Paul: Lee Jean is a Kamakura-based entrepreneur and host of the Produck Podcast, where he dives into the world of product management and startups in Japan.
Lee and I spoke about overcoming challenges as a child in foster care in his native US, his early career in management and recruiting, living and working in Australia and Vietnam, his move to Japan in 2024, entrepreneurship, supporting the local startup scene, and much more.
Hi Lee. Thanks for joining me today. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your early life?
Lee: I come from very humble beginnings. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. My mother was a chef, father a mechanic. My mother got super sick when I was just 5 years old and was in and out of the hospital for my whole childhood. My dad worked long hours and wouldn’t come home until late at night, so from a young age, I was given the responsibility of taking care of my brother and sister. When I was 13, my mom was put back in the hospital, and one thing led to another and my 3 siblings and I were actually put into foster care.
While in foster care, I lost my mother the day after my 16th birthday. My sister was forced to leave the home we were in, so it was just my brother and I. We then got moved a few more times before finally settling at our final foster home. This is where we were finally given a chance to have a normal life.
My foster mother, Linda, helped me become the man I am today. I was an angry, awkward, introverted teenager who didn’t trust anyone. I remember very clearly telling Linda, “When I’m 18, I’m going to move out of here on my own.” Linda came into my life at the perfect time. She showed me nothing but love, something I was desperately missing ever since my mom passed. She helped teach me responsibility by giving me chores to do around the house. At my previous foster home, my foster parent was withholding social security checks that we were supposed to get for my mother’s death. Linda made sure we got that support to buy clothes and other things for school. She helped me prepare for university, including helping me connect with the right state officials to apply for a scholarship. I got the scholarship and was able to get into UMass Amherst.
Statistically, less than 3% of foster children actually graduate with a 4 year degree and they’re also 4 times more likely to commit suicide. Needless to say, I feel very lucky to have been placed at Linda’s home.
Those are some shocking statistics. Sounds like you were very lucky indeed to be placed with Linda.
From the University of Massachusetts Amherst you graduated with a BA in business administration in 2011. What were your career interests at that time?
I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship. In fact, I actually took an entrepreneurship class while studying there. However, I figured since my degree was in management, I would seek out management jobs.
Once I graduated, I knew that I wanted to move away from Boston to somewhere warmer. South Florida was always on my mind ever since I watched the movie Miami Vice. So, I applied to Enterprise Rent-a-Car’s management trainee program and got an interview. I actually had to fly down twice to meet the area manager and regional manager in person.
Once I got the job, I bought a nice big car, a Ford Crown Victoria, you know, one of those cop cars, packed all my stuff and moved down to Florida by myself. I had no friends or family down there at the time, so it was definitely a leap of faith. However, it proved to be one of the best decisions I ever made. It helped me learn lots of the social skills I have today.
After some time at Enterprise you ended up in the world of recruitment, before looking overseas. Talk us through that.
I did the management trainee program for about 2.5 years. Got promoted to Assistant Manager and was in charge of operations at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. I was then moved out to the suburbs. I just got sick and tired of cleaning cars in a shirt and tie and selling people insurance that they didn’t need or want, so I decided to look for other managerial roles.
In college, I had a part time job as a valet and really liked driving cars, so I figured why not look for a managerial role in that field. I got a job as an assistant manager at a hotel running the valet operations there. I worked there for about a year and figured out very quickly that there wasn’t much career progression in the valet parking industry. So, I actually started applying to English teaching positions abroad. I had a few interviews, but something was holding me back, I can’t remember what it was. Maybe I was nervous about going, I don’t remember, but what I do remember is applying to Robert Half, one of the largest global recruiting firms. I had actually accepted a position to teach in China, but had to back out of it because I got hired at Robert Half as a recruiter.
At the time, I knew nothing about recruitment or the tech industry, but they were impressed with my background at Enterprise because they knew how hard their training program was. After a short onboarding period, I was thrown into the fire and got on the phones.
