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An Entrepreneurial Mindset Pioneers the Future: Living According to D-POPS GROUP’s Philosophy

  • Media
2025.08.20

In recent years, the structure of society has undergone significant transformation due to advances in AI technology, the complexification of the global market, and the diversification of values. The very concept of stability is wavering, and we have entered an era where past successes no longer guarantee future ones.

In this age of uncertainty, what everyone needs is the ability to manage our own lives. This isn’t limited to business owners. The mindset universally essential for all—whether corporate businesspeople, students, or homemakers—is that of an entrepreneur.

1. What is an Entrepreneurial Mindset?

An entrepreneurial mindset doesn’t specifically refer to the skills of starting a business. Rather, its essence lies in an attitude of self-willed perception, proactive action, and a resolve to influence our environment. Here are the primary components that constitute the entrepreneurial mindset:

・The power to initiate value creation: a perspective that identifies challenges and needs, and produces value from scratch
・The power of conversion to action: the agility to convert thoughts into action and to learn via the process of verifying something
・The acceptance of our failures: the flexibility to redefine failure not as an endpoint, but as the starting point for learning and growth
・Self-responsibility: the resolve not to blame others, but to embrace ourselves as the subject of change
・Future-oriented cooperation: the ability to build value collaboratively with others who resonate with a shared vision, rather than being isolated
Individuals who possess these qualities remain strong even when their environment changes, and generate a positive ripple effect on those around them.

2. The Future Imagined by D-POPS GROUP Goes Hand in Hand with an Entrepreneurial Mindset

D-POPS GROUP holds the vision of “realizing a Venture Ecosystem that is essential to society” and is working to build a business model that integrates technology and humanity.

Its greatest characteristic lies in the construction of a “Venture Ecosystem” where all of the group companies and investment companies organically collaborate with each other. This platform doesn’t merely provide capital, but accelerates corporate growth through multifaceted support in areas like strategy, finance, legal, and HR.

Core to the ideology flowing through this ecosystem is the cultivation of an entrepreneurial mind. D-POPS GROUP provides an environment that encourages a shift in mindset through the following:

・Practical support system: back-office support and on-site, hands-on assistance
・Co-creative relationships: sharing of expertise, talent, and assets via collaboration throughout the community
・An atmosphere that encourages challenge: a culture that intentionally forgives failure

In such an environment, individuals with the sense that they are “running their own business”—even while being members of the community—are more teachable, which elevates the resilience of the group overall.

3. Starting a Business is No Longer a “Lonely Battle”

Historically, creating a business was an isolated choice that strongly demanded individual risk-taking. However, the current startup environment has changed significantly.

Today’s entrepreneurship emphasizes development as a joint exercise more than the individual capabilities of one person. Ecosystems like D-POPS GROUP are a symbol of this shift:

・Multifaceted support from highly specialized professional teams
・Networking and collaboration opportunities among businesses that are highly motivated to grow
・Creating new markets through cooperation among companies tackling societal issues

It’s no longer the era of bearing the burden of risk by ourselves. We are in an era where individuals who think and act for themselves can gain many options and resources within an ecosystem built on trust and equality.

4. An Entrepreneurial Mindset is a Replicable Skill

It’s often assumed that an entrepreneurial mindset is a talent, but this is a misconception. Essentially, it’s a skill set that anyone can develop by forming and daily practicing certain habits of mindfulness and behavior. Specifically, the following shifts are involved:

・Shift to solution-based thought patterns: instead of constantly listing out reasons why something can’t be done, think about how to make something become possible
・Prioritizing choice over reactivity: every day, choose to act intentionally rather than simply reacting emotionally
・Reframing failure: instead of considering mistakes to be “the end”, utilize their accumulation as “data” for the next attempt
・Internal motivation over external validation: place a higher value on the excitement and anticipation of our own potential more than on how others see us

These thinking habits foster long-term personal growth and trust-building rather than short-term results.

