jclune

A high tech incumbent with a monopoly doesn't scream opportunity to me. This startup is brave AF, but definitely 8/10 from the TPU team have the best shot of anybody.

Where do I apply?

Sorry to comment on a super dead post, but I like this comment "unless they radically alter the economics associated with the overhead costs required to maintain quality." That is my focus, but it's really challenging. The margin is comfortably high in Japan, but ignoring quality kills retention and maintaining quality brings overhead costs back up to the level of existing franchise-model businesses.

I run a company similar to HomeJoy in Japan, and I disagree with most comments here.

1. Those who claim cleaning is not a "skilled job" should get off their keyboard, spend a day cleaning their moms house, and get back to me when they learn they are 3X slower than a pro and destroyed something with bleach-based spray.

2. It feels like nobody here actually read Adora Cheung's quotes about multiple lawsuits coinciding with investment timing. That is obviously the reason they shut the doors.

3. Those who claim flaws in matching business model are to blame are making non-quantitative assumptions. Just ask yourself, how high of a percentage of users sharing direct phone # would cause a growing company to collapse? Also the supply side risks losing stable income or insurance coverage.

I do quite a number of things much differently than HomeJoy, and quality control being a major one. There are certainly a lot of challenges and operational complexity to keep my team innovating. Japan has the highest customer service standard in the world (and hardest to satisfy customers), which is great for building a more solid foundation. If any hackers are leaving HomeJoy and want to move to Tokyo, I'm hiring!