The Coral Capital Podcast

Devon Zuegel, founder and CEO of the Esmeralda Institute, joins us on the latest episode of The Coral Capital Podcast.After building online communities, scaling open-source programs at GitHub, and hosting Notion’s Pioneers series, Devon Zuegel is now bringing her expertise offline to create a family focused village north of San Francisco.In this episode, she shares the challenges of shaping a people centered village, from navigating complex land use regulations to balancing environmental realities.Topics explored:- How San Francisco’s housing shortages inspired Devon to create Esmeralda- Why California’s CEQA further fueled Devon’s passion for urban planning- Designing multi-generational, walkable communities with a balance of density and nature- The concept of “traveling neighborhoods” and fostering connection through shared experiences- The hardware and software of building a physical community- Integrating seniors, families, and diverse age groups into a cohesive community- Creating lasting culture and connection through deliberate programming and shared experiencesIf you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us here: bit.ly/contactcoralConnect with Devon: X: https://x.com/devonzuegelLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonzuegel/Connect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/Connect with Alexandra Silverman: X: https://x.com/AlexandraFayeSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afsilverman/00:00 Intro00:46 Meet Devin08:19 Placemaking and Traveling Neighborhoods16:51 Building Esmeralda31:12 Supporting Families in Northern California33:23 Incorporating the Elderly in Community Planning38:17 Learning from Other Towns and Cities47:09 Building a New Town

Koichi Narasaki, former Chief Digital Officer of SOMPO and the architect behind Palantir Japan, joins us on the latest episode of The Coral Capital Podcast.From his early days at Mitsubishi Corporation investing in Silicon Valley startups during the dotcom boom, to leading one of Japan’s most successful joint ventures with Palantir, Narasaki has been at the intersection of global tech and Japanese enterprise for decades.He shares stories from passing on PayPal in 1998, to convincing SOMPO’s leadership to invest $500M into Palantir, and lessons on how foreign companies can succeed in Japan.Topics explored:• Why Mitsubishi’s early CVC efforts in Silicon Valley clashed with Tokyo HQ• Meeting Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and Marc Benioff in the 1990s• The cultural gap between fast-moving Silicon Valley and conservative Japan• Why he left Mitsubishi after nearly 20 years to join startups on the other side of the table• How he became SOMPO’s first Chief Digital Officer and redefined “DX” in insurance• The story of Palantir’s failed solo Japan entry, and how the SOMPO JV turned it around• What convinced SOMPO’s CEO to greenlight a 50/50 joint venture with Palantir• How “dogfooding” Foundry inside SOMPO unlocked trust with Japanese clients• The legendary $500M Palantir investment during the pandemic, and the debates behind it• What global B2B software founders need to know before entering Japan• His perspective on culture, trust, and speed inside a 135-year-old Japanese giantConnect with Narasaki:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koichi-narasaki-5969b/Connect with James:X: https://x.com/james_rineyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrineyConnect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us here: https://bit.ly/contactcoral(00:00) Trailer(01:00) Intro(05:16) Leaving Mitsubishi & the dot-com crash(14:34) Early startup journey (Allyno → Access)(17:02) Becoming Chief Digital Officer at SOMPO(20:20) Discovering Palantir & messy data realities(26:18) The meeting with Alex Karp that changed everything(35:00) Why the SOMPO–Palantir JV happened(43:56) Growing in Japan: revenue, culture, challenges(55:42) Advice for foreign SaaS entering Japan

Ayao Komatsu, the team principal of Haas F1, joins us on the latest episode of The Coral Capital Podcast.As the first Japanese team principal (leading a non-Japanese F1 team), Komatsu offers a unique perspective on leadership in Formula 1.Ayao shares insights on Haas F1's new technical partnership with Toyota and the challenges of competing with limited resources as the team looks ahead to the 2026 rule changes.Topics explored:• How Ayao navigated an unconventional route into Formula One• Lessons from growing up in a politically and culturally unique household• What it’s like managing a lean, global team across continents• The mindset shifts required to lead in high-performance environments• How Haas F1 is approaching its partnership with Toyota• Insights into the upcoming 2026 regulation overhaul—and why it matters• Why communication and culture are now top priorities at Haas• What Japanese teams can learn from international motorsport organizations• Ayao’s take on long-term strategy vs. short-term pressure in F1• How he defines success beyond the podiumConnect with Ayao: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayao-komatsu-828a8587/X: https://x.com/AyaoKomatsuConnect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us here: https://bit.ly/contactcoral00:00 Trailer00:54 Introduction01:17 Fascinating upbringing05:58 Unique parenting style11:09 “…Until I met F1”13:59 Being Japanese in the industry20:25 Different environments25:51 The technical partnership32:07 Life as an engineer39:33 Improving team capability43:26 Starting from scratch47:53 Engineering at the heart of management51:39 Alignment gaps58:23 What’s new in Formula One1:01:09 The ideal goal1:03:53 Reasonably determined1:08:12 Outro