5. The Restoration of Autonomy Will Shape the Next Era

In modern society, our tendency to seek the absolutely “correct answer” remains deeply ingrained. However, if we only follow the rails without taking any initiative, it will be difficult to navigate when the path becomes unclear.

Therefore, it is critical to reclaim ourselves as the agent of our own lives, rather than allowing others to determine our actions.

For such individuals who live with agency, the ecosystem of D-POPS GROUP provides an ideal environment. Instead of being dependent, we grow together. Instead of competition, we progress together. And we continuously produce the fertile soil on which these pursuits can thrive.

6. An Era Where Everyone Can Become an “Entrepreneur”

In our rapidly changing world, the greatest asset we could possess is the adaptability to transform ourselves in response to changes. D-POPS GROUP provides an ecosystem where individuals who embrace challenges can safely grow and evolve through turning plans into action.

The critical issue isn’t whether or not we launch a startup company. What’s crucial is to take charge of designing our own lives, and not leave our lives to someone else’s decision.

We live in a diverse era with infinite choices. Therefore, with freedom comes the responsibility to choose.

And in the end, the one who chooses the future and steers the ship is none other than yourself.

We hope you enjoyed this article and look forward to working with you sometime in future.

D-POPS GROUP Advisor S.S.

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At D-POPS GROUP, we understand a “Venture Ecosystem” to be a dynamic platform that enhances the growth and sustainability of a community of enterprises. United by a shared identity and philosophy, these companies continuously innovate to address critical social challenges through groundbreaking business models. We are committed to making this ideal a reality through daily strategic efforts and unwavering dedication. *Please check out this page for more details: Venture Ecosystem: A Platform for Growth and Sustainability In this article, we’ll look at the parallels between managing a startup company and mountaineering. Specifically, the mindset required, the importance of accumulating steady steps, and how to deal with risk. 1. Similarities Between Mountaineering and Business Management When you stand at the foot of a large mountain you’re about to climb, you instinctively hold their breath. The sheer height of the summit, the distance to it, and the ruggedness of the terrain stir the heart. It’s an indescribable feeling—a mix of anticipation, anxiety, excitement, and fear. The Japanese term musha-burui (a warrior’s trembling before the start of a battle) perfectly captures this sensation. However, once you start walking, the summit quickly disappears from view. What you see instead are the rocks at your feet, wet tree roots, diverging paths, and steep slopes. You adjust your pace to avoid exhaustion, focus on your breathing, and accumulate one careful step after another. Simultaneously, you remain on the lookout for sudden weather changes or sounds from the bushes. Mountaineering is a progressive series of unassuming, unspectacular endeavors, while also being accompanied by significant danger. This is very similar to founding a company or working at a startup company. While pursuing a grand vision to solve a societal issue, the day-to-day work is often unglamorous, unpredictable, and complicated, and carries the weight of staking your whole life on a venture that may or may not survive. These six examples illustrate the similarities between mountaineering and management. (1) Mountaineering: Preparation → Management: Vision Setting Mountaineering is not possible to do without preparation. You decide which mountain to ascend, study maps, determine the route, and procure the equipment and physical strength necessary for the climb. In management terms, this equates to setting a vision, collecting capital and information, and assembling the development team and sales structure for your product. (2) Mountaineering: Party → Management: Team Formation The presence of companions is also crucial in mountaineering. Ideally, you climb together with people who have similar stamina and share your mountaineering style and goals. This closely mirrors the team building essential in startups and new businesses, so they say deciding “who to put on the bus first” is critical. (3) Mountaineering: Understanding the Surrounding Environment → Management: Responding to Market Changes While climbing, you must constantly monitor your surroundings for sudden shifts in the weather, unstable rocky paths, or turns that are easy to miss. In business operations, these correspond to “environmental variables” such as market fluctuations, competitor movements, and easily overlooked product defects or customer feedback. (4) Mountaineering: Knowing Your Current Position → Management: Tracking KPIs During the execution phase, knowing your current position is also critical. You need to accurately