What I Learned After 1 Year as a Software Engineer in a Tokyo Startup

Hello folks 👋 Let’s talk about something work-related this Wednesday.

I’ve been working at a startup in Tokyo for almost a year now. During this time, I’ve delivered quite a lot: a mini-app, a human-settlement marker and mapper, a marketplace, and more. I’ve suffered through tight deadlines, long hours, countless meetings, and constantly changing requirements.

Here are 5 things I’ve learned that help you survive startup life:

1. Balance meeting time with “lock-in” time
I’m not 100% against meetings—but let’s be honest: some meetings are a waste of time. Especially if:

• You’re not speaking
• Less than 20% of the agenda applies to you

In that case, speak up and ask if you can skip it. Most startups use AI note-taking tools now, so you can always catch the recap later.

You only get 8 hours a day—if you spend 3–4 in meetings, who suffers? You. Until you're in a management role, your time is better spent building.

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2. You’re working solo—so either follow someone’s pace or set your own
In my case, there are only two engineers—me and another teammate—and we’re on completely different projects. Some say, “Why not do pair programming?” But when you’re working on unrelated domains, pair programming isn’t realistic. You don’t know the context, the timeline, or even the requirements.

So instead of waiting for someone to hand you feedback or direction:

• Do your own research
• Study how other companies build similar things
• Make mockups or prototypes
• Use AI to review your code and give you suggestions on performance, security, and best practices

The more you prepare, the less dependent you are on others.

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3. Don’t over-plan—delivery is more important
Planning is important, yes. But in startups, plans change. Requirements shift. Meetings spawn new features that weren’t even on the roadmap yesterday.

So instead of spending 70% of your time making a “perfect plan,”
→ Build what you know won’t change
→ Deliver fast
→ Get feedback early

Momentum > overdesign.

4. If you're the PIC (person in charge), debrief your team immediately
Let’s say you joined a meeting with the PM, CTO, or senior stakeholders, and you're leading the project. After the meeting, don’t delay—spend 15 minutes debriefing your team.

Why?
You represent them. If the project fails, it reflects on the whole team. The faster you sync, the more ownership your teammates can take. My ex-senior once told me:

“If it involves others, make it your first priority to align.”

That still sticks with me.

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5. You won’t always get credit from the company—but always give yourself credit
Sometimes you put in 120% effort. All you get in return is a “thanks.” (In Hong Kong I’d at least get a drink 😅)

Let’s be real:

• In demo meetings, people don’t always know who did what
• When your senior presents the project, the credit might go to them
• They might even get the bonus or promotion

But here's what matters:
You did the research.
You wrote the code.
You made the architecture decisions.

Even if no one sees it, you learned. You grew. You sharpened your instincts and built your muscle memory—and that is what truly lasts.

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Startup life can look messy and chaotic from the outside. Sometimes it even has a bad reputation. But if you fix your mindset and become a proactive problem solver, you’ll realize:
💡 The more dirt you dig into, the more potential you uncover.

If you found this post helpful, feel free to follow—I'll keep sharing stories from the trenches.
And hey, do you have any lessons from startup life? I’d love to hear them 👀👇