Meeting Amptalk

Earlier this year, I started to seriously consider a shift—not just a job change, but a bigger change: moving to Japan, starting a new phase of life, and laying the foundation for eventually building my own indie game studio.

Among the applications I sent out, one company stood out—Amptalk, a Tokyo-based startup working on AI-powered conversation analytics. I applied half-expecting silence. Instead, I found myself going all the way through the interview process.

The Interview Process

Amptalk’s process was structured but kind—something I really appreciated.

  1. 🧑‍💼 HR call – introduction, motivation, soft skills
  2. 📄 Take-home assignment – a small technical project
  3. 👨‍💻 Technical interview with an engineer – code discussion, problem-solving
  4. 🎯 VP interview – product focus, team dynamics
  5. 🧠 CTO interview – long-term thinking, remote collaboration, and vision

Throughout every step, the team was open, thoughtful, and engaged. There was no pressure, no showmanship. Just honest conversations. It was one of the most human interview processes I’ve ever gone through.

What I Liked

  • ✅ I felt genuinely listened to—not filtered through buzzwords or checked boxes.
  • ✅ The technical interview are not solely focused on solving LeetCode problem, they care about how you think.
  • ✅ The CTO took time to dive into the details of my past experiences.
  • ✅ They offered me a Leader 1 position, a senior role with potential impact.
  • ✅ They supported remote work and HSP visa sponsorship—a huge plus for relocation.

It felt like a team I could respect. It felt like a place I could see myself in.

But I Didn’t Accept

And yet, after many days of reflection, I decided to respectfully decline the offer.

This wasn’t an easy decision—and it certainly wasn’t because Amptalk wasn’t good enough.

It was because the timing wasn’t right—and I needed to be honest about that.

Moving across countries, changing contexts, adjusting to a new culture and workstyle—all while hoping to build toward something personal and long-term—comes with a cost. And I realized I wasn’t fully ready to take that all on right now.

The role was promising. The people were great. But the opportunity came a bit earlier than I was ready for.

What I Appreciate Most

After I turned down the offer, the HR team still responded with kindness and warmth. They thanked me for my thoughtfulness and even asked if I’d be open to sharing my reasoning so they could improve.

I can’t overstate how rare and meaningful that kind of response is. It left me with even more respect for the company than when I first applied.

I wrote back and told them honestly:

“It’s not that you weren’t enough. It’s that I want to give myself the best chance to fully show up—at the right time, in the right frame.”

Final Thoughts: Saying No Can Be a Form of Respect

Sometimes, saying no isn’t about closing a door.
It’s about protecting a future version of yourself that you haven’t grown into yet.

I’m glad I didn’t say yes just because I was afraid to miss out.
And I’m even more glad that I had the chance to meet a team like Amptalk, who made the whole process human and hopeful.

Maybe our paths will cross again in the future.
If they do, I hope I’ll be ready to say “yes” without hesitation.

Until then, I’ll keep walking toward that version of myself who’s ready—for everything.