December 2023. Already six months have passed since the brand was launched, the crowdfunding campaign for the first business card holder was successful, and the e-commerce site is gradually being established.
This project delves into the thoughts and reflections of staff members that lead to mushco's unique character, as well as future prospects, in a dialogue format. In the first episode, we spoke with Hino, the representative of mushco, about the story behind the brand's creation and a look back at the past six months.
*In 2023, Hino participated in the "Start Next Innovator" program, which sends entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley. This program, part of the "Bridge Project between Silicon Valley and Japan," aims to cultivate the next generation of innovators. Hino encountered mushroom leather through this program and founded mushco in December 2023.
#table of contents
1. My encounter with mushroom skin (mushroom leather)
2. Motivation for the brand
3. Well-being realized with mushco
4. What I learned from mushco
5. Mushco's Challenges
1. My encounter with mushroom skin (mushroom leather)
—What made you discover mushroom skin (mushroom leather) again?
Hino : It was when I was participating in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's startup support program "Start-up Next Innovator ." I had always wanted to start a business centered around mushrooms. I had seen examples of mushroom-related businesses overseas, so I knew about mushroom skin (mushroom leather), but when I saw the news that Japan was about to start mass production for the first time, I became interested again.
Actually, a colleague who started working at the same time as me told me that I was happiest when talking about mushrooms , which is what got me seriously thinking about starting a mushroom-related business. When I was researching mushroom leather, I came across an article about a Japanese company that was about to start manufacturing mushroom skin (mushroom leather) .
—When you discovered mushroom skin (mushroom leather), did you immediately see its potential?
Hino: No, to be honest, at first it was simply out of curiosity, wanting to try it for myself . I actually bought a few pieces and felt them, and I thought it would be great to develop a product using this leather. I sent direct mail to around 10 artists on social media, looking for people who would cooperate in making business card holders.
Then, by chance, I found someone who was willing to help me...and it was only after the "Start-Up" program was over that I decided to take on the project in earnest as a business.
—You've now left your previous job and are focusing on mushco, but was there a time when you thought you could do it?
Hino: There wasn't a particular moment when I thought, "I can do this, " but rather, I felt like I had no choice but to do it .
When I gave a presentation on the business card holder and the possibilities of mushroom skin (mushroom leather) at the final stage of "Start," about 10 of my classmates offered to buy them. Even though the price was not cheap, I felt really honored when I prepared about 10 of them and received the money.
Because it was a new material and its durability was an unknown quantity, I strongly felt that the price was not just a price for the product, but also a price that contained expectations for the future . I have been working on it ever since, with the feeling that I have to live up to those expectations.
Now, six months later, I feel like I'm slowly getting closer to meeting those expectations. I was worried about whether people would buy the products through crowdfunding, and while I was worried that the random, one-of-a-kind patterns wouldn't be well-received, they have actually been purchased by a wide variety of people.
I'm beginning to feel confident that I can move forward with this concept and the way the patterns are presented. I think that by expanding the product lineup and making improvements to make the price more affordable, mushroom leather will become even more popular.
At this point, I feel like the brand's direction has become pretty clear .
2. Brand Drive
-As you move forward, you face difficulties and challenges that are unique to starting a business or a completely new venture with no precedents. What is your current source of motivation?
Hino: As we move forward with our business, our purpose has become increasingly clear. mushco's mission is to "achieve both sustainability and well-being . "
Specifically, we aim to contribute to the global environment by using sustainable materials . At the same time, we communicate the brand message of respecting the individuality of the owner through our products, which are all unique in design. Through these efforts, we have a strong desire to contribute to the realization of people's well-being .
Now, realizing this mission is one of my main motivations.
Furthermore, as we move forward with our business, we realize how much support we have received from many people, including our team members, those who purchased our products in the early stages, and those around us who always offer encouragement.
My desire to give back to these people grows stronger every day. I think that achieving this mission and giving back to the people who support me is what motivates me now.
3. Well-being realized with mushco
-What exactly does mushco bring to well-being?
Hino: One form of well-being that mushco aims for is to respect the individuality of the owner through the product's unique feature that no two designs are the same .
In the past, society tended to demand relatively uniform values. However, I believe that in the coming age, more emphasis will be placed on individual creativity. I believe that the background to this is the development of AI and the rapid spread of social media.
I think that in the coming age, people who can bring out their own unique personalities and strengths will find life easier.
That's why mushco wants to play a role in encouraging and supporting individual creativity .
Specifically, through products with one-of-a-kind patterns, we aim to celebrate the individuality and personality of each individual, providing an opportunity to bring out their creativity . This is one form of well-being that mushco envisions.
-Owning a product gives the buyer confidence and makes life easier for them, so does that mean you aim to make life easier mentally?
