Employee Spotlight: Growth Partner Shimpei Oishi | Aiming to Be a Hybrid Professional Who Both Creates and Sells Products, Leveraging a Design Background

Oishi is a GP (Growth Partner) whose mission is to help clients grow their sales. We sat down with him to learn about how he came to join StoreHero and his vision for the future.

— First, tell us about your background.

I graduated from a university in Aichi Prefecture and had always aspired to be a designer, so I was planning to move to Tokyo after graduation. I received a job offer from a design firm in Tokyo and was all set to make the move — but then...

Just three days before my graduation ceremony, the offer was rescinded. I ended up graduating without a job and moved to Tokyo anyway, spending my time doing web writing and working part-time at a cafe.

After that, since my family runs a liquor store, I decided to work in something related to alcohol and joined a wine specialty shop in Tokyo as a salesperson. While working in sales, I also handled the creation of promotional materials for the brand, and that reignited my passion for design — so I made the switch to a graphic design firm. At the firm, I worked on graphic design and editorial projects, and later transitioned to an in-house designer role at a manufacturer in Tokyo. There, I gained experience in web design and even served as the manager of the design team. After about five and a half years in design, I joined StoreHero in September 2021.

— How did you come to join StoreHero?

I was considering a job change at my previous company when I was introduced to Kurose-san. I started working as a freelance contractor and was later brought on as a full-time employee.

While at my previous company, I was also doing side work. My main role there was direction and management, while my side work was design-focused. At that time, I was looking for my next step — somewhere I could combine both skill sets into a single career path. I had a vague desire to take on more upstream work by merging those skills, and that's when I discovered StoreHero.

— How has it been since joining?

It's a startup, so it's definitely busy — but every day is genuinely enjoyable. I'm doing what I envisioned, and Kurose-san in particular is such a unique personality that things never get boring (laughs).

I can feel the company growing week by week, and the topics we discuss in meetings and the work itself keep changing at a rapid pace — it's incredibly stimulating.

— Are you able to make use of your design skills from before?

I do things like creating banners, and for work that I could outsource to a designer, I often handle it myself. During my time at the manufacturer, I was mostly focused on direction and project management, and that experience has been incredibly valuable in my work as a GP as well.

— What originally sparked your interest in design?

My family has been running a liquor store for over 80 years, and we've always been in business together as a family. I saw the world as divided into two kinds of work: "making things" and "selling things," and my family was in the business of "selling things." But as a child, watching my parents work without a day off, it seemed so exhausting. That made me want to be on the "making things" side rather than the "selling things" side, which is why I chose to study in an arts faculty where I could learn about craftsmanship. So the feelings I had as a child about my family's liquor store are really at the root of it all.

At StoreHero, our commitment is of course to grow our clients' sales, so we are deeply focused on "selling things" — but at the same time, I'm also involved in building StoreHero's own products and touching the growth of the business itself. Being able to engage in this hybrid of making and selling gives me a real sense of satisfaction.

— Having worked at several companies, how do you see StoreHero as an organization?

Everyone here has a very high level of awareness. It's not simply about doing what the company tells you — there's a remarkably proactive, self-driven attitude across the team.

The skill level is also impressive. Each person brings skills that others don't have, which makes working together very stimulating. I interact with Kurose-san and Sakamoto-san a lot through work, and their abilities really shine through. Sakamoto-san in particular is my direct manager, and his sense of balance is truly outstanding — he's someone I deeply respect. I highly recommend working with him (laughs).

— Are there any challenges you see in StoreHero as an organization?

I'd say the product, simply put. We're right in the middle of building it, and I think a product is ultimately only evaluated once it's out in the world and delivering results. So the key challenge right now is making sure we get a solid product out there.

— What kind of people would you like to see join?

I think this is a comfortable place for positive people, so I'd love to see optimistic, forward-thinking individuals join. Also, since the mission of a GP (Growth Partner) is to drive growth, people who are passionate about growth would be a great fit. Anyone who genuinely wants to grow — whether that's for clients, the company's own products and business, or themselves personally — I think they'd thrive here.

— Is there anything you want to challenge yourself with at the company going forward?

I'd love to expand internationally. It would be exciting to build up the skills to work alongside global brands, and I think that's something we need to pursue.

On a personal level, I'm also paying close attention to regional Japan. As I mentioned earlier, my family ran a liquor store, and I'd love to help local brands in similar situations grow using StoreHero's products — that's something I want to take on as a challenge.

One of the key challenges facing regional and local brands in particular is a shortage of human resources. That makes it difficult to manage the business with a long-term perspective, which is something I feel personally connected to. I hope to be able to support those challenges both as a GP and through StoreHero's products.

We're Looking for People Who Want to Work With Us to Make Commerce Entrepreneurs into Heroes

At StoreHero, we're working on growth support services, product development, and store builds — all with the goal of making commerce entrepreneurs around the world into heroes. If you're interested in working with us, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Current openings are listed on the page below.
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