From Vision to Reality: My Founding Story of LEAD in the Knowledge Management Revolution

　(日本語版はこちらへ）

For those of you new here, our product is a SaaS solution designed to enhance knowledge management within organizations. Initially launched in 2017 as a mentorship platform, we’ve since expanded to address broader challenges such as operational efficiency and mapping subject-matter expertise. With the launch of LEAD.bot in 2020, we’ve focused on optimizing knowledge networks and driving effective collaboration.

Over the years, we’ve made strategic pivots, refining our product and go-to-market strategies. We've changed our target from HR buyers to Business Unit buyers (as half of our inbound customers aren't from HR), and transitioned from working with SMBs to becoming a leading solution for large enterprises (1,000+ employees). Our technology now supports HR, IT, and operational teams in building knowledge-sharing programs, accelerating employee integration—from onboarding to post-M&A knowledge and culture integration—and fostering continuous learning across the organization.

Today, we operate with a hybrid approach, combining both top-down enterprise sales and a bottom-up freemium model, enabling organizations to leverage our tools for scalable, impactful knowledge management.

Attending mentorship program hosted by TsingHua University Alumni

A mentor of ours, who is a sales director at Intel, shared an interesting observation in one of our sessions. He noted that Dropbox didn’t start their enterprise sales until they reached $100M in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). He finds it intriguing that our company, LEAD, even at our seed stage, has already attracted inbound interest from large enterprises, including names like Microsoft, IHG hotel group, a major gaming studio competing with Disney, and top management consulting firms like MBB. This, in my opinion, is a testament to our product’s value and our high security standards, enabling us to clear rigorous due diligence processes and secure contracts with such prestigious companies. Interestingly, we’ve achieved this without a dedicated sales team; it’s just myself and an early founding member who initially handled marketing but now assists with sales and product management.

A screenshot of our HR seminar via Zoom

You might be curious about what exactly we are building that . While AI is often a buzzword, we leverage millions of data points to assist companies in identifying high performers and those in need of training and coaching. Using ,

You might be curious about what exactly we are building that garners attention from CEOs and CIOs. While AI is often a buzzword, we combine Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) with millions of data points to help companies identify operational inefficiencies, high-performing sales talent, and early signs of customer churn. Our approach goes beyond traditional HR, providing insights into cross-team dynamics and company-wide knowledge flows—an area many organizations don’t yet have a dedicated department for.

However, mission-critical organizations like NASA have established roles, such as Chief Knowledge Officers (CKOs) and Knowledge Analysts, specifically to manage this. In some tech companies, these responsibilities are often assigned to business analysts. By leveraging ONA and integrated data, we enable companies to break down silos, identify inefficiencies, and improve decision-making across departments, ultimately leading to better performance and revenue growth. Our solution supports informal meetups, new hire integration, manager training, and tracks shifts in organizational networks, offering concrete, measurable impacts on both efficiency and outcomes.

ONA-powered performance review illustration

Throughout this startup journey, my learning curve has been steep and rewarding. The challenging questions posed by investors, and the advice from our customers, have all contributed to a deeper understanding of our business landscape. I’ve also gained insights into my own leadership and communication styles. I realized that ideas I initially set aside due to challenges or skepticism, are now the very features our customers are eager to pay for.

I acknowledge that I am not perfect, and this journey is an ongoing learning process for both me and my team. However, these experiences reinforce our belief in our vision. We are driven by the possibility that we can be the catalysts for change, helping enterprises become more innovative and efficient. We envision a future where, through the environment fostered by LEAD, employees experience greater happiness, growth, and fairness in their workplace. This is not just a goal; it’s the future we are actively working to create!