Hino: That's right. I also simply hope that the people who are involved with the business and the company will feel good, even if only a little . For example, I want to make sure that the members involved with this brand are able to fully demonstrate their strengths . I think that understanding your strengths and performing well in this way will lead to a more comfortable life for yourself , so I hope that the people involved with mushco will have that experience.
I also think that carrying around things made from sustainable materials, things that are at least a little better for the global environment, can lead to a sense of self-affirmation.
-Is there anything mushco expects from its buyers in the future?
Hino: We don't expect people to simply buy our products because they are sustainable. Rather, we believe that the ideal situation would be for customers to compare our products with other products that have excellent design and functionality, and then think, "Since I'm here, I might as well choose the sustainable option."
We have no intention of forcing a self-centered claim like "Buy us because we're sustainable." Our first priority is to create products and develop our brand with design and functionality as our greatest strengths. On top of that, we want to communicate the value of sustainability.
For example, we have made repeated improvements to our business card holders. I continue to use them every day, and they have become my favorite products. I feel that they have reached a level where I can confidently and strongly recommend them to the people around me.
That's why I would be happy if you could experience the original pattern that is just for you and the soft texture.
Our goal is to become a brand that offers sustainability as added value while being chosen for the inherent appeal of our products .
4. What I learned from mushco
—Have you noticed anything or changed your way of thinking since you started mushco as a brand?
Hino: Speaking of which, things really didn't go as expected at all and none of the plans came to fruition lol.
I got sick and couldn't make any progress, so my results weren't up to par and I felt like things weren't going according to plan.
I thought it might go a little more smoothly.
Right now, I feel frustrated because I haven't reached the ideal future at all, but I still feel like I need to settle down, do what I can now every day, and move forward little by little with my life.
—Are there any difficulties unique to the brand field?
Hino: There are so many, lol. This is a business area that I would never get into if I was just trying to make money, lol.
So every time I face a difficulty, I realize that I'm not doing it just to make money. I have a sense that I want to do things properly based on my own principles, and I don't think that will change.
I feel like my determination to see this through is getting stronger every day.
—Again, where do you think your motivation comes from?
Hino: I don't really have a sense of motivation. I just have to do it.
I think they're doing it.
However, as I continued doing this, I began to realize that we have a mission and role to play as a brand specializing in mushroom skin (mushroom leather) .
—What does that mean specifically?
Hino: Major international brands are also developing products using vegan leather, but to be honest, when they already have a certain sales base for products made from existing materials, it would be difficult to make economic sense for them to immediately start pushing vegan leather or sustainable materials .
That's why I think it will be difficult for major brands like these to penetrate the market simply by partially adopting sustainable materials .
In this context, mushco, as a brand specializing in mushroom skin (mushroom leather), has a mission to deliver strong values, influence people to change their behavior, and thereby move society one step further .
—Doing things that no one else is doing might be your driving force and motivation.
Hino: It's true that I like doing things that other people haven't done before . In that sense, there are still many things that haven't been done in the mushroom leather genre, so maybe that's why I can continue to enjoy doing it every day.
-I think what's interesting about the mushroom skin (mushroom leather) genre is that it allows you to continue to be involved in new things that don't exist yet.
Hino: Yes, I don't think that will change. I want to continue taking on new challenges and delivering mushco's values.
5. Mushco's Challenges
—What do you see as mushco's future challenges?
Hino: The biggest challenge for the brand is ensuring stable sales . Mushroom skin (mushroom leather) is still a relatively unknown genre, and people still don't know about it. On the other hand, we ourselves don't have much cash flow to spare, so we're in a very tense situation.
At the same time, we need to continue developing new products so that more people can get their hands on them. For this reason, we are planning to have mushco's supporters try out new products as monitors each time a new product is completed.
Currently, our product prices are a little high due to cost issues, but we still hope to build strong bonds with those who are interested in mushco and support us .
To achieve this, we need to share our desire to grow mushco together with many people and make sincere efforts to gain their support. We also believe it is important to always communicate the current state of the brand with transparency.
In this way, I think the challenge is to grow the brand while balancing raising awareness of the genre itself, developing new products, building relationships with fans, and managing funds.
—That sounds really difficult.
Hino: That's how it usually seems, haha, but it all started with people who supported me and mushco, so I don't feel like I'm alone and it's not particularly painful.
I think it would be difficult for other people to do this, but I'm actually enjoying this situation lol
The genre, vision, and future direction suit me.
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This concludes our interview with mushco's CEO, Hino. He spoke passionately about the story behind the brand's creation, a look back at the past six months, and his outlook for the future. We look forward to seeing more of mushco's future endeavors as they work towards achieving sustainability and well-being.
We plan to publish interview articles with other members in the future, so please look forward to them!