Evolving Autonomy: Sonic Garden’s 2025 Journey
Over the past year, Sonic Garden has continued to chart its own path, deepening the principles that have defined its work since the very beginning. While many software companies in Japan still rely on rigid contracts and traditional management hierarchies, Sonic Garden has remained committed to a simpler idea: that trust, autonomy, and closeness to customers create better outcomes, both for clients and for the people who build the code.
This blog post is part of 80+ case studies of progressive organizations we created for the ZeroDX awards 2025. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:
Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace
Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution
Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.
Founded in 2011, the company has long operated without bosses or layers of middle management. Every programmer is trusted to act as a partner to their clients, combining the roles of engineer, consultant, and adviser. In 2024, thismodel grew in unexpected directions. As clients’ businesses expanded, engineers stepped into responsibilities that once belonged to separate departments. They began handling tasks like resource planning and people coordination while still keeping the internal structure flat. To help clients feel supported as their needs became more complex, SonicGarden introduced the Development Manager role. Rather than creating a managerial hierarchy, this was simply a way to give clients a clear point of contact and reassurance that someone was ultimately accountable for delivery. Internally, the spirit of mutual trust remained unchanged.
Staying close to customers has always been a hallmark of Sonic Garden’s approach. Last year, they reinforced this by appointing Relationship Supporters, engineers whose job is to check in with clients separately from the development work. These conversations help uncover needs or frustrations that might not surface during regular project meetings. In one example, engineers working on a revenue-sharing project were invited to see all the customer’s KPIs andparticipate in planning the next stages of development. This level of openness, sharing sensitive business metrics with engineers, underscored a belief the company has held since the start: the more context you have, the better decisions you make.
Training and growing new talent remained a priority. While Sonic Garden is known for its remote-first setup, itestablished three new offices specifically for apprentices to work alongside experienced mentors. This decision reflected something the company has learned over time: some lessons about autonomy and self-management are easier to absorb when you share a space and can ask questions in real time. They also launched a structured mentor system, pairing mentors with the president and leadership team for regular conversations about each apprentice’s development. The team described this approach as a way to act early and guide growth rather than waiting until challenges appear unexpectedly.
On the economic side, the company held onto its flat salary model for fully qualified programmers, a practice that haslong been central to its identity. For employees still in training, however, a new calibration system was introduced. Instead of tying pay to performance targets, this system looks at what each person is able to do today and confirms their level based on fairness, reasonableness, and economy. Theidea behind it is clear: when people are trusted to grow, they do not need to be pushed by external incentives. Motivation comes from seeing progress and feeling their contribution matters.
One of the most meaningful milestones over the past year was the decision to formally write down Sonic Garden’sguiding beliefs for the first time. Until recently, the company operated on a shared understanding that never needed official documentation. In 2024, that changed.
Together, employees created a purpose: “Create great software,” a mission: “Working together to create great things,”and a vision for colleagues: “Spending good time with good code.” The process involved workshops where people contributed ideas and reflected on what these statements should mean in practice. This effort was not only about defining words but also about reinforcing a shared culture as the company continues to grow.
While many companies are eager to quantify culture with dashboards and KPIs, Sonic Garden has chosen a different path. It continues to rely on ZASSOH, an informal rhythm of conversations and check-ins where people can share concerns, learn from one another, and stay connected. The team often points out that what can be measured is onlypart of the reality, and that trying to quantify everything risks weakening the qualities that make an autonomous culture thrive.
Looking ahead, the company plans to welcome more young people directly from schools and universities. There are even early discussions about creating a high school focused on cultivating self-directed learning and technical mastery. It is an ambitious idea that reflects how seriously the company takes its mission. For now, their focus is clear:to keep building autonomy as the foundation that supports everything else. When asked which principle they most want to deepen, the answer came without hesitation: autonomy.
After more than a decade, Sonic Garden is still evolving its original promise. In an industry that often prizes speed over substance, the company continues to show that patient, trust-based work can thrive. The past year has demonstrated that autonomy is not a finish line but an ongoing journey that requires attention, humility, and the willingness to adapt. In that sense, Sonic Garden’s story is far from complete, and perhaps that is exactly the point.
