Create a smartphone that can be said to be "absolutely want" to crazy: Balmuda Terao Gen's current location (Part 2)
Gen Terao, the founder of Balmuda, who developed the coffee maker "BALMUDA THE BREW" released in October 2021 and the charm of Balmuda.In the second half of the interview, he talked passionately about the reason why he decided to put his smartphone in the new brand "Balmuda Technologies" and the future map of Balmuda (continued from the first part).
Following human history
で す We are about to release smartphones, but I feel that Balmuda has been a company that does not even put "technology" in the forefront.In a way, we have commercialized technology that is close to human life in an invisible form.Why did Balmuda create a brand called "BALMUDA TECHNOLOGIES" at this time?
I was originally a musician, but Balmuda started as a technology company from the beginning.Of course, at first I had to start with a very low integration.I have no knowledge, no money, and I am alone.As for technology, it is full of effort to cut aluminum and make a PC cooling table.
Still, it was clearly a technology company at the time.So, the reason why the brand bears "technologies" is actually the case from the beginning.
─ In a sense, did you return to the starting point?
No, I don't think I'm going to the origin, but I've been doing technical things for a long time.However, I felt that it was not attached to "technologies".Because the accumulation of (technology) is low.
However, 18 years have passed since its founding, and the degree of integration has gradually increased.Starting with a PC peripheral device with an aluminum, we created an LED desk light.At first, the board was really small.When it was the time to make a fan, the number of parts, such as three substrates and brushless motors, gradually increased.Since then, the number of lines of each product program and electronic components to be handled are increasing.
Machine cutting and precision processing accelerated with the industrial revolution, so Balmuda has begun with the technology of that era.From there, I started making home appliances like "What came out after that, humanity" and pursuing human history.
From such a history perspective, smartphones are a very short history product.
I agree.I think I was finally standing on the same start line as other electronics manufacturers.
It is true that digital products are becoming more difficult to differentiate because they have become very commodity.But can you see that the barriers to entry are not so high, so it's easy to get to the starting point?
No, I think the barriers to entry are high.The first is to create a product that sells.In addition, settings to actually make products and places to sell.And cost.Development costs are not comparable so far, so it is not something you can do.
For example, suppose a major Japanese manufacturer has developed a high -performance smartphone.It is also possible for a camera manufacturer to put out a smartphone replaced by a high -performance part only.However, if you make a smartphone equipped with a high -performance camera from zero, you will need a huge cost.We are doing that "from zero".
