Outline of note's Corporate Strategy 2026

This is an open internal newsletter. As of recently, I have moved from CXO to CSO (Chief Strategy Officer). In reality, I have been focusing primarily on strategy for the past few years, so this title change reflects that.

With that said, I have re-edited note's basic strategy to the extent that it can be made public.

note's Strategy

Strategy in a nutshell

Design a cycle where creation is born, reaches people, is rewarded, and leads to the next creation.

And in an era where AI generates content infinitely, note will become a place where "trusted creation" and "lasting human relationships" gather.

Our basic strategy is not to compete for market share, but to connect the interests of creators, readers, companies, media, publishers, AI businesses, and partners to grow the market (ecosystem) for creation itself.

What is our purpose?

Every strategy at note serves this one point.
Our business, numbers, AI, partnerships, and organizational development all have this as their goal.

Increase the number of people who start creating.
Increase the number of people who continue creating.
Increase the state where creation reaches people, relationships are formed, and it leads to revenue and opportunities.

note's role is to make this cycle function as a system, rather than relying solely on the individual efforts of creators and employees.

Why is a strategy needed now?

We have entered an era where anyone can publish.
Furthermore, with generative AI, the hurdles to creating all kinds of content—text, images, audio, and video—are rapidly lowering.

However, even if it becomes easy to "start" creating,continuing, reaching people, being trusted, and leading to revenue and opportunitiesremain difficult.

In fact, the more content there is, the more important the following questions become.

Who created it?
Why is it trustworthy?
In what context should it be read?
With whom does that work create a relationship?
How does that value lead to the next creation?

The era where AI increases content is not a headwind for note.
Rather, it is an era where the value oftrusted creation, expression delivered under a person's name, and long-lasting relationships with readersincreases.

That is why note will become a company that designs a cycle where creation is born, reaches people, is rewarded, and leads to the next creation, rather than just a posting service.

How we will achieve it

To that end, we will operate the entire system as a single cycle.

Creators gather,
works increase,
readers gather,
relationships are formed,
revenue and opportunities are generated,
and those reactions spark the next wave of creation.

We will amplify this cycle of creation through our products, AI, media partnerships, events, IP development, and corporate communications.

We will not win by simply adding up individual functions or businesses. We win when each business plays a role within the same circle, strengthening one another. It is not the success of individual businesses that matters, but the connection and circulation between them.

C2C increases creation and reader relationships.
note pro increases primary information and trusted communication from companies.
Events create a sense of belonging and reasons to continue.
Media partnerships expand the outlets for works.
IP development expands the potential of works into external markets.
AI increases the speed and precision of this cycle.

As note grows, it becomes easier for creators to start, continue, and reach their audience.
As the number of creators increases, the value of note for readers, companies, media, and partners also rises.

Creating this cycle is how we win.

How we will expand the market

We do not view the creative market as something to be fought over.

Publishers, media, broadcasting, streaming, corporations, educational institutions, local regions, AI businesses, and creator communities.
If we connect the strengths that each possesses, we can further increase the outlets through which creations can reach people.

note is not a company that keeps everything to itself.
We will connect with various players as a place where creation is born, where relationships with readers are formed, where works expand into external markets, and where companies and society deliver trusted information.

Instead of defeating competitors, we will increase the total volume of creation.
Instead of enclosing the market, we will increase the paths through which creation is rewarded.
As a result, we will also increase the value of note's existence.

What we will do

C2C — The core of the creative cycle

C2C is the core of note.

We will create a state where everyone can easily start, continue, reach their audience, and monetize their creations.

Until now, note has expanded the ways individuals can earn revenue from their creations through article sales, support, magazines, memberships, and more.
From now on, we will place even greater emphasis on cultivating lasting relationships rather than just one-off article sales.

Instead of readers buying once and leaving, they will continuously support the creator's activities. Creators, too, will build up relationships with readers rather than relying on one-hit wonders.

These "lasting relationships" will become the foundation for continuing creation for a long time.

However, we will not narrow our focus solely to recurring billing.
The form that suits each creator varies, including one-time sales, free publishing, support, memberships, corporate sponsorships, external media expansion, and IP development.

Rather than forcing creators into a specific revenue model, note will create a place where they can have multiple optionsaccording to the type of their creative work and their stage of growth.

B2B / note pro — Connecting corporate communication to a trusted space

note pro is a business that provides companies with both a place to reach their audience and the trust that comes with it.

Beyond just advertising, there is an increasing need for companies to convey their philosophy, business, culture, recruitment, and approach to society in their own words.
note becomes a place where that primary information reaches readers, accumulates, and transforms into trust.

Companies are not merely customers.
They are communicators who enrich the platform, sponsors who support creators and their works, and partners who bring new questions to society.

The stable revenue from note pro also serves as a foundation to support note's overall challenges.
It becomes the capital to support large-scale investments, AI utilization, media partnerships, IP development, and community initiatives that are difficult to undertake through C2C alone.

B2B is not a separate business from C2C.
As corporate communication increases, the number of readers grows, the amount of trusted information increases, and opportunities for creators also expand.
We will grow note pro as part of that cycle.