We had dial sheets where we had to make 100 dials each day. The team there was really cool and laid back, but over time it started to get more and more cut throat. The recruitment industry is all about numbers, and if you don’t meet those numbers, then you’re out.
After about two years of working there, I had had enough of the corporate grind and was seeking ways to get out. I was following a lot of travel Vloggers on Instagram and Snapchat who were around my age, but living the life I dreamt of living. I figured, if they could do it, then so could I! So, I made a goal to apply for the working holiday visa in Australia. If I got it, I would go. If I didn’t, I would just continue working as a recruiter. I’ll never forget the day I got the email saying I was approved for the visa. It was like the universe was telling me to follow my dreams.
From that day forward, I promised myself that I would make it happen. I worked 7 days a week (part time valet, part time driving for Uber, full time recruitment) and saved every single penny. I completely downsized my life. I sold everything I had, got into a cheaper apartment, and eventually sold my car. I was able to save a little over $10,000 in 3 months time to give myself enough runway to afford my trip abroad. Never had I ever had so much focused attention and motivation and determination than I did at that time. Finally, on December 15th, 2015, I left the US and haven’t been back to live there since! I travelled for about a month before finally landing in Australia on my birthday, January 12th, 2016.
What was your experience of Australia?
I had always wanted to travel and live abroad. When I was younger, my brother and I always dreamt of moving to Japan and drifting cars on the touge (mountain roads; 峠, tōge) and other racing circuits here. I’ve always been a geek when it comes to geography as well, so exploring what the rest of the world has to offer has always been a part of me.
When I got to Australia, I didn’t expect that I would be working in recruitment there as well. I thought I would have to get a job in a cafe or something like every other working holiday goer does when they go there. But, I got super lucky and found a boutique recruitment firm run by a husband and wife that agreed to hire me.
They were both young, successful entrepreneurs from the UK who hired me as their first employee. It was a lot of fun working for them. I learned so much about the recruitment industry in Australia as well as the startup/tech scene. I was paid a much higher commission than in the US and it motivated me more. I really enjoyed working for a much smaller company because there wasn’t as much BS in terms of office politics and such. They became really good friends and we still stay in touch to this day.
On the working holiday visa, you’re only allowed to work for one company for 6 months at a time, so I was forced to find another position. Luckily, they had some friends at another recruitment firm, so they helped me get a job over there. The team was a bit bigger, but still it was a fairly new firm as well. I got to be a part of a really dynamic team, free from office politics, drama, and gossip that comes with working at a large corporation. The company actually treated me like I was part of their family, which was a welcome sign.
Towards the end of my stay in Australia, I had a choice to make. That company wanted to actually sponsor me and put me on a path to receive permanent residency. However, I had to fly back to the US to be a part of my best friend’s wedding. The distance and cost was just too much to be able to fly there and come back for the end of my visa. Plus, another part of me wanted a new adventure. Australia was similar to the US in the sense of its values, language, etc., so I wanted to live in a place where I didn’t speak the language, knew nothing about the culture, and where I could push myself to grow.
So that inspired a move to Vietnam?
One of my colleagues had told me that his friend was living in Vietnam teaching English and he was living his best life there. Funny enough, I was also living in a Vietnamese neighborhood in Melbourne at the time and had been exposed to the food, coffee, and a bit of the language. I figured why not try looking for some jobs over there? So, after my friend’s wedding, I started looking for some positions in Vietnam that would hire a native speaker without any experience.
I found a job in the countryside about 5 hours from Hanoi. Once I got accepted, I applied for the visa and had my new goal to look forward to. Again, I did some traveling in Europe and Asia before finally reaching Vietnam where I started my English teaching journey.
I started off just as an English teacher, then got promoted to Head Teacher running a school of about 1,000 students and 12 teachers. After that contract was over, I decided to further my education and get a CELTA certificate which really enhanced my teaching abilities.
