Humbly Learning from the Founders, Sun Valley Conference, and Sony Group Employees
■ Morita-san's Lesson on the Importance of Learning Through Humbleness
As I wrote in my previous blog, with the start of the new management team, I thought it would be a good time to revisit Sony's Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV). And in doing so, I'm once again thinking about our founders and Sony's DNA.
At our Corporate Strategy Meeting and Management Conference in May, I brought up the key words "sense of urgency," "humbleness," and "long-term perspective." Those words were inspired by Morita-san's speech that I heard while working in New York City in September 1993, which has remained with me to this day: "Sony has learned many things from the US over the years. Many Japanese companies out there may be thinking that they have now surpassed the US, but Sony must remain humble and continue learning from America."
I've spoken several times about the fact that Netscape and Amazon were founded the very next year, in 1994, and about my belief that Morita-san's sense of urgency likely came from the emergence of the internet. In addition, that as "data mega players" in the US and China are currently on the rise, Sony should not forget to humbly learn from those around us.
■ Learning Humbly from US Media and Tech Companies
Amid all this, I recently attended a yearly event hosted by the investment firm Allen & Company, known as the Sun Valley Conference, for the first time alongside Hirai-san and Tony from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
This year's conference - 36th overall - was held in mid-July, with the top management from 222 companies in attendance, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, AT&T, Verizon, Disney, Netflix, and Comcast. From Japan, three companies were represented: Softbank, Rakuten, and Sony.
During the Conference, I had the chance to engage directly with many of Sony's business partners.
In the electronics domain, I spoke with Hubert Joly, CEO of Best Buy, which is our sales partner. In the entertainment field, I met with the CEOs of Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, who are our content distribution partners as well as business partners in other domains. I also sat down with Bryan Lourd of the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of America's top four agencies for creators, such as actors, directors, and scriptwriters. Every conversation contained a wealth of lessons.
With Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly（Taken by Tony Vinciquerra with Xperia XZ1）
■ The Importance of Strengthening Our Negotiation Power While Humbly Learning from Others
While Sun Valley provided me with several pieces of insight, one I want to share with all of you is the importance of strengthening our negotiation power to sustain and expand Sony's competitiveness, even as we continue to learn humbly from our partners.
Sony is not only an Electronics company, but we are also a DTC (Direct to Consumer) company with Financial Services and Games, and an Entertainment company with music and films. There is no other company that boasts such a diverse portfolio. And precisely because Sony has technology, content IP, and DTC services under a single business umbrella, we must consider what collaborations are possible with outside companies and strategically plan our negotiating approach and actions toward technology and media top players.
By doing so, we can elevate Sony's competitiveness and ultimately enhance our corporate value. And I want to drive this together with all of you.
Additionally, Totoki-san recently paid a visit to Microsoft. He was told that their corporate attitude has shifted from being a "Knowing Company" to a "Learning Company." Here, too, we can observe that they value a humble learning attitude.
■ Learning Humbly from All of You, and Contemplating Sony's New MVV
My previous blog, "Revisiting Sony's Mission, Vision, Values," drew the largest amount of feedback yet from Group employees across the globe.
Many of you agreed with the notion of taking another look at our MVV, and I received an abundance of insightful suggestions. Specifically, one cited the first Book of the Analects of Confucius, "Studying and Practicing," saying that this should serve as a model for Sony. Others believed that our MVV should incorporate the perspective of what Sony can do to be useful to society, or that we ought to evolve our MVV into something more suited to the current business landscape, and that our MVV should be something all employees worldwide can easily understand and keep in mind during their day to day work.
I humbly accept these words of advice from all of you, and I want to take the time - including this summer holiday - to continue reflecting on who we are and the direction that Sony should proceed. I look forward to receiving any additional input and/or feedback.