Jackie Denner

19 results

Engagement Management at MongoDB: Meet Lalitesh Pal

I sat down with Lalitesh Pal , Senior Engagement Manager at MongoDB, to learn more about the Engagement Manager role and why joining the EMEA team is an exciting opportunity. Jackie Denner: Hi, Lalitesh. It’s great to meet you! Thanks for sharing some insight into Engagement Management at MongoDB with me. Can you start by telling me a bit about the Engagement Manager role? What are Engagement Managers responsible for? Lalitesh Pal: Engagement Management is a services sales role within the Professional Services organization at MongoDB. We ensure customers understand the value of MongoDB technology and drive the adoption of our technology in line with MongoDB best practices. Engagement Managers are engaged in the sales cycle early on in the process, typically right after the Account Executive has done their qualification. An Engagement Manager will then help gather the learning needs, drive the right services proposal, and determine how MongoDB can help customers develop applications on top of our data platform. Since a lot of MongoDB customers are new, or are new business units within existing customers, Engagement Managers also prepare tailored enablement plans to enable them with our technology, helping them become self-sufficient in the long run. JD: What skills and experience make someone successful in the Engagement Manager role? LP: Engagement Manager is a key role that enables our Sales team and helps further proliferate MongoDB product adoption in our customer base. To be really successful, you need techno-functional skills combined with strong commercial proposal and sales experience. If you have a winning and stretch mindset , you can ensure success is guaranteed. Needless to say, an Engagement Manager needs to have the collaborative spirit and be able to orchestrate things amongst multiple stakeholders - both internal and external. Finally, Engagement Managers need to feel confident working hand-in-hand with Account Executives to ensure that MondoDB is well-presented and positioned with the customer. I have been in services sales for about 7 years out of my 14 years of work experience. Engagement Managers need to understand technology on a high level. At the end of the day, the most successful Engagement Managers have a sales mindset and are able to connect with business stakeholders and explain the value of MongoDB Professional Services. It’s important to note that Engagement Management is not a delivery role. There are two aspects of Professional Services at MongoDB: one is services sales, the other is delivery. Engagement Managers work with a customer up until the deal is closed and have their own individual quarterly quotas. Once the deal is closed, an internal kickoff takes place with a Regional Delivery Manager and Project Manager who handle all aspects of delivery. JD: What is interesting and exciting about this role? LP: As an Engagement Manager, you’re not just a champion to your Account Executives and MongoDB, you’re also adding immense value to the customer and are their trusted advisor. In some cases, customers may reach out to you before reaching out to their Account Executive. For the customer, you are someone who is turning their ideas into reality by providing a way to make it happen. What really excites me about this role is the impact Engagement Managers have on our customers and the trust that we are able to build, which further reinforces the partnership spirit with them. JD: What learning and growth opportunities are there for someone in Engagement Management? What does the next career step look like? LP: Engagement Managers are currently aligned to Regional Vice Presidents and work at all levels of accounts, from our strategic “POD” accounts to the enterprise and the mid-market. From the Engagement Manager role, there is an opportunity to become a Senior Engagement Manager and eventually a Principal Engagement Manager. We offer career paths for those who want to remain individual contributors and those who are interested in managerial roles leading a team. MongoDB is also very committed to internal mobility, and there is an opportunity to transfer to other roles such as Customer Success or Practice Leads, both of which are global teams. JD: What is the team culture like? LP: Our EMEA team currently consists of six Engagement Managers who report to the Director of Engagement Management, and we’re growing rapidly. We have regular team catch-ups where we discuss weekly forecasts, what’s working and what’s not within our accounts, and share best practices with one another. There is a true open door policy across the entire team -- everyone is just a ping away! We also have a very defined onboarding program for Engagement Managers. Onboarding is spread over five weeks, and new hires will participate in our Sales Bootcamp, new hire technical training, and a services-specific onboarding program where you’ll be assigned to a buddy who is responsible for helping you get settled in. JD: The Professional Services function at MongoDB is still taking shape. What has the Engagement Management team’s journey been like so far? LP: I joined MongoDB a year ago, and we’re always looking for Engagement Managers to change the way MongoDB sells professional services. When I started, we were doing volume-based selling with small deal sizes and packages or “off the shelf” offerings for customers. Now, it’s much more strategic and we’re selling bespoke offerings with project or program-based delivery. Instead of merely advising on how to set up our data platform, we now engage in developing the complete application and working with customer contacts such as C-levels and VPs instead of just architects. We are working on end-to-end projects that innovate on top of MongoDB, showing customers how to deliver faster and better thanks to our technology. All of this results in MongoDB’s reputation as a strategic partner. JD: Why did you join MongoDB, and what makes you stay? LP: What really got me excited initially was MongoDB’s well-structured hiring process that helped me understand the culture, people, and products. It was the culture at MongoDB that made the difference. The people here are truly fantastic, and the hiring process allowed me to interact with a lot of individuals. The second thing is the product. MongoDB’s products are amazing, and there’s nothing else like it on the market (at least nothing that’s competitive). You also receive a lot of autonomy here in general, but in the Engagement Manager role specifically, you’re given the freedom to reach out to customers directly, run your own pipeline generation plan for accounts in line with account strategy, and many times speak to customers one-on-one without an Account Executive present. Employee recognition is an important part of our culture as well. If you are good at what you do, MongoDB will applaud you at all levels. I saw that I could really contribute and add value here, and I still feel that to this day. Interested in pursuing a career in Professional Services at MongoDB? We have several open roles on our teams across the globe and would love for you to transform your career with us!

