From TIMEWELL
This is Hamamoto from TIMEWELL Inc.
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Have You Ever Hit a Wall in AI-Driven Business Development?
Have you ever hit a wall in AI-driven business development? Whether it was vague requirements definition causing costs to balloon, or interactions with generative AI that refused to go the way you intended — many entrepreneurs run into the same obstacles. So how do you adapt to AI-age business development? What Hamamoto describes is a concrete approach to business design using the Lean Canvas, combined with a new method for fully leveraging generative AI as a "sparring partner." Validated with the 130+ participants of the WARP program, this practical methodology — providing end-to-end support from refining requirements definition through prototype development to regional deployment — will reliably turn your business idea into reality.
Affiliation: TIMEWELL Inc., Co-founder and Representative Director/CEO
ONE JAPAN Large Enterprise Challenger Support Program CHANGE Lead
Profile: Originally from Okayama Prefecture
Originally from Okayama Prefecture. In April 2020, founded ONE X, a general incorporated association, and assumed the role of co-representative director. Subsequently promoted regional support in Shiojiri City, Ota Ward, and other areas. Two consecutive years of Work Story Award W recognition; winner of the Freelance Partnership Award 2023 Grand Prize.
In November 2022, founded TIMEWELL Inc. Operating under the vision of creating the world's No. 1 challenge infrastructure through the power of technology and community, he drives new business development support and the development of the autonomous AI agent "ZEROCK." He has given more than 100 lectures on generative AI and is also engaged in advancing AI-driven development. The company's program "SHIFT" has received Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry certification, and the program "WARP" was adopted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government SUTEAM program. Winner of the Yokohama Business Grand Prix 2024 Excellence Award. Selected for Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry J-StarX, SMRJ FASTAR, and Kanagawa Prefecture KSAP.
Lecturer
- Lean Canvas-Based Business Design
- Using Generative AI as a Sparring Partner
- The Importance of Requirements Definition
- Key Considerations in Implementation
- Comprehensive Support Menu
- Harnessing the Power of Community
- Summary
Lean Canvas-Based Business Design
The WARP program run by TIMEWELL Inc. is a program supporting business creation through AI-driven development. Across the first through third cohorts combined, it has already grown into a community of around 130 people.
The greatest feature of this program is its practical curriculum combining a business course and an engineering course. The business course consists of three 1-hour sessions, and the engineering course consists of five 2-hour sessions — providing end-to-end support from refining business ideas through actual application development.
In the first session, we begin with creating a Lean Canvas. I ask participants to start by specifically defining their target users. Not a vague setting like "local government" — but which department, and what mission does that person carry? If it's a corporate user, is it the DX promotion division? The sales department? R&D? Clearly defining the initial target you want to approach is critical.
Next, We Dig Deep into the Specific Challenges That Target Faces
Next, we dig deep into the specific challenges that target faces. It's important to dig not just into the surface-level problem but all the way down to the root causes lurking beneath. I often use Toyota's "Five Whys" as an example: by digging from effect down to cause, you can build a service that hits a more critical pain point.
The severity of the challenge is also an important consideration. Even a non-severe problem can become a business. Facebook, for example, is not solving a severe problem, but it became a massive business by solving small problems that many people have. On the other hand, if you can hit a deeper pain point, early monetization and commercialization become more clearly defined.
What I want to emphasize is the active use of generative AI such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini in this workshop. When you think alone, you can hit dead ends — but when you work through problems in consultation with generative AI, it turns out to be a surprisingly intelligent conversation partner.
For Example, in Competitive Analysis
For example, in competitive analysis: "I'm thinking about this kind of service — are there similar services globally?" If the answer is that there are similar services in Israel or the United States but not in Japan, there may be an opportunity to compete on a time-machine basis.
Generative AI is also extremely useful when thinking through channel strategy. Instruct it to "list 10 to 20 sales channels worth considering for this business" and then select the most efficient from the options. This kind of use allows you to find effective ways to reach customers while keeping marketing costs down.
What I want to emphasize above all else is the importance of requirements definition. Anyone who has done AI-driven development knows how badly things can go when the requirements definition is off. One characteristic of AI is that its accuracy tends to decline the longer the back-and-forth continues. Locking down the initial fundamentals through solid requirements definition is the key to success.
That is precisely why the program is designed to move to the engineering course only after the business course has given the business shape a certain degree of definition. We proceed in stages: from requirements definition through environment setup, prototype implementation, and completion of a working application.
In the engineering course, we start by building the development environment using tools like GitHub. We place strong emphasis on what we call "accident-free development." It's common to get stuck when a connection fails and not be able to get out. Security holes are another important consideration. Managing token costs is also a challenge when developing with AI: if you happen to have one extremely heavy user even when customer numbers are small, you can incur unexpected costs. Clearly separating fixed costs from variable costs and understanding them thoroughly improves the sustainability of the business.
A Program Where You Can Receive Comprehensive Support at No Cost
One feature of our program is the comprehensive support available at no cost. WARP program graduates have access, through Tokyo Metropolitan Government support, to a rich set of options: company registration support, partial support for application environment costs, regional dispatch support, and collaboration support. Regional dispatch and collaboration support slots are also available — first come, first served. If you want to test your service against actual customers but lack travel funds, this program can help with that too.
This program also places great importance on interaction among participants. As it is fundamentally aimed at those considering entrepreneurship, participants come from a wide range of backgrounds — employees at large corporations, startup founders, and students. Stripping away titles, polishing each other's services together, and sometimes making customer introductions: the power of this community accelerates individual business growth.
Our goal is to ensure that even those who have never done AI-driven development can reach at least the pre-production stage. Some might think "I just want to build an app to develop skills" — but if you're going to build something, build something good.
The Principle I Value Most: "Text Is King"
Finally, the principle I value most is "text is king." Verbalize your own ideas and thinking in text and preserve them — specifically. All of this becomes an asset and the material for requirements definition. Don't slip into mental autopilot: use the powerful sparring partner that is generative AI to reliably turn your business ideas into reality. That is the mission of the WARP program.
What I have validated through the WARP program with more than 130 participants is the formula for success in AI-driven development. It consists of three elements: "precise requirements definition," "dialogic thinking with generative AI," and "mutual community support."
Most important of all is using generative AI not merely as a tool but as a sparring partner for deepening thinking. Through dialogue with generative AI across every scene — competitive analysis, channel strategy, pricing considerations — you can dig your business idea to depths that would be unreachable alone.
Requirements Definition: The Single Most Critical Factor in AI-Driven Development
Requirements definition is also the single most critical factor determining the success or failure of AI-driven development. Proceeding with development under vague requirements leads to situations from which there is no going back. That is precisely why using the Lean Canvas to identify the essence of the challenge, clarify the value provided, and solidify the business model before moving into development is indispensable.
And the power of community — participants from different backgrounds stripping away their titles and interacting with each other, polishing each other's services together. This is the driving force that accelerates individual business growth.
In the AI era, technology alone is not enough — and business acumen alone is not enough. Integrating both, making generative AI your ally, and growing together with your peers: this approach is the key to reliably turning your business idea into reality and warping it to the next dimension.
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