At Coral Capital’s Tokyo HQ, artist–entrepreneur VERBAL (m-flo rapper and producer, AMBUSH® Co-Founder, and SŌMATŌ sake founder) sits down with James Riney and Tiffany Kayo to unpack how Japan’s next cultural wave is being built at the intersection of streetwear, music, and frontier tech. They explore why a Tokyo mindset still captivates tastemakers from Pharrell to Prada, and what has to change for Japan’s creators to capture Silicon-Valley-level scale.The conversation dives into:• Streetwear’s original “soft-power” playbook — how Nigo, Pharrell, and a Harajuku network turned Japanese design into hip-hop currency and seeded brands like AMBUSH®.• Two SKUs and a Paris runway — why VERBAL and Yoon Ahn sold a majority stake in AMBUSH®, what they learned inside New Guards Group / Farfetch, and why they just bought it all back.• Craft sake, misunderstood luxury — the cold-chain, labeling, and pricing gaps keeping nihon-shu under-valued abroad, and how SŌMATŌ plans to rebrand the category for Michelin tables.• AI, Web3, and VTubers — a realist’s take on Suno-generated melodies, token-gated superfans, and the virtual-idol economy Japan is quietly leading.• Lessons from K-Pop’s public-private machine — what Japan can borrow (and what it shouldn’t) to export its own IP at scale.If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us here: bit.ly/contactcoralConnect with VERBAL: X: https://x.com/VERBAL_AMBUSH Connect with James:X: https://x.com/james_rineyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrineyConnect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/

In this episode of The Coral Capital Podcast former Financial Times editor and author of Gambling Man, joins Tiffany Kayo and James Riney for a conversation about one of Japan’s most enigmatic figures: Masayoshi Son.Barber shares what it was like sitting across from Masa, why his story is more than a business saga, and how SoftBank’s founder became a symbol of Japan’s global ambitions and contradictions.We get into:• The early years: Pachinko, pseudonyms, and SoftBank before Silicon Valley• Behind-the-scenes stories of his deal with Donald Trump• The $500B Stargate Project with Sam Altman and Larry Ellison of OpenAI• Personal stories from Lionel’s interviews with Masa, his family, and the unlikely figures who shaped his journey—including Steve Jobs Lionel’s book: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Gambling-Man-Wild-Japan’s-Masayoshi/dp/0241582725 The Japanese edition of the book will be launched soon.If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us here: bit.ly/contactcoralConnect with Lionel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lionel-barber-473826135/X: https://x.com/lionelbarberConnect with James:X: https://x.com/james_rineyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrineyConnect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/

On this episode of The Coral Capital Podcast, we were joined by the Chief Evangelist of Canva for a candid conversation about grit, growth, and the unfiltered story behind his remarkable career. Also in the conversation:The Silicon Valley myth that keeps getting mistaken for strategyWhat Apple got right (and still gets wrong) about AIHow Canva is spreading design literacy globallyWhy your ikigai doesn’t need to be world-changing to be realPlus: Guy opens up about fainting on hospital rounds, quitting law school after two weeks, and how a ride in a Porsche 911 lit a fire under him to work hard and aim higher.If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Connect with Guy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki/X: https://x.com/GuyKawasakiConnect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/Get in touch with us here: bit.ly/contactcoral00:00 Trailer00:58 Introduction01:41 Hawaii02:40 Childhood and upbringing06:49 Ohana, aloha and motivation10:41 Working at Apple15:01 Bringing the good news19:28 The ecosystem VC21:26 Evangelism in marketing27:13 Growth, grit, grace36:38 Artificial intelligence42:19 Cutting through the noise44:09 Book updates46:23 What is your ikigai?47:42 OutroMentioned in this episode: Kalihi Elementary School, Apple, Standford Medical Center, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), World War 2, Porsche 1911, OpenAI ChatGPT, Canva, Adobe Photoshop, Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People, Jane Goodall, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Wolfram, Mark Manson, Signal, Anthropic Claude, Perplexity, Apple Intelligence, TikTok

