AI Interviewer: Utsushimi for Succession

Turn “Just ask them” into knowledge you can pass on.

When a company changes hands, much of the judgment that has kept the business running lives in the heads of the owner and a few key people: how prices are set, how relationships with customers work, how calls are made on the shop floor, and rules no one has ever said out loud. An AI interviewer talks with each of them and keeps asking why they did what they did at the time. We organize the answers into a form your successor can use as is. The request comes from the side taking over the company, and the interviews are answered by the current owner and key people.

Talk to us See how it works

Several sessions of about 60 min
Answer in a browser
Chat or voice
Questions written for each company

Example: president of a manufacturer, setting prices24 / 60 min

Recently, was there an inquiry you passed on without sending a quote?

One this spring. The unit price was good, but I turned it down.

What did you see that made you decide to turn it down?

The tolerances on the drawing. With our equipment, I couldn't predict the yield at those numbers.

Roughly where is the line at which you decide the yield can't be predicted?

Captured judgmentCEO #01

Scene: Quoting a new inquiry
Noticed: Drawing tolerances and the track record of our own equipment
Decision: Pass, even when the unit price is good
Reason: Work with unpredictable yields can delay deliveries to existing customers

Demo video

In about 40 seconds: how interviews with the owner and key people capture their judgment, up to the point where the successor can consult it (an optional feature).

Is the judgment of your CEO and veterans being passed on?

“No discounts for this client.” “Order less the day after rain.” None of it is written down.
Handover documents only cover procedures and who is in charge.
You realize what you should have asked only after they have left.

From interview to digital twin

01 Ask
The AI interviews the CEO and veteran staff one at a time
The Recorder checks which points have been covered. If there is a decision it hasn't heard about yet, the Strategist picks the next question.
In the past few years, which deal was the hardest call for you?
When Company A asked for a 5% discount. I kept the price and moved delivery to early next month.
Recorder: tracks which topics are covered
How prices are set● Covered
Client relationships● Covered
Why the delivery date▲ Not yet
Still missing: why they answered with the delivery date
Strategist: looks ahead to pick the next question
Why didn’t you lower the price?
Do you do the same with other clients?
You answered with the delivery date, not the price. What about Company A’s situation led you to that?Chosen
02 Capture
From an offhand answer, it captures the judgment behind it
From a remark that seems obvious to the person, it pulls out the scene, what they noticed, the decision and the reason.
Company A doesn’t want to hold stock at month-end. Move delivery to the start of the month, and the price can stay.
Captured judgmentCEO #01
Scene
Discount request from Company A
Noticed
Company A avoids holding stock at month-end
Decision
Keep the price, deliver next month
Reason
Work with their situation, and no discount is needed
03 Pass on
Sort the judgment by area of the business, and keep it available to consult
We hand over what documents can pass on and the judgment that lives in the person's head, side by side for each area of the business. As an option, we can also build a digital twin that answers from the captured judgment.
Pricing and termsClientsFinance and banksPeople and organization
What documents can pass onProcedures, ledgers, lists
Price lists and terms of tradeClient ledger and credit limitsLoan list and financial statementsOrg chart and assignments
Judgment that lives in their headsUtsushimi’s focus
How to handle each clientEarly signs of troubleWorking with the bankWhat not to hand to junior staff
Digital twin
Successor
Company A has asked for a 5% discount. How should I respond?
Digital twin
In the past, we kept the price and moved delivery to early the next month, because Company A dislikes holding stock at month-end. First, check that this is still the case.
Optional feature. It answers only within the scope of the captured judgment.

Getting started

We write the questions and organize what the interviews capture. The people answering (the owner and key people) just recall real situations and talk about them. The request comes from the side taking over the company, and any form of succession works: within the family, by executives or employees, or by a third party (M&A).

01Scoping
We ask
We learn about the industry, the stage of succession, the judgment to hand over and who to interview.
02Question design
We write, you review
We set the structure and number of sessions, and you review one draft. We also prepare the explanatory note for the people answering.
03Interviews (2–4 weeks)
The owner and key people answer
Each session is about 60 minutes. As a guide, 2–4 sessions for the owner and 1–2 for each key person. We adjust the questions after seeing the results of the first session.
04Organizing and debrief
We organize
We hand over a record of the decision criteria, organized by area of the business, and walk your successor through it in a debrief.

FAQ

Will the current owner and key people cooperate?

Their agreement comes first. We prepare a note explaining why we are asking and who will see the results. For third-party succession, we can also discuss building it into the handover agreement.

Can we use it while still evaluating an acquisition?

As a rule, it is intended for use from the handover period after closing.

Can you interview people other than the owner?

Yes. The same method works for the plant manager, the owner's right hand, the head of accounting, veteran sales staff, and others who have supported the business.

How is sensitive information about customers, prices and employees handled?

The scope of use, who can see the results, and how data is stored and deleted are set in the contract. Anything the person decides not to keep is removed.

Will it be used to evaluate key people or decide how they are treated?

It is an interview for the handover, so it is not used for evaluation. The purpose of use is set in the contract and explained to the person in advance.

Can people who aren't comfortable with computers answer?

Once they open the invitation link, they only need to talk. They can also answer from a browser on a smartphone or tablet.

How much does it cost?

We provide a quote based on the number of people, the number of sessions and the deliverables.

UtsushimiUtsushimi for Succession by Simulacra

Utsushimi means "a reflected self" in Japanese. Through conversation, it captures the judgment and values a person has built up over the years, and keeps them in a form others can use.

Simulacra is an AI startup that researches digital twins of people and society, working with the Izumi Laboratory (Kiyoshi Izumi; artificial intelligence and agent-based simulation) at The University of Tokyo. This AI interviewer grew out of research on drawing out a person's values and decision criteria through conversation and building an AI that thinks like that person.

Talk to us

Just tell us whose judgment you want to hand over, and in which areas.

Other uses