Around that time, I actually met my Japanese wife on Tinder while living in Hanoi. Originally, I was only planning on spending two years in Vietnam, with the goal of moving to Japan afterwards. But, I figured since I met a Japanese woman living in Vietnam and things were going well, why not see where this goes? Ultimately, her job moved her down to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). I asked if I could move in with her after just 3 months of dating. She said yes. A year and a half later, I asked her to marry me. She also said yes.
During my time in HCMC, I worked as a teacher for a university where I taught soft skills such as presentation, critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork through English. I also taught test prep at an Australian English Center. From there, I got hired to work with the Vietnamese military teaching doctors and nurses IELTS so that they could go on a mission to South Sudan. I also taught online business English to various companies with the final position being an English teacher for a software company.
Your career took an entrepreneurial turn during your time in Vietnam, including a couple of residencies in Antler’s startup accelerator programs. Tell us about that.
It all started with a chance encounter during a game of basketball.
I had been thinking about starting a business on the side for some time, but never knew where to start. I was chatting about my startup idea to one of the guys I used to play basketball with, and he told me about Antler. I was like, wait really? There’s something like that here in HCMC?
At the time, I was watching a lot of Y Combinator videos on YouTube and learning a lot about the startup scene through that, so to find a similar accelerator program in HCMC was really incredible. I’m a pretty spiritual person, so I figured that this had to be a sign or something. All my life, I have been waiting for the right opportunity to be presented to me to start my business, and I knew this was it.
So, I applied to Antler again thinking if I get in, then I’ll quit my job and go all-in on my startup journey. Well, no surprise, I got in and subsequently quit my job teaching the Vietnamese military. It wasn’t an easy decision as I was getting paid more than double what regular English teachers make in Vietnam. However, I’m a big believer in following your dreams, and I knew that if I didn’t take this opportunity, then I would regret it.
After getting into Antler, I worked on various startup ideas and teams. We learned a lot about what it takes to start a successful business from other founders and guest speakers. We learned skills such as Design Thinking and how to pitch effectively in workshops they put on. We got to socialize and brainstorm together. It was a really energizing experience.
Towards the end of my first cohort, I ended up solo and tried to make it past Pre-IC (Pre-Investment Committee), which is the first critical checkpoint in Antler. Unfortunately, I didn’t get past it since you have to have a cofounder by that point. I was devastated, but determined to prove them wrong. So, I went on LinkedIn and used my recruitment skills to find a co-founder to help me build my idea.
I was able to find a developer who was willing to work on the idea with me. We worked all summer putting the idea together. We took part in a pitch competition and everything. When October came around, the second Antler cohort was going to start. I figured I’d try it again since I was a bit further ahead in the process due to having a cofounder and working MVP. They accepted us into the program. However, shortly after starting, I knew that my cofounder and I weren’t going to work well together as this was the first time we were working together in-person. Our values didn’t align well, so we decided to kill our idea and break up.
From there, I found another cofounder and we worked together on a new idea. We got all the way to the investment committee, but then fell short of getting investment, despite positive feedback from the mentors during the program. It was again devastating, but potentially a blessing in disguise because it gave me and my wife the freedom to move to Japan where we didn’t have to worry so much about my visa anymore (I was doing visa runs every 3 months!)
You moved to Japan in 2024. What have you been working on here so far?
As mentioned previously, my wife is Japanese, so I was able to receive the Spouse visa here, making it a much less stressful place to live than Vietnam. Additionally, I’ve always been fascinated with Japan and Japanese culture, so it was a no brainer for me.
I’ve been working on trying to get my English business off the ground as well as my startup. I knew Antler had an office in Japan, and originally wasn’t interested in joining because it was only held in Japanese at the time, but when they announced that they would run the program in English, I figured I’d give it one last shot.
I came in with lots of preconceived expectations of how the program would be run, but I didn’t expect it to be run so differently here. Honestly, it threw me off my game a bit and unfortunately my team and I weren’t able to raise investment again. However, I am very grateful for the experience (all three of them) and would highly recommend Antler to anyone interested in entrepreneurship. It’s the best way to build a network, learn about entrepreneurship, be exposed to so many interesting and ambitious people, gain new skills such as public speaking (pitching), and just to challenge yourself.