On this episode of The Coral Capital Podcast, Founding Partner James Riney and Investor Tiffany Kayo were joined by Phil Wickham, co-founder of Sozo Ventures—a globally-minded VC firm that’s backed breakout U.S. companies expanding into Japan, including the likes of Coinbase, Square & Palantir.Philip shares rare, behind-the-scenes insights from decades spent bridging Silicon Valley and Tokyo, explaining why Japan is suddenly hot again for global startups—and how to navigate its famously complex corporate and cultural terrain.Topics explored:The four pillars that make Japan a high-margin & high-loyalty market worth crackingLessons from backing companies like Palantir, Square, Coinbase, and Need in JapanWhy corporate money on your cap table can be more risk than reward—especially in JapanWhat founders consistently get wrong when entering Japan, and how to avoid wasting yearsIf you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us herePhil's Book: https://www.amazon.co.jp/2032年、日本がスタートアップのハブになる：世界を動かす才能を解放せよ-フィル・ウィックハム/dp/4910487042?tag=googhydr-22&source=dsa&hvcampaign=books&gad_source=100:00 Trailer00:48 Introduction03:06 Selling Japan to Startups06:21 The Challenges of Entering Japan09:01 First Steps for Expanding into Japan13:02 Case Studies: Coinbase & NEED16:06 Palantir’s Unique Approach to Japan20:03 The Role of Corporates in Startup Growth23:42 Targeting the Right Partners in Japan28:06 Joint Ventures vs Independent Expansion39:12 Keeping Options Open in Japan51:05 Japan’s Global Competitive EdgeConnect with Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwickham/Connect with James:X: https://x.com/james_rineyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrineyConnect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/Learn more about Coral CapitalThis episode was produced & distributed with the help of our friends at Atomik Growth.

At Coral Capital’s Tokyo HQ, economist and writer Noah Smith joins James Riney, Founding Partner and CEO of Coral Capital, to explore how Japan is uniquely positioned for a global resurgence. They discuss how the country can convert its global fascination into a strategic advantage, and why Japan is increasingly on the radar of institutional capital and high-net-worth investors.The conversation dives into:• The rise of the “weeb” economy” (think anime, fashion, subculture, and Japan’s growing soft power on the global stage)• Why Japan is primed for greenfield FDI in AI, semiconductors, and deep tech• How Tokyo is rivaling Austin and Paris as a global tech & startup hub• Japan’s untapped operational MOAT for builders and investorsIf you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us hereChapters:00:00 Trailer00:52 "Weebs" and Japanese tourism05:48 Rule by law and economic factors14:22 GDP and exports17:19 Cultural mindshare and diasporas24:51 Enterprise value creation30:29 Small businesses34:46 Financial policy39:35 Immigration, fluency, zero-tolerance47:54 Exports need improvement49:35 Untapped demand50:00 Plaza Accord54:50 Book plug and outroMentioned in this episode: Battle Royale, Ruth Benedict, Sakana AI, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), Apple iPhone, Taro Kono, Mijoté San Francisco, The Boeing Company, Christopher Poole a.k.a. moot, Jack Ma, Silicon Valley, Dell Inc., Donald Trump, WeChat (Weixin)Connect with Noah: https://x.com/NoahpinionNoah’s Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/Connect with James:X: https://x.com/james_rineyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrineyLearn more about Coral CapitalThis episode was produced & distributed with the help of our friends at Atomik Growth.

