The 'Post-Employee' Way of Life I Thought About at a Guesthouse That's Impossible to Book (2026/3/26 #173)

The other day, I attended the 'Mad Dog Study' session* held at Rias in Yoyogi, Tokyo, which is a guesthouse that is impossible to book.

This guesthouse is characterized by its building, which was cleverly constructed on a small plot of land, and its interior, designed to ensure travelers have a comfortable stay.

For those involved in guesthouses or private lodging, this is a valuable opportunity to see it in person.

However, as for me, I have actually never stayed at a lodging via Airbnb, and naturally, I have no connection to operating a private lodging.

Even so, I decided to participate because the guests are almost all foreigners, it's hard to get a reservation, and since I live in Tokyo, I probably wouldn't have a chance to stay in Yoyogi anyway, so I was moved by curiosity.

What I studied (learned) this time, as someone like that, was the 'post-employee' way of life and 'good partnership'.

Starting a guesthouse while working as a company employee

Before explaining 'post-employee', let me briefly introduce Julie and Nao, who run the guesthouse as a couple.

As written in the book they authored, triggered by interactions at an Airbnb they visited during their travels, they held the desire to 'someday run a guesthouse in Tokyo where people can have a similar experience,' and opened Rias while working as company employees.

After that, while continuing to do what they wanted to do and what they found fun without wavering, through various circumstances, they quit their jobs as company employees and are now dedicated to the guesthouse (and an omakase sushi restaurant).

'Post-employee' means pursuing what you 'love' to the fullest

Now, here is a sudden question: what is your 'motivation for working'?

Broadly speaking, I think there are an axis of 'because I like it (because it's fun)' and an axis of 'for income'.

I think for many people, 'for income' comes first.

In that respect, Julie and Nao, while securing income by working as company employees, pursued their 'likes' in guesthouse management, and as a result, it became a facility that never runs out of guests, making 'likes' and 'income' compatible.

I felt their presence as 'post-employees' in that aspect.

The point here is I think it's about 'pursuing it to the fullest'.
On the day, the two of them gave us a tour of the guesthouse.

Among that, Julie's words like 'floor maniac' and 'cleaning check maniac' were impressive, and it is not painful for them to pursue what they think 'I would want to stay in a lodging like this'.

And that leads to a cycle of receiving high praise from guests.

I feel that the bar and sushi restaurant are also well-received by customers because they pursue 'things Nao likes,' such as sake and fish.

It doesn't matter if your place of activity is inside or outside the company.

I used the term 'post-employee,' but I don't necessarily mean a style where you 'eventually quit the company' like the two of you.

Whether inside or outside the company, you pursue what you love (what you don't find burdensome), receive recognition from customers (people who pay you), and achieve a balance between 'passion' and 'income.'

In other words,a state where you are valued for your 'personal characteristics' rather than your 'company role' is what I would call a 'post-employee' rather than just a company employee.

• What can you pursue without finding it burdensome?

• To whom can you provide value?

• Can you succeed without a company title?

Keeping these things in mind, I would like to continue to value my curiosity and keep pursuing things.

Good partners and good output

The second thing I learned is 'good partnership.'

During this stay, a phrase I often heard was'discussing thoroughly between the two of us' and 'debating a lot.'

Also, in this audio broadcast (Atsuhiko Nakamura's Voicy), it was impressive to hear them look back on how they discussed things together when creating their book.

Because of this, I felt the importance ofhaving a good partner to produce good output.

When you think alone, your thoughts and actions inevitably stay within your own boundaries.

However, when you have a good partner,

• your perspectives increase

• the quality of decision-making improves

• the speed of action increases

As a result, I believe the quality of the output improves.

At the 'Poison Meeting' held on the afternoon of the study day, Hitoshi Kinoshita also mentioned the importance of 'finding good companions'.

Whether you have such partners or good companions?

I realized once again that this is also very important when thinking about life.

Conclusion

So, that was my reflection on the 'Mad Dog Study' I joined out of curiosity, where I unexpectedly found myself thinking about the post-employee way of life and good partnerships.

Although I haven't been able to mention it at all in the article, the hospitality from check-in, the special dinner and wine prepared for this occasion by Shonin Yokoyama, the bar at the after-party, and the breakfast the next morning all made for a truly wonderful experience.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our hosts Julie, Nao, and Yokoyama-san, as well as everyone who participated in the study with me, including Kinoshita-san. Thank you very much!