MC Employee Spotlight: Meet Shohei Narron!

Pioneering a category and delivering reliable data for companies worldwide is what we're all about, but it takes a village to make it happen.

We’re going behind the scenes to meet the team that makes it all possible. ??

Meet Shohei Narron, our Sales Engineering Lead!

Shohei Narron, Team Lead, Sales Engineering

What’s your 2-sentence autobiography??

Hello there! I’m Shohei, a Santa Cruz transplant from Japan who loves to spend way too much time on Google Street View to sate my wanderlust.

What is your background prior to working for Monte Carlo?:

Prior to Monte Carlo, I spent six years at Looker, a data analytics startup that eventually got acquired by Google. I had a blast supporting the company’s growth through multiple roles including sales engineer, technology partner manager, and opening our first APAC office in Japan. Before that, I spent a couple of years at PwC as a consultant working with F500 clients on their cloud and data strategy.

Why did you choose to work for Monte Carlo?:

Of course, the product’s great and it was exciting to know that our investors were (and still are) bullish on our growth. But what I can’t overemphasize is how much customers love us, and the quality of the team. The fact that there were so many customers, like Yotpo, and The Farmer’s Dog, who were willing to put their names on webinars and blog posts with us back when I was still interviewing, as well as the focus and discipline the team brought to the table is what got me hooked.

What do you appreciate most about working for Monte Carlo?:?

The people - both on the Monte Carlo side and also our customers. We’re defining a category as we speak. We wouldn’t be half as successful without our forward-looking customers, and a top-notch team to turn their ideas into reality.

What are you passionate about outside of working for Monte Carlo?:

Mountain biking and running! I live right in the Santa Cruz mountains with world-class trails, so I try to get out as much as I can. I also play Jazz guitar, though I haven’t had as much time to practice recently. I’m deeply in love with the delicate chords and improvisation that’s core to Jazz.

How did you get interested in your field of work?:

Dr. Ray Larson, late Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley who taught me all about databases, Dr. Andreas Weigand who got me hooked on social data back when sentiment analysis on Twitter was all the rage, and Dr. Bob Glushko who opened my eyes to information organization and retrieval, web 2.0, and linked data. I’ve been in the data space ever since college, and I don’t see myself ever getting out!

If you could describe yourself with one word, what would it be and why?:

Steadfast. Building something new, whether it’s a company, team, or product, can be a long and arduous process with more ups and downs than you anticipate. No matter what the day throws at you, you need to stay even-keeled, and able to move forward one step at a time. I’m a runner, so I always tell myself “the only mile that matters is the one you’re on right now.” The only way out is through!

One of our company values is “beat the odds”. What does “beat the odds” mean to you?

I love this value because it encapsulates so much more than meets the eye. At first glance, I believe it means aiming for something that is much more than a reasonable goal, so much so that it seems completely unachievable - it might even sound like a terrible joke! But, dig deeper, and you’ll find this really isn’t about the goals. It’s about doing the hard work of challenging yourself every day, making sure you’re not overextending yourself to the point of burnout, building great relationships with your teammates, and a collection of other small things that all come together to make it seem as though the stars are aligned. As Twitter co-founder Biz Stone once said, put in years of blood, sweat, and tears, and you’ll eventually look like an overnight success.

If you could pause your life for just one moment, what moment would that be and why?

The moment I stepped out of SFO in 2009 to start a new life in the US after growing up in Japan. There were so many goodbyes, yet also so many new opportunities and relationships to come that I couldn’t have possibly imagined at that time (including my now wife who was there waiting for me).

How do you recharge??

Reading. Using Libby to rent books from my local library, and reading them on my Kindle has been a blessing!

What’s the one takeaway you want people to know about you?

I do my best to prioritize “health over wealth,” though it’s easier said than done. But here’s the thing - if you don’t look after yourself, your body will eventually force you to do so, and it’s not going to be at a convenient time. Doing your best every day means making sure that you’re prepared to do your best, including getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising.

Interested in learning more about Monte Carlo or want to join the team? Visit our website www.montecarlodata.com!