In the past, I faced the challenge of not having the right sneakers for making the best presentations during important business meetings or pitches in front of large audiences at my startup.
From a fashion perspective, sneakers from sports brands often have mesh materials or oversized logos that make them too sporty. Compared to boots or dress shoes, they have thinner soles, which can make it difficult to achieve the right style.
From the viewpoint of representing a startup, business partners may expect a certain level of nonconformity, and wearing dress shoes can lead to a stiff meeting atmosphere, making a good first impression crucial.
Upon researching, I found that premium sneakers that solve the above issues and are also suitable for business are primarily offered by high-end brands. However, due to the scrutiny of investors and the need to impress business partners, it can sometimes come off as ostentatious. (This may seem like a minor detail, but a friend of mine, an entrepreneur, used to take off his luxury watch and switch to an Apple Watch for meetings with investors).
Therefore, I conceived the idea of mission-driven business premium sneakers that allow startups, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to confidently deliver their best presentations and business meetings.
Utilizing the network I developed while studying abroad in Spain, we partnered with a factory in Portugal that also manufactures traditional luxury brands. By directly planning, negotiating, and selling, we eliminated unnecessary costs and delivered maximum value to our customers.
The mission of ba2 is to
maximize the "population of challengers" through contributions to the startup scene and startup community. We aim to foster an atmosphere that embraces ambiguity, coexisting with uncertainty and the fear of failure.
ba2 can also be read as (batsu = failure). I believe that having a mindset that can tame failure and persistently executing strategies is the only shortcut to success. From the ground up, ba2 would be delighted to support everyone's success.