Mirror Fit Huang Hao | Smart mirror is a new gadget that can be applied freely

I want to spread the existence of smart mirrors that have various possibilities other than fitness

Appeared in the matchmaking survival programs "Bachelorette Japan" and "Bachelor Japan" and became a hot topic Mr. Huang Hao, a young businessman who became There seems to be a lot to learn from him, such as his perspective on China, his hometown, and how he skillfully connects media appearances and SNS to marketing.

We asked Mr. Huang, who currently runs three companies in China and Japan, about the possibilities of smart mirrors and how he started his business.

Huang Hao, Representative Director of Mirror Fit Co., Ltd. Born in Hunan, China. He came to Japan when he entered high school, and after graduating from Waseda University, joined Mitsubishi Corporation. Responsible for trading business. Currently, he is the representative director of a trading and logistics company in Shanghai and the salon manager of the training gym "BESTA". In 2020, participated in the matchmaking survival program "Bachelorette Japan". In 2021, he became a hot topic as a bachelor in Season 4 of “Bachelor Japan”. Interviewer Sachiyo Okubo Founder's Notebook Co., Ltd. Representative Director A major IT venture officer. After seeing many entrepreneurs, he realized that "the troubles after starting a business are common" and devised the company's guidebook "Founder's Notebook". Current: Established Founding Techo. Successful unique business model. The print edition has a total of 2 million copies, and the number of monthly web visits exceeds 1 million people in the field of entrepreneurship. He is also a member of the standing committee and teaches at universities. He is also a hot topic as a person who created T-shirts every day. Founding Techo CEO Yukiyo Okubo's profile is here

You can get it for free, so please order it.

Contents of this article

A smart mirror that can be used for anything other than fitness

Okubo: First, could you tell us about your business? What kind of service is it?

Huang: There is a slight difference between consumer and investor. For consumers, it's a service that eliminates the "huh" moments related to exercise. For investors, our concept is to maximize the value of the space using a new IoT device called a "smart mirror."

I consider it a series of miracles to keep going to the gym. It's a hassle to go outside when it rains. If there is a drinking party, I don't want to go dressed unfashionably, and if I do that, my luggage will increase. The weather is nice today, I have no other plans, and I can go to the gym! Reservations cannot be made for such days. It's a "wow" moment. Therefore, I created a service that allows you to train while looking at the smart mirror "Mirror Fit" at home. You don't have to leave the house, you don't need an appointment, and you have a trainer.

There is a survey conducted in 2016 that looked at the rate of exercise continuation among people who started going to fitness clubs. That's right. Even if gyms around the world put on indirect lighting and carry out various campaigns, the retention rate is only 3%.

At home, you can eliminate the "ugh" moment before heading to the gym. Home is the best training space.

Okubo: It's a vertical mirror. It is said that smartphones have changed our lives from PCs, but there are some things that can only be done with a large size.

Huang: In contrast to the angle of view of TVs, media with a ratio of 16:9 on smartphones is increasing, isn't it? Some smartphones have high mobility (portability) but the screen is difficult to see, while others have low mobility but easy-to-read screens. It's important what the hardware is. For example, the iPhone appeared very recently after the iPod and Walkman evolved, but mirrors have been around for 3,000 years. It's amazing how almost every home has something that is big and has a strong presence, even though it's just a reflection.

I don't think there are many people who feel annoyed when mirrors are added value. Since we look at it every day, there are proposals for running advertisements, for example.

Okubo: Regarding smart mirrors, fitness is something you can't do without self-discipline, but there are also ways to disregard it.

Huang: Ultimately, I would like it to be ``When you think of a mirror, you think of a smart mirror, and when you think of a smart mirror, you think of a mirror fit''. I feel that it is very difficult to

We started with the idea of ​​online fitness, and we are also working on the idea of ​​a fashion e-commerce that can be expanded horizontally. , You can talk with your grandchildren on the big screen, and you can also turn on a watch service.

In addition, there are blockchain and NFT-related companies that we are dealing with in relation to fundraising.

When you don't use the smart mirror as a mirror, you can use it as a screen saver to show the NFT art. It's a larger version of the digital album that was popular a while ago.

Experiencing both China and Japan made me feel better about it

Okubo: You are from China, right?

Huang: Yes, I'm from Hunan, China. It's an industrial area. When I was little, my parents worked in Japan, but about 25 years ago, I moved my base to Shanghai and started a trading company.

Okubo: You have roots in South Korea, and I feel that having roots in a foreign country gives you a different perspective than us.

Huang: I've been living in Japan since I was 15 or 16 years old, so I think my way of thinking is based in Japan. If that's the case, then normally I'd stop here."

I haven't been able to go home for the past two years because of the coronavirus, but I used to go to Shanghai once a month until then, so I could feel the remarkable development. For example, ventures and IT have taken the lead in the spread of electronic money, and as a result, laws and regulations have started. There is a momentum to "start anything". When I saw it, I wondered, "What is the reason for not doing it?"

Okubo: It's a communist country, so it feels like the regulations are strong, but it's strange that it's the other way around.

Huang: Right. It's a case-by-case basis, and it's like, "If it leads to the development of the country, you can do it, but I will manage it."

I have connections in both countries, and I understand both cultures.I want to improve the impression of Chinese people through media.

