Meter-High Research Stacks Before Commitment

“I’m a great believer in solving hard problems by using a checklist. You need to get all the likely and unlikely answers before you; otherwise it’s easy to miss something important.”

“Part of the benefit of creating a checklist is the process of writing down your ideas. I have always loved the point Buffett made about the importance of making the effort to actually put your ideas in writing. In Buffett’s view, if you cannot write it down, you have not thought it through.”

“The next “Emotion” obviously refers to “information.” You shouldn’t be satisfied with just envisioning. Once you have a vision, you must thoroughly gather information to determine if that vision is truly correct. When exploring what business he should dedicate his life to as an entrepreneur, Masayoshi Son gathered over a meter of materials and researched it thoroughly for each of the forty business models and projects (see below). As a result, he discovered and confirmed the business model he wanted to pursue, and started the business with conviction.”

“Masayoshi Son, returning from studying in the U.S., immersed himself in thinking about what business to do in Japan at a private office near Ohashi Station on the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line (Minami-ku, Fukuoka City). He first thought he must decide “what job I will devote my life to.” Using this office as a base, Masayoshi Son met various people and thoroughly conducted market research. He read many books and went through various materials.”