I call it "disruption management". A strong assistant knows your priorities, often times better than you when you're being bombarded. They help manage the firehose of requests, logistics, details, and information to keep you focused on what's important.
I appreciate what Tim has done and continues to accomplish to raise the profile and acceptance of startups as a viable career choice in Japan.
I've first-hand experience with the many challenges of startups in Japan. Finding talent who understand how startups are different. Convincing larger partners you're not simply another "supplier" they can grind margin out of. Explaining to potential investors the tradeoffs of quality, speed, and confirming product fit.
Educational platforms like what Tim has built through podcasting are needed to help close these gaps.
Thanks to Tim for the insightful post on "how the sausage was made" and looking forward to seeing good things coming out of Tepco's innovation platform.
The WSE2 is much larger obviously, but I would also think it can result in a large performance boost given everything is on a single chip.