I actually referred several people to Antler’s JP3 cohort, one of them being my friend Josh Owoyemi who actually got the investment for his startup ModAstera. I’m really happy for him! I also referred Eri Kobayashi who just told me today she will be entering the next cohort!
Outside of Antler, I have also been hosting a lot of soft skills workshops, primarily through my company Omni English. Last year, I did three free workshops, two on presentation skills and one on negotiation skills. I also partnered with the City of Yokohama to do a workshop series for them where I helped train their staff in the startup/innovation department about the startup industry from a foreign founder’s perspective, as well as to help them feel more confident speaking to foreigners about Yokohama in English. It was a great project and I’m really thankful for Aya Murota for reaching out to me for it.
This year, I’ve hosted two workshops on conversation skills and will be hosting another one along with Musubi Tech and Business in Japan at Venture Cafe’s Rocket Pitch event on May 7th. I also gave a motivational speech at the Tokyo Tech Leads Circle event back in January where I shared my life story and inspired the crowd to take action in their lives.
Right now, I’m putting together a course to help Japanese people see the benefits of LinkedIn and teaching them how to make a winning profile and personal brand without sacrificing their culture values of modesty.
In terms of my startup, Lynqt, we are pivoting at the moment. Before, we were solving a problem product managers have with communication via documentation. However, the solution we created wasn’t hitting the mark with the beta testers we were working with. Now, we are trying to uncover problems that founders have with marketing their products and services.
You’ve taken a very active role in Japan’s tech scene since your arrival here. You’re involved in the Yokohama startup scene and you recently started the Produck Podcast (great name!), exploring the struggles and triumphs of product managers, startup founders, and product teams. Tell us about these.
I’m really bullish on Yokohama. As discussed before, I partnered with the City of Yokohama mainly because the city wants to create an environment that is friendly for international founders to build from. They recently started offering a startup visa program. They also opened up a new Tech Hub which offers free memberships for founders and plays host to several networking events.
Part of the reason why I love Yokohama so much is also because I live in Kamakura, so it’s much closer to me than Tokyo. Yokohama is less crowded, cheaper, and more accessible than Tokyo. There’s plenty of things to do in Yokohama too! I also think that it’s a more beautiful city than Tokyo. Plus, there’s much less competition for attention.
Some of the drawbacks are that the scene is still in its infancy, so there aren’t a lot of English speaking events or resources for foreign founders to access at the moment. Additionally, Tokyo has a more active ecosystem, so it’s definitely going to be a challenge, but I’m ready for it.
In terms of my involvement in the ecosystem, I host a biweekly networking event called the Yokohama Startup Lunchclub in partnership with Francisco Soares, the founder of the Tokyo Startup Lunchclub. Additionally, I have my own monthly networking session called Business and Beers, where we bring Japanese and foreign entrepreneurs together to chat about business in groups and then go out for beers afterwards. It has been a lot of fun!
As a Yokohaman myself, keep up the good work!
In terms of the Produck Podcast, this is something that I initially started to validate my previous startup idea. We figured that through interviewing product team members on the podcast and posting it publicly, we could get insights and build an online presence at the same time. Now that we’re pivoting from that idea, the focus is to just interview interesting people here in the tech scene and help provide value to the listeners.
I’m enjoying it a lot because I’m learning new skills and obviously learning new things about the industry while doing it. I think it’s important to put yourself outside of your comfort zone. I never thought I’d become a YouTuber, but here we are.
What does your typical day look like?
It depends which day! On Monday/Wednesday/Friday, my wife works in Tokyo, so I usually stay at home with our little French Bulldog.
When I’m home, I’m usually busy networking online via LinkedIn, learning new skills via Udemy (right now, I’m learning about product management to help me better understand my guests and ask better questions). If I’m not filming a podcast episode, then you might catch me in a meeting with my team (we have a daily standup meeting in the afternoon).