Welcome to another episode of The Coral Capital Podcast, a show where we bring on guests from tech, business, politics, and culture to talk about all things Japan.In this episode, economist and long-time Japan optimist Jesper Koll breaks down how Japan is faring amid rising global protectionism, demographic shifts, and geopolitical uncertainty. A resident of Japan since 1986, Jesper has spent decades at the forefront of Japan analysis and investment, having served as chief strategist and head of research for JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch. He currently advises Monex Group, sits on the Japan Catalyst Fund’s investment committee, and serves on multiple high-level advisory boards, including Governor Yuriko Koike’s.Jesper warns that a Trump 2.0 presidency could trigger a double whammy for Japan: a weaker dollar slashing Japanese corporate profits and an aggressive U.S. tariff regime pushing China to dump exports into Southeast Asia—hurting Japan’s industrial giants in the process. But he's still bullish on Japan.Why? Jesper sees Japan as “capitalism that works”—a system quietly modernizing under the radar. From record M&A and MBO activity to a younger generation of CEOs open to change, Japan is entering a new phase of productivity and openness. He highlights the ongoing shift to performance-based pay, increased immigration, and growing startup dynamism as key signs of this transformation. Why a weaker dollar is Japan’s silent earnings risk: With two-thirds of Japanese listed company profits coming from overseas, a 10-yen appreciation can slash earnings by 8%. If Trump 2.0 weakens the dollar, Japan takes a hit—fast. Japan isn’t insular—it’s hyper-globalized: Despite its reputation, Japan generates a higher percentage of corporate profits overseas than the U.S. or Germany. From Daichi Life to Toyota, Japan’s biggest firms are already global players. The real threat of Trump’s China policy is deflation via the Global South: U.S. tariffs could force China to dump excess goods into Southeast Asia, undercutting Japanese firms not just on price, but now on quality too. Made in Japan = 30~40% price premium: Companies like Shiseido are relocating production to Japan not for politics, but for branding. “Brand-shoring” is about value, not alliances. Why energy—not labor—is Japan’s factory hurdle: Labor can be automated. The real constraint on manufacturing in Japan may be uncertainty around energy costs and nuclear policy. Japan’s brain gain is real—and measurable: While the population shrinks, immigration is quietly surging. Every day, 1,200 people get 3-year work permits. Companies are adapting with performance-based pay, not seniority resulting in higher talent liquidity.Record M&A and MBOs aren’t a coincidence: As Japan’s CEOs get younger and legacy-heavy firms face succession issues, a wave of corporate transformation is underway. “Metabolism,” Jesper says, is up.What Japan needs most is inheritance tax reform: MacArthur’s anti-zaibatsu policies made sense post-WWII. But now, without reform, Japan risks losing its $4.5T+ generational wealth transfer to debt paydown instead of innovation.Japan ‘s “capitalism that works”: A system that’s democratic, fair, globally integrated, and quietly undergoing a transformation from within.-----For founders building Japan's next legendary companies, reach out to us here: https://coralcap.co/contact-startups/If you're interested in joining a Coral startup, join our talent network here: https://coralcap.co/coral-careers/

Welcome to another episode of The Coral Capital Podcast, a show where we bring on guests from tech, business, politics, and culture to talk about all things Japan.In this episode, we’re joined by Claire Hughes Johnson, Corporate Officer and Advisor at Stripe, and the company’s former Chief Operating Officer. From 2014 to 2021, Claire played a pivotal role in scaling Stripe’s operations, growing the team from under 200 to over 7,000 employees while leading a wide range of functions including sales, marketing, customer support, HR, and risk. Prior to joining Stripe, Claire spent 10 years at Google, where she led several business teams, including Consumer Operations, AdWords Online Sales & Operations, Google Offers, and served as VP of Google’s self-driving car project.Claire is also the author of Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building, a Wall Street Journal bestseller that has quickly become a must-read for startup founders and operators. The book is now available in Japanese, and we cover key topics from it, including: Why title inflation is a ticking time bomb: Offering inflated titles early on might help close a hire—but it almost always backfires later. Self-awareness as a leadership foundation: The most effective leaders deeply understand their strengths and blind spots. Without that baseline, building a truly complementary team—or scaling yourself—is nearly impossible. Scaling culture across borders: Going global means more than just localization. Stripe built a culture understanding program that mapped national differences against company values—allowing local teams to adapt while staying aligned. How defensive processes kill velocity: Startups often overcorrect after mistakes by layering on rigid processes. The better approach is to build a process that creates repeatable excellence. Navigating team transitions with empathy: Not everyone grows at the same pace as the company. Having tough conversations early—framed as shared observations rather than judgments—can turn painful exits into respectful transitions. AI is reshaping company building: With AI amplifying productivity in roles like engineering and support, teams can stay smaller—but the talent bar rises. That makes hiring, management, and retention more critical than ever.Get Claire's book: https://www.amazon.co.jp/Scaling-People-Tactics-Management-Building/dp/1953953212Connect with Claire: XLinkedInConnect with James:XLinkedInFor founders building Japan's next legendary companies, reach out to us here. If you're interested in joining a Coral startup, join our talent network here. 0:00:00 Introduction0:00:17 Didn’t want to write a book0:02:26 Self-awareness0:05:43 Before Loom0:08:01 Hiring believers with no titles0:12:08 Non-title titles0:15:47 Supercharged COO0:20:00 Trust and collaboration0:24:02 Onboarding and a bunch of challenges0:27:29 Organizing people, getting results0:30:10 Defensive processes0:34:16 Say the thing you can't say0:37:29 Cultural differences0:42:48 Managing out0:49:21 What would you change about the book?0:52:17 Q&A1:05:42 Outro