have created a global pool of blockchain and AI engineers from a relatively early stage, and have strengthened our capabilities. Web 3.0 is still in its infancy, so it's important to plan and design with an understanding of the technology's characteristics and limitations, so that it doesn't end up being just pie in the sky.
On the other hand, when large companies get involved, they can't avoid linking and integrating with existing IT. Therefore, one of Accenture's advantages is our balanced understanding of both old and new technologies.
From your perspective, what do you think are the challenges facing Web 3.0 startups?
Karasawa: I think there are a few, but because the market is in its infancy, the tools necessary for development and the solutions for integration are not yet available, and it is often said that it is difficult to secure balanced engineering resources, including project managers and architects.
Even more challenging is how to resist the temptation to issue and list tokens. The good thing about tokenization is that the original value is realized by making the original value apparent and increasing liquidity, but on the other hand, the ease of issuance and high liquidity often lead to fundraising before product-market fit, which then leads to a crash in the token price.
Regardless of whether it is Web 3.0 or not, finding a market, engaging with users, and refining the product are essential to the success of a business, so I think it is important not to neglect to spend resources and time on this.
You've also lived in China and Singapore. How has your overseas experience helped you in business development in the Web 3.0 field?
Karasawa: Many Chinese companies and individuals are active in web3, so there are many times when my Chinese connections are useful.
I myself can speak Mandarin, and being able to communicate in the same context and way of thinking is a big advantage.
Next is Singapore. It is a country with few resources, but it has succeeded as an international city. This is the same as the ancient Roman Empire and Dubai today, and it is very instructive in terms of how to effectively incorporate external resources and compete on a global scale.
The environment in which companies are placed in the Web3.0 era is very similar to this. In an open environment where borders and corporate boundaries are melting away, I think it will be increasingly necessary to compete by continuously attracting global resources rather than by enclosure.
Finally, please tell us about your future prospects.
Karasawa: They say that history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme. I think Web 3.0 will also follow the hype cycle of technology.
I think we are now at the point of disillusionment, so I think that through the enlightenment period, the technology itself will become more scalable and eventually invisible.
In other words, I believe that it will penetrate into the services of large companies, and eventually become a part of our lives and become commonplace.
To achieve this, I think it is very important to connect technology with the management agendas and challenges that companies have, increase valuable use cases, and above all, increase collaboration across companies and industries.
While existing IT is SoR (System of Records) and SoE (System of Engagement), I believe that Web 3.0 is "SoC = System of Collaboration."
In order to regain a user-centric, human-centric approach, there is a limit to what one company can do alone, so multiple companies are required to work together to provide new value.
I truly believe that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Japanese companies to compete on the global stage again.
We often talk about the advantages of policies and content, but I think that Japanese companies are good at shared success through collaboration with other companies at the ideological level.
I believe that if we expand the scope of this to a global scale, we can remove the stigma of being a digital deficit country.
And I believe that promoting such collaboration is also our mission. Most of the global FORTUNE 500 companies are our clients.
We have strong connections with the CXOs of each company and are familiar with the management agenda, which is why we can connect companies. Rather than predicting the future and waiting, we would like to take action to shape the future while thinking about what changes can be brought about in the next 1-2 years.
Hosho Karasawa
Business Consulting Division
Strategy Group Managing Director
Specializing in new business development, he has a wealth of experience in supporting entertainment, media, telecommunications carriers, high tech, and other fields. He has experience launching multiple businesses, and has recently focused on business development and launch related to Web 3.0 and the metaverse. He has lived in China for 11 years and been stationed in Singapore for 3 years.
Interview Iolite FACE vol.10 David Schwartz, Hirata Roi PHOTO & INTERVIEW "Yukos" Special feature "Trends in the cryptocurrency industry in Japan", "Trump vs. Harris: What will happen to the cryptocurrency industry?", "Was the reputation economy a prophecy?" Interview: Simon Gerovich, Metaplanet Co., Ltd., Kim Dong-Gyu, CALIVERSE Series Tech and Future Sasaki Toshinao...etc.