I’m also working on producing content for the LinkedIn course I told you about, so that’s taking up a lot of my time. I still teach as well, so I often schedule my classes for the days that I am at home.
On Tuesday and Thursday, I’m often either in Tokyo or Yokohama networking at events or hosting events of my own.
What are some of your goals for the future? Short-term, long-term, personally and/or professionally?
For my long-term goal, I would like to run my own startup accelerator program and become a mentor for other entrepreneurs out there.
I believe that there are a ton of grey areas when building a startup, and some first-time founders especially need a lot of guidance and direction. I want to be able to help create a program that actually gives first-time founders the right knowledge and guidance they need to succeed. Ideally by that time, I will have had a successful exit or two under my belt so that I have both the finances and expertise to actually help them.
For my short-term goal, I would like to officially launch my first startup with my team by the end of this year. I believe in my team and our dynamic. We just need to find the right problem to solve. I hope that we are on the right track.
Personally, I’d love to become a public speaker and do more speeches in the future. The one I gave in January made me feel energized and alive. I also love inspiring people, so I think it’s definitely something I want to do more of in the future. Who knows, maybe my career on YouTube might lead to more public speaking engagements!
Quickfire questions
– If you could go back in time to your arrival in Japan, what’s the most important advice you’d give yourself? It’s not so long ago, but is there anything that stands out in your mind?
Focus on one thing. Don’t try to do too much at once. This past year, I feel like at times I threw a bunch of stuff at the wall in an effort to see what would stick.
I recently read the book The One Thing by Gary Keller and I wish I had read it sooner.
– What did you learn as a recruiter that you’ve found useful in other parts of your career?
Definitely sales and communication skills.
As a recruiter, you are constantly talking to people on the phone, over Zoom, in person, at networking events, etc. This type of practice really helped me hone in on my conversational skills, but also my ability to ask questions and dig deep. I feel like I am good at reading if people are genuine or not because of it as well.
I also don’t fear being rejected as much because of how many times I was hung up on as a recruiter lol.
– How do you learn new skills? What are you learning currently?
I read a lot of books and learn online from podcasts and other means. I’m currently learning product management on Udemy.
– Tell me a few of your favourite or most recently read books, movies, podcasts, and games.
Favorite books:
- Limitless by Jim Kwik [Amazon JP / Amazon US & other]
- Atomic Habits by James Clear [Amazon JP / Amazon US & other]
- The ONE Thing by Gary Keller [Amazon JP / Amazon US & other]
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman [Amazon JP / Amazon US & other]
- Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan [Amazon JP / Amazon US & other]
Podcasts:
The Diary of a CEO is by far my favorite and pretty much the only one I listen to right now.
– What’s your favourite place to visit in Japan?
I loved the Kansai region when I first went there in 2019. Delicious food, amazing history, extroverted, friendly people, what’s not to love?
– What’s the best thing you’ve spent 10,000 JPY on in Japan?
I think I’d have to say a course meal I took my wife to for Women’s Day at Pondicherry here in Kamakura.
Are there topics we haven’t discussed that you’d like to add?
I think that it’s important for people to know that luck can be created just by simply putting yourself out there. If you’re in a situation where you feel hopeless or helpless, consider changing your environment.
I heard a crazy stat from Codie Sanchez, another YouTuber who I enjoy watching, that if you’re sat next to a top performer at work, then your own productivity will increase by 15%. However, if you’re sat next to a low performer, then your own productivity will decrease by 30%! That’s insane!
We are the sum of the 5 closest people that we surround ourselves with, and that is why I strive to only surround myself with other ambitious, forward-thinking, positive people.
In a society like Japan where standing out is frowned upon and fitting in is celebrated, I think it’s more important than ever for Japanese people to try to surround themselves with people who align with their goals. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not good enough. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and help motivate you to be where you want to be, not those who want you to stay where they’re at.
That’s great advice. And to finish, do you have any asks for our readers?
Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, follow my Luma calendar for upcoming events and workshops, and of course, subscribe to the Produck Podcast!
Thanks, Lee!
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