Ep. 11: クラウドテクノロジーとドロップボックスの成長 with 上原翔太郎
Featuring guest
上原翔太郎
We are joined by Shotaro Uehara, Head of Japan Marketing at Dropbox, who shares his journey as a marketing pioneer in the Japanese market. We explore his unique perspective as someone who grew up in the US but chose to work for a foreign company in Japan, discussing the perceived risks of joining what was then considered a startup. We delve into strategies for leveraging cloud tools to enhance collaboration between Japanese subsidiaries and foreign headquarters, examining how consumer profiles have evolved from Dropbox's 2017 launch through our post-COVID-19 world. We discuss building customer confidence in cloud technology adoption, supporting local governments like Kumamoto Prefecture in their digital transformation, and the broader societal benefits of cloud technologies. Throughout our conversation, we emphasize taking a gradual 'crawl, walk, run' approach to implementing cloud technologies and digital transformation in Japan.
Themes of Inquiry
- Cloud technology adoption
- Digital transformation in Japan
- Cross-cultural business leadership
- Post-COVID workplace collaboration
- Customer confidence building
We are joined by Shotaro Uehara, Head of Japan Marketing at Dropbox, who shares his journey as a marketing pioneer in the Japanese market.
Episode Summary
We are joined by Shotaro Uehara, Head of Japan Marketing at Dropbox, who shares his journey as a marketing pioneer in the Japanese market. We explore his unique perspective as someone who grew up in the US but chose to work for a foreign company in Japan, discussing the perceived risks of joining what was then considered a startup. We delve into strategies for leveraging cloud tools to enhance collaboration between Japanese subsidiaries and foreign headquarters, examining how consumer profiles have evolved from Dropbox's 2017 launch through our post-COVID-19 world. We discuss building customer confidence in cloud technology adoption, supporting local governments like Kumamoto Prefecture in their digital transformation, and the broader societal benefits of cloud technologies. Throughout our conversation, we emphasize taking a gradual 'crawl, walk, run' approach to implementing cloud technologies and digital transformation in Japan.
The Guest Biography
上原翔太郎
Shotaro Uehara serves as Head of Japan Marketing at Dropbox, where he has established himself as a marketing pioneer with a proven track record of successful product launches and marketing initiatives specifically tailored for the Japanese market. Having grown up in the United States before returning to Japan to work for a foreign company, Uehara brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to his role. He has been instrumental in driving Dropbox's growth in Japan since its launch in 2017, navigating the evolving landscape of cloud technology adoption and helping organizations transition to digital collaboration tools, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era.
Continue the Dialogue
Ep. 12: 3.11. Earthquake to COVID-19, the changing landscape of business expansion to Japan with Daiki Nakajima
We explore bilateral investment and international expansion with Daiki Nakajima, who leads JETRO's Invest Japan division and US-Japan relationships. Throughout our conversation, we examine how the landscape of US-Japan business has evolved over the past decade, including government adaptations to COVID-19 and technology policy changes responding to market needs. We discuss practical insights for navigating business gaps between the two countries, featuring a success story of HubSpot's expansion into Japan. Daiki shares valuable lessons about supply chain diversification, the benefits of looking beyond Tokyo for business opportunities, and the importance of patience when expanding internationally. We also cover how Japanese companies can effectively tell their stories when expanding to the US, emphasizing research-driven approaches to bilateral business success.
Listen Now