In the midst of the chain reaction that is broad scale third-party software development, it is not rare in Japan to hear stories about engineers getting the short end of the stick or projects ending in complete failure.

In order to deal with the overwhelming volume of communication involved in the development process, someone is placed in charge to manage the flow of work. Unfortunately, that person is commonly a planner with no programming ability whatsoever, or a programmer that will not be involved in actual development, reduced only to making decisions.
Completely separating roles between planner, programmer and manager will often result in conflict, leaving everyone involved unhappy.
The situation is similar to one in which a chef simply follows a recipe written by a person that cannot cook. It is unlikely that the resulting meal will be a delicious one.

Output-focused Development

One of Aiming’s fundamental policies is “Emphasizing source code, Focusing on output.”
The influence of this policy can be seen throughout the company, from the hiring process to the core structure of the organization itself.
In terms of development, work is not divided into individual processes. Rather, an engineer will work on specific functions in the game from beginning to end. Not only will the engineer feel a greater degree of responsibility, but also achieve a higher sense of accomplishment upon completion.

In addition, we customarily use code review systems such as Gerrit. This is done for two purposes – quality assurance and to encourage professional growth.

Output-focused Recruiting

Our appreciation for output generated by individuals can also be seen in our recruiting process.
We will take a look at personal projects you have released into the world. We are interested in seeing what your hobbies have motivated you to create rather than placing emphasis on the school from which you graduated, the types of certificates you may have received, or your past work experience. We will carefully examine code you have made through GitHub or other open source projects. We are delighted to take a look at tools or script you have made for personal use, completed or not. We are even curious to see your blog or Twitter account.
Our purpose in doing so is to evaluate what you, as an individual, have produced, not simply consider what your previous organizations have made during your tenure.
(Of course, many of our team members have successfully produced material within the context of an organization, and personal projects are not the only basis for hiring a candidate. However, individual output is given high priority during consideration.)

Moreover, the act of releasing something for public use and evaluation, no matter how small in scope, is one that requires courage, particularly as an individual. That courage is something we regard highly.

Confucius said, “To like is better than to know. To enjoy is better than to like.”

One’s personal interests are more accurately illustrated by individual output than what one does at work. Whether your motivation is to change the world with a revolutionary, new web service, or simply that you find programming enjoyable, if you are passionate about what you are doing, you will strive to improve your talents.
Personal interests are, after all, an important aspect of one’s talents.