atta is a travel travel tech startup that uses big data and AI to "forecast deals". It allows users to search across various hotels and private accommodation sites in Japan. atta’s service shows the probability that the current price will become cheaper in the future, and notifies the users when it actually does.

Today’s guest is Yoshihisa Haruyama, atta Corporation’s (formerly WithTravel) founder and president. We talked with Yoshi about the travel tech industry, his vision for travel post-corona and atta as an organization and employer.

This article is an excerpt from our video interview with Yoshihisa Haruyama. You can watch the full video at the bottom of this article.

What changes have occurred in the travel tech industry as a result of Corona?

It’s not a secret that the travel industry in general has been greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, about 40% of the travel tech startups I know either shut down their companies or changed their focus on non-travel areas. Other startups are trying to survive through contract development or fundraising.

Despite these difficulties, one positive aspect of Corona is that it has allowed us as a society to make rapid progress in IT and digital transformation. Without covid-19 this would have normally taken place only around 2030.

Companies have begun to realize that they need to respond to change fast in order to survive. One example is the progress of "common inventory". Both travel agencies and startups like atta have started to use a common system to sell hotel rooms, which has helped to reduce the number of unsold rooms. All companies need to develop systems to cope with this kind of IT, and engineering skills are increasingly being called into question.

In this context, I heard that atta is making new preparations in the travel field for 2022, with an eye on the post-Corona era. Can you tell us about your vision?

First, we have evolved our mission. The pandemic was also an opportunity for us to reflect on how we want to contribute as an organization. Our mission is to "Make your travel bookings more affordable with A.I." but we are now adding the word "fun" to it. What customers are looking for when they travel is not only "value for money" but also "fun". It is becoming more and more important to support customers with technology so that they can enjoy a rich experience, and I drew up a plan to realize this.

For example, if you want to find a travel spot where you can go for a desired amount of money, you have to search and input a huge amount of information. With atta, you can find the most reasonable plan for air tickets, hotels, etc. with just one search. In July of 2021, we obtained a license for this service.

If the plan you booked before check-in is a good deal and there is no cancellation fee, we have a system in place that can systematically suggest a change to a more reasonable plan. In the future, we plan to form alliances with other partner companies in order to further understand our customers' situations. Specifically, we envision companies that own calendar information, economic data, and health and emotional data. 

Of course, we also need to solve the issue of privacy. So, first of all, we would like to improve the accuracy of our AI for price prediction of airline tickets and lodging reservations, and by promoting data collaboration with these companies, we would like to provide products that make travel more enjoyable and affordable.

What do you think are the strengths of atta that support the innovation of your products?

One of atta's five values is "Trust", which we believe is one of our strengths. At first, it meant to provide products that are trusted by customers, but one of the new members of atta told me that it also meant to build a relationship of trust where we can have each other's back. I think the word "trust" fits well into our organization. atta has always placed importance on "an organization that can create products" since its inception. When we raised funds, we received high praise from investors who said, "This team can create products again even if we pivot due to changing customer needs.

Could you tell us a bit more about atta as an organization. What is unique about the team's culture and the way you work?

First of all, we've been working remotely since I founded the company in 2018, so much earlier than the pandemic. It has been our default work style. We have offices in Tokyo and Singapore, and our team is very diverse. We have a rich international background with people from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Japan our employees live in places like Tokyo, Nagano, Gifu, Tokushima, etc., ensuring flexibility for our members to live the lifestyle they want.

At the same time, we always look for new and unique ways to better communicate with our remote team. For example, we have started a project where we send personalized gifts to the homes of each member based on their preferences. The members give feedback on how they liked the gifts, and the feedback is used to optimize the gift the next time. This is done completely manually without any AI but it is a good opportunity for us to talk with each other. I think this shows what kind of team culture we have at atta.

What do the employees at atta have in common?

I think the main factor we have in common is "proactiveness". In a remote environment you can’t just wait for someone to tell you what to do. Even as a new member of the team, it’s your responsibility to talk to and ask questions to the more senior members to get the necessary information about product specifications or operations to do your job. All of our members share this character feature, so work goes very smoothly.

This only works because our senior members are always happy to help out new members, and we have an ingrained culture of support; all while respecting each other's individual way of working that allows them to do the best job they can.

Also, all members are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and are able to communicate these with the team. This way we can allocate our limited resources in the most efficient way and create impactful products with a select few.

Last but not least, could you share your vision for the future with us?

First of all, we would like to improve atta in 2022 by deepening our collaboration with our trusted partner companies to increase the value of our service as a travel platform. We would like to contribute to an enjoyable and convenient "travel experience" by taking the hassle out of travel for users.

On top of that, in the future, I would like to be more involved in supporting people who are aiming to start their own business but have difficulty securing cash to do so, and in activities to inform students about the option of starting a business. If students are exposed to the option of starting a business earlier and are interested in it, they can take more actions while they are still in school. For this reason, I would like to work with people who share the vision of atta to create a vision of the future and give it shape.

If you are interested in open positions at atta.ai, please get in touch with us through our website or email us at community@wahlandcase.com

Watch the Full Interview (Japanese)

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Misato Matsuo

Japan Interviewer's Association certified interviewer and writer
Content Manager at Flier Inc.

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