determine your current location and altitude using a GPS, and check your heart rate, perspiration levels, and sometimes even your blood oxygen saturation. In management, this is equivalent to checking KPIs and financial data and monitoring the well-being of your team members. (5) Mountaineering: Courageous Retreat → Management: Business Withdrawal or Pivot If you determine that continuing to climb is no longer feasible due to changes in the external environment, limits to your physical stamina, or sustaining an injury, one option is to turn back down the mountain. In management, this looks like a business withdrawal, downsizing, or a pivot. When leaders choose one of these options, it can protect lives, shareholders, and team members, and even sometimes lead to greater success later on. (6) Tenacious Spirit Finally, the boldness to challenge oneself, an unyielding spirit, and perseverance are essential in both mountaineering and startup company management. Although this may seem contradictory to the “courageous retreat” or “business withdrawal” mentioned in the previous point, there are many situations where the failure or success of your business entirely depends on whether you think to yourself “I can’t go on” or “Just one more step”. This mindset is a vital component of operating a startup company.   Mountaineering Business Management Vision-Setting and Preparation Phase Decide which mountain to summit Set the company’s vision and goals Train up the necessary physical fitness Acquire fundamental work skills Prepare the necessary gear for the climb Prepare management resources and capital Form a climbing party Gather partners with the same philosophies Execution Phase Accumulation of steps, one by one Accumulation of routine daily efforts Pay attention to the weather and terrain Pay attention to environmental variables Track your current location with a compass Track business KPIs Judge when it’s time to turn back Judge when it’s time to pivot or withdraw Overcome the difficult trail to reach the top Overcome difficulties to achieve your goals Safely descend the mountain Properly reflect and review performance Growth Phase Aim for an even taller mountain Take on the next business challenge 2. The Big Difference Between Theory and Practice Today, we are constantly being bombarded with information. Countless texts are being published, including autobiographies and “how-to” guides from business leaders, marketing books, and MBA-related textbooks. Learning about and discussing these intense experiences can sometimes create the illusion that we ourselves took part in them somehow. It’s certainly not useless to gain business operation knowledge from books. However, reading these concepts and stories is only the equivalent of reading information about a mountain or looking at a tall mountain from our mountaineering analogy. So, what constitutes “the experience of climbing”? It’s simply climbing—even a familiar mountain like Mount Takao—one step at a time with your own feet, breaking a sweat, losing your breath, and taking in the view from the summit with your own eyes until your very skin can feel it. It’s getting caught in the rain, getting lost, enduring pain in your feet, and still moving forward. It’s in these moments that you develop the strength to push yourself with just a little more effort and the guts to say, “This is as far as we go today” and turn back. These emotions and decision-making skills can never be gained just by reading a book. This very experience is what we compare to starting with the small things on the job. The accumulation of practical, small-scale tasks—like customer acquisition, sales channel development, new business launches, and hiring—is like continuing to go on small climbs, until eventually you build up the muscle and judgment needed to summit a major mountain. The information in your head and the feelings you internalize through your body are completely different things. We can never become true business leaders with knowledge alone. However, by continually climbing small mountains in our daily work, we eventually gain the strength to tackle the mountain of a major business venture, and our unceasing efforts eventually lead us to success. Even the most monumental achievement begins with a single, tiny step, and it is only through the accumulation of these steps that it is ever realized. 