Events — Creating reasons to continue creating

You can start creating on your own.
But it is difficult to continue alone.

Events create reasons to continue creating.

They transform online relationships into real-life encounters, a sense of belonging, passion, and subsequent actions.
Writers inspire one another.
Readers learn about the background of creators.
Companies and media discover new talent.
From there, new works and jobs are born.

Events are not just one-off moments of excitement, but mechanisms that strengthen relationships within the creative cycle.

Media Partnerships — Expanding the outlets for works

Many works are born on note every day.
However, the potential of these works does not end within note.

Book publishing, film adaptations, audio versions, manga adaptations, game development, courses, events, and collaborations with companies.
There are many more outlets for these works.

Media partnerships play the role of expanding works born on note into external markets.

Publishers and media are important partners for note in expanding the possibilities of creation. We connect their editorial power, production capabilities, sales networks, brands, and reader touchpoints with the creator base, reader reactions, data, and community that note possesses.

By doing so, works reach further, and new opportunities are created for creators.

IP / Tales — Nurturing and expanding the potential of works

The IP business plays the role of discovering the potential of works within note, nurturing them, and delivering them to external markets.

What is important is not to 'predict which works will be hits.'
It is to combine reader reactions, editorial insight, partner expertise, and AI-driven discovery support to identify the potential of works faster and more broadly.

note contains works and talent that have not yet reached the world at large.
We will expand these works in various forms, including books, video, manga, audio, games, and international distribution.

IP development is both a revenue opportunity for note and a way to increase the 'possibilities that lie ahead for creators who continue to create.'

However, IP is a highly uncertain field.
That is why we will not fix it into a single model from the start. We aim for a flexible organizational structure that avoids a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach and allows for fluid adjustments.

Things we nurture in-house.
Things we partner with publishers and production companies on.
Things we connect with companies and brands.
Things we aim to expand overseas.
Things we support using AI for discovery, translation, and development.

While maintaining multiple options, we will explore the optimal way to expand each work.

The thread that runs through all of these: AI-native transformation

AI is not the goal.
AI is the foundation for making the cycle of creation faster, larger, and stronger.

We use AI not to replace creators, but to extend their creativity, deliver their works more effectively, and increase the execution speed of note as a whole.

There are at least four directions for AI-native transformation.

1. Creation Support AI

Starting to write.
Structuring.
Polishing.
Summarizing.
Translating.
Making it easier to reach readers.
Getting tips for continuity.

Through AI, we will lower the hurdles to creation and reduce the burden of continuing.

What is important here is not for AI to erase the creator's individuality, but to increase the space for creators to focus on their own expression.

2. Distribution AI

As the number of works increases, the mechanism for delivering them becomes more important.

We will use AI to better connect works with readers, works with companies, works with media, and works with future development opportunities.

Search, recommendation, classification, summarization, translation, external distribution, and connection to AI agents.
We will adapt not only to distribution for human readers but also to distribution in an era where AI searches for, organizes, and introduces information.

note aims to be a foundation for trusted content that is easily discoverable by both humans and AI.

3. Value-Generating AI

In the AI era, the way content value is created will change.

People read it.
AI references it.
Companies utilize it.
Media discovers it.
Works are adapted into different formats.
Relationships with readers become new revenue.

As the outlets for value increase, note must explore those possibilities, experiment, and build systems around them.

At this moment, we will not fix the form of creator compensation to a single model.
The compensation rate, distribution method, usage permissions, partnership models, and the scope of AI utilization will change based on technology, legal systems, the market, and creator expectations.

Therefore, rather than narrowing our options with rigid rules from the start, we will test multiple models while using not compromising trust, being explainable, and expanding opportunities for creators as our criteria for judgment.

4. Operational AI

AI will change not only our products but also how our organization works.

Development, CS, sales, editing, moderation, analysis, legal, accounting, recruitment, and public relations.
We will integrate AI into every business process to create an organization that can take on major challenges even with a small team.

It is not just about efficiency.
We will ensure that more time can be spent on things that require human judgment, building relationships, and exercising creativity.

Through AI, we will not increase the burden on employees, but rather create a state where employees can focus on more essential work.

Approach to AI and Data

AI and data will become a crucial competitive advantage for note moving forward.

At the same time, fixing these too rigidly carries the risk of losing future options.
This is because technology, legal systems, social expectations, and relationships with partners will continue to change significantly.

Therefore, note will not fix overly detailed rules at this time, but will proceed with the following mindset:

Protect the trust that must be protected.
Test what needs to be tested quickly.
Update necessary rules while learning.

We will not think only in terms of prohibition, nor will we proceed without any limits.
We will handle things with a high potential to damage our trust as a place for creation with caution, while actively pursuing experiments that expand possibilities.

What is important is not the fixed rules themselves, but the quality of judgment.

Does it expand opportunities for creators?
Does it improve the experience for readers?
Is there a reason for partners to participate?
Does it become a sustainable business for note?
Can it be explained to society?

While keeping these questions in mind, we will evolve how we use AI and data. Furthermore, we believe we should share established know-how with the industry and the country, aiming to maximize the market, including globally, together with everyone.