Okubo: How did you get involved in "Bachelorette Japan" and "Bachelor Japan"? What kind of impact did your participation have?

Huang: The reason I joined was because a friend introduced me. By participating in the program, I think it was an opportunity for people to learn about our products and services. I run personal training, self-esthetics, and aerobic exercise all-you-can-go personal gym "BESTA", which has about 20 stores nationwide. I hope that you will know that we will definitely reach the people who want it without spending a lot of money on advertising.

And then there's the issue of social trust. If it were originally, I would be able to say that you are interesting to the managers who do not get to know easily. Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to meet so many different people, and I am grateful for the power of the media.

Okubo: Are your products made in a factory in China?

Huang: Yes. We communicate with the factory on the phone almost every day. Quality control is important in Chinese factories. For example, even if the screen is scratched, there are people who think, "Is this okay?" It is very important to properly define "good things are of such quality".

Conversely, I feel that Japan is overly controlled with high quality. JIS and other standards have a narrow range of acceptable standards, so it would be really difficult to try to produce overseas based on that.

I decided to start a business because I wasn't afraid

Okubo: What was the most helpful experience in starting your own business?

Huang: The first personal gym business was launched with a start-up support loan. However, I think that my eight years of hard work in the trading business, including the one and a half year I was stationed in Mexico while working for Mitsubishi Corporation, was appreciated.

Okubo: Japan is blessed with unsecured loans from guarantee associations and public finance companies for start-up funds and low interest rates. I've set up a company in the Philippines, but I can't borrow that much, and I felt once again that Japanese entrepreneurs are blessed.

Huang: I think you are right. I also post through social media that starting a business in Japan is extremely low-risk because the interest rates on loans are low and the environment is in place.

Okubo: When I say Mitsubishi Corporation, I think there are people who say, "Why did you join a good company?" What do you think?

Huang: I didn't have any major concerns about Mitsubishi Corporation. However, we often say "When you grow up, the ceiling will come closer". When the 10th year was approaching, I felt like I could see the ceiling. If things go on like this, the top position will be the president, and the general manager class will have an annual income of 20 to 30 million yen. Of course, it's not that I don't have respect, but I just wanted to plunge into the unimaginable future, rather than the imaginable future.

I was not scared when I said "I'm not scared". Annual income of 12 million yen in the 7th year at that time. Even if I quit the company, I thought that I would be able to find a new job even if my career and language skills were considered, even if the start-up did not go well. Even if 12 million yen becomes 900 or 600, it will not be difficult to eat. If it really doesn't work out, there's a way to survive, and you might even be able to become a host.

His experience in China, where the gap between rich and poor is so great that it is normal for people to grow up, and his father is an entrepreneur, so he was able to consult with him about starting a business was.

So I think my background, including my family, was one of the factors that pushed me to start a business.

I would like to promote various collaborations and create touch points with customers

Okubo: What about future developments? For example, how do you decide whether to specialize in hardware or software?

Huang: In that regard, I would like to continue developing both the mirror and the software. Just like Apple made the iPhone and it has become a must-have for many people, we also want to make the smart mirror like that.

Like a smart speaker, can work with all IOT home appliances, so you can unlock smart locks and turn lights on and off. .

Based on that, we plan to build 1000 first-class rental detached houses equipped with smart mirrors as a project we are currently working on. The mirror fee is included in the construction cost, and the maintenance fee is included in the management fee. You don't really care about the breakdown of administrative expenses.

Okubo: So you're talking about various collaborations. We look forward to the future. When it comes to smart mirrors, I think that there are still an overwhelming number of people who think that they are still unknown.Is there a place where you can actually experience them?

Huang: Well, it's a 150,000 yen product, so there are many people who want to try it before they buy it. The other day, I set up a pop-up at Isetan, and since it was the number one seller in the past week, all department stores decided to open a pop-up. We would like more people to actually experience the smart mirror by holding pop-ups in various places in the future.

Also, the current office is about to reach its limit in terms of the number of people, so I'm thinking of moving to a new office and turning the current office into a roadside store.

Okubo: After all, it may be an important step before purchasing to actually use it, to be able to test its comfort, and to imagine the scene in which it is actually used.

Huang: Right. In the future, I plan to post how I use the smart mirror on YouTube as well. Since starting my business, I have been actively using SNS for marketing.

The booklet version of the founding notebook contains many interview articles about various entrepreneurs. In addition to interview articles, there are plenty of things you should know for starting a business. We will deliver it for free, so please take advantage of it. Related article Entrepreneurs! Are you left behind in the Internet society? Let's learn about IoT that can be introduced immediately by startups Chikaku Kenji Kajiwara | Interview with the representative of "Mago Channel", a topic in Age Tech. The elderly market will surely expand in the future! Articles that everyone is reading in this category 1st Entrepreneur Interview Brighton Teruyo Ban | I want to create a "postpartum care facility" that does not exist in Japan! Former CA Entrepreneur's Zero-to-One Startup Story 2nd Place Entrepreneur Interview cotobox Kazuyasu Gomi | What kind of rights are trademarks? Should I take it even if it's not a big company? Interview with Patent Attorney Entrepreneur 3rd Place Entrepreneur Timey Rei Ogawa｜Financing over 3 billion yen in 2 years!　Exclusive interview