3. How to Train Your Mountaineering Feet and Business Skills There is a saying among mountaineers: “Mountain feet can only be trained on the mountain.” The same is true in business operations. Professional ability can never be enhanced through desk-based learning alone. (1) The Difference Between Gym Training and Mountain Training You cannot get authentic mountaineering feet by walking flat roads for dozens of kilometers, running on a treadmill at the gym, or lifting weights. A mountain trail isn’t just a flat path. You might slip on tree roots or fine gravel and injure your hand, sprain your ankle on a loose rock, or sometimes even fall and suffer a major injury. The act of continuously ascending a steep slope for hundreds of meters or scrambling up and down a rocky peak puts a unique strain on the body that you cannot get from repeating squats in a gym or climbing flights of stairs in a city building. It is through the repeated experience of climbing various mountains under diverse conditions that your core strength and cardiovascular function gradually adapt and are trained for the mountain. Only then will you truly have the mountaineering feet that no amount of gym training can provide. (2) Job Skills Can Only Be Enhanced on the Job The same principle applies to business capability. A consultant can draw a beautiful and perfect business strategy plan using management theory, SWOT analysis, and market research. If you attend business school, you might learn many theories and success stories, and perhaps even participate in negotiation role-playing exercises. However, this is merely the gym training mentioned in our climbing analogy. The despair when a client contract negotiation falls apart at the last minute, contrasted with the joy of successfully concluding a deal by having foreseen and avoided the exact cause of the previous failure. The anguish of being forced to decide on a withdrawal because a new startup failed to secure funding. The exhilaration of resolving a conflict of opinion with a team member through persistent dialogue. These are all experiences that can never be fully captured in a textbook or a role-play—they can only be gained on the “practical mountain” of business. Unlike a textbook, no real-life situation proceeds exactly as planned. Unlike role-playing, the people you deal with in business are sincere, flesh-and-blood individuals. 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Having enough working capital on hand to survive for six months even if revenue drops to near zero—this is the “minimum baseline” cited by most management textbooks and business practitioners. A cash buffer provides that peace of mind, allowing you to act calmly in a crisis. It reduces the chance of making poor decisions due to cash flow pressure. Furthermore, this cushion allows you to take an offensive step and launch a challenge when the overall social environment is unstable. (2) Human Resource Reserves Financial reserves aren’t the only buffer needed; human resources are just as critical. Organizations operating on razor-thin staffing have no room for people to take time off, leading to an accumulation of physical and mental fatigue. As people approach their physical and mental limits, their judgment and creativity inevitably decline, and the risk of turnover increases. Once in this negative spiral, the entire organization becomes exhausted. 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Maintaining a buffer enables the peace of mind to reach the goal and return safely. In business operations, investing in both your working capital and the mental wellbeing of your team members is a certain strategy for success. 5. Both Mountaineering and Leadership Are a Series of Decisions Mountaineering constantly demands on-the-spot judgment. You must personally decide on your climbing pace, when to take a break, and when to replenish water or energy based on your physical condition and current location. Ultimately, making the call to call off the entire climb depending on the weather is also up to you. The sport of triathlon is popular among business executives. However, a triathlon is a race competing for rank, conducted within set rules, and fought in a venue where safety is perfectly secured. The decision to cancel due to bad weather is made by the organizers. In a company context, you might say this decision is made by the board of directors. Contests that involve competing within established rules are arguably better suited for directors of large corporations or hired professional managers. In contrast, mountaineering is a challenge where you attempt to defy nature, adapt to environmental changes, come face to face with danger at all times, and proceed based on your own judgment alone. Entrepreneurs or business professionals working at newly established startups and venturing into completely uncharted territory have the same attitude and mindset. They encounter a continuous stream of difficult decisions daily, constantly confronting risk while pursuing relentless effort to tackle major societal issues. In this way, mountaineering and managing a startup company truly go hand in hand. --- This analogy comparing the mindset of startup company leadership to mountaineering was written as a reference for the activities undertaken by D-POPS GROUP in promoting a Venture Ecosystem. We hope you enjoy this article and look forward to working with you sometime in future. D-POPS GROUP Advisor Genta Sugihara Appendix Advisor Sugihara, who supports the members of our Venture Ecosystem, is undertaking the challenge of conquering the “100 Famous Japanese Mountains” while wearing our company’s signature unicorn T-shirt, to illustrate the spirit of a startup company.
  • Media
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