What we will protect at all costs

Creator trust.

This is the foundation of note.
We will not pursue any revenue or growth at the expense of this.

We will not compromise the integrity of the platform for short-term revenue.
We will not act in ways that significantly deviate from creator expectations.
When promoting new use cases, we will ensure we can explain their significance.
When value is created, we will design systems where opportunities expand not just for note, but for creators and partners as well.
When problems arise, we will learn, fix them, and turn them into systemic improvements.

When in doubt, we will not judge based solely on short-term profit.
We will seek paths that increase both trust and growth.

What we will not do

Strategy is not just about deciding what to do.
It is also about deciding what not to do.

We will not lower the quality of the platform just for short-term page views.

We will not maximize short-term revenue at the expense of creator retention.

We will not significantly impair the reader experience or the diversity of creation solely for the convenience of companies or partners.

We will not use AI solely for cost reduction or mass production of content.

However, "what we will not do" is not intended to narrow future possibilities.
We will actively experiment with new technologies, new revenue models, new partnerships, and new forms of distribution.

What is important is not to increase a list of prohibitions, but to discern which experiments should be conducted and which should not, in light of note's mission.

How we measure

The KPI we should measure for creators isretention rates of creators and readers.

The KPIs we should measure as a corporation arecorporate valueandfree cash flow. This is because these two figures demonstrate the self-reliance required for note to continue taking on challenges sustainably.

If corporate value increases, we can take on greater challenges.
If free cash flow is generated, we become less susceptible to the external environment.
With self-reliance, we can avoid being swayed by short-term pressure and protect the creator platform for the long term.

However, if we only chase financial figures, the creative space will become distorted.

That is why we always pair our growth metrics with corresponding indicators.

If we look at revenue, we also look at the opportunities created for creators and partners.
If we look at page views, we also look at completion rates and retention rates.
If we look at the number of posts, we also look at the number of people who continue to create.
If we look at AI usage, we also look at the impact on experience improvement, distribution enhancement, operational efficiency, and trust.
If we look at corporate usage, we also look at whether valuable primary information for readers is increasing.
If we look at IP development, we look not only at short-term revenue but also at whether the possibilities for the work and the creator are expanding.

What is important is not to make the organization follow a single number.
It is to keep watching through numbers whether the cycle is growing healthily.

Approach to Metrics

The metrics note should look at are broadly divided into four categories.

1. Metrics for observing the creative cycle

Are the number of creators posting continuously increasing?
Are relationships with readers increasing?
Whether free or paid, is creation leading to further creation?
Are the reasons for creators to keep using note increasing?

2. Metrics for observing business growth

C2C transaction volume.
Growth in recurring revenue.
Growth of note pro.
Expansion of event participation and communities.
Opportunities generated from media partnerships.
Number and quality of IP developments.
Results of distribution, production, and operational improvements through AI.

3. Metrics for observing financial sustainability

Revenue.
Gross profit.
Operating profit.
Free cash flow.
Corporate value.

4. Metrics for detecting distortions

Churn rate.
Read completion rate.
Retention rate.
Reports and issues.
Creator dissatisfaction.
Deterioration of reader experience.
Employee overload.
Dependence on short-term measures.

By combining these four, we will manage the company in a way that grows without destroying what is important.

Our Way of Working

Thinking from the creator's perspective

Before features or numbers, we think from the reality of the creators.

How can we make it easier to start?
How can we make it easier to continue?
How can we make it easier to reach others?
How can we lead to revenue and opportunities?
How can we help them continue creating without feeling lonely?

Thinking from the creator's perspective is not just about kindness.
It is note's very competitiveness.

Try quickly, and turn what works into a system

There is no perfect answer from the start.

Try on a small scale.
Look at the numbers and the feedback.
Expand what works.
Learn from what did not work.
Turn what can be reproduced into a system.

Instead of relying on individual effort, we will shift to a system that grows stronger the longer it is maintained.
This is how we work at note.

Do not rely too heavily on individual effort

To sustain a place for creation for a long time, employees themselves must be able to run for the long haul.

Getting by on sheer willpower.
Relying on the hard work of a few people.
Thinking from scratch every single time.
Solving the same problems over and over again.

With that way of working, we cannot expand the cycle of creation.

That is why we will organize our processes, utilize AI, share knowledge, and build systems that can be reused.

We will not be a company where sales grow as employees burn out, but a company where we can take on more challenges as our systems grow stronger.

In conclusion

What note aims for is not just to become a large platform.

More people starting to create.
More people continuing to create.
More relationships with readers.
More touchpoints with companies and media.
Works spreading to external markets.
The possibilities of creation further expanding through AI.
As a result, note's business will also become stronger.

It is important not to get this order wrong.

Based on the trust of creators, we will design a cycle of creation and expand that market.

In the AI era, we want to make note the central hub where trustworthy creation is born, delivered, rewarded, and sustained.
We want to make note the central node for that.

We will be creating a Strategy Book that includes specific missions, actions, and decision-making criteria for each team. Please wait a little longer.