December 21, 2021

Corporate Sales at MongoDB: Meet the Reps

MongoDB Corporate Account Executives sell into some of the world's highest growth and IT-focused companies, with a goal of securing net new logos in organizations of up to 1500 employees. They drive and build solutions that serve the best interest of our customers to help them innovate faster than ever before, often working directly with CTOs, Engineering/IT leaders, and technical end users. A majority of our Corporate Sales team sits in Austin, Texas, with other reps and leaders spread across the U.S. Meet three Corporate Account Executives to learn about their experience in the role and why our Corporate Sales org is a great place to grow your career. Sebastian Cañizares , Sr. Corporate Account Executive, Austin I joined MongoDB as a Cloud Account Executive back in 2019 to build a career. Not knowing it at the time, I felt I had reached a personal sales career plateau. I wanted a challenge in an industry that was vastly different from what I was accustomed to, with a sales process that could help me create a strong foundation. MongoDB sold me on three things: The “Sales MBA” : I didn't know of any other company investing as much time and resources on an individual as MongoDB was. A sales team with a formalized sales process and a full-fledged sales enablement team caught my eye. Leadership : The leaders at MongoDB come from diverse backgrounds. Going through the interview process I spoke with multiple leaders that challenged me intellectually and at the same time were so selfless. I was leaning in further. Market opportunity : At the time, MongoDB was a tiny piece of a growing database pie. Noticing the trends in the market, I wanted to be a part of a company that was positively influencing how technology was being made. Data was at the crux of it all, and MongoDB was challenging a legacy mindset while at the same time establishing incredible groundswell among its core community: developers. Now it was a matter of capitalizing on it and MongoDB was. I was fully bought in. I’m so glad I joined MongoDB back then, and truly believe it was a career altering decision. After nine months in the Cloud role, I transitioned to a Corporate Account Executive. If you haven’t read about our BDR to CRO program , the transition from Cloud to Corporate was one of the first internal sales promotion tracks that the Corporate Sales org built out. There was a promotion path in place with clear guidelines on what was needed to not only reach the next step but also excel in it. During the transition, I had the benefit of following reps that had gone through the process before me and were successful in that next role. They never hesitated in offering their time, helped whenever anyone asked, and created an environment that was both collaborative and positive. Additionally, the leadership team challenged me every step of the way. I was developed in the Cloud role by a former sales rep (who became my manager) who enabled me with the information and knowledge to foundationally succeed at MongoDB. He invested time and resources, and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity he prepared me for. Not only that, I had support from other leaders that wanted to see me succeed. They met with me on a regular basis, mentored me, and helped me gain a footing in the Corporate role. MongoDB’s leadership fosters a merit-based culture all while supporting you along the way. I experienced that in my transition from Cloud to Corporate and still see it in my current role today. It is rare that a company holds up to the things they say during the recruiting process, let alone over-deliver. MongoDB has done just that. I’ve been able to grow my sales career while also getting to talk to people daily that are creating things that are changing the way we interact with technology. It’s the perfect blend of career opportunity, intellectual curiosity, and enablement that I don’t believe I could get anywhere else. Now, why should someone join the Corporate Sales team? You get to witness a company that is fundamentally changing the status quo at the highest level You receive an enormous investment in sales enablement You collaborate with a team that is hungry, competitive, and best in class You work for an established company that is constantly innovating and growing You learn from some of the best sales leaders out there You grow your career at a company that values meritocracy and promotes from within You get to help build history Paige Springfield , Sr. Corporate Account Executive, Austin I took a leap and joined MongoDB in April 2020. When evaluating the opportunity, I had three top criteria. Market opportunity : MongoDB is a leader in the database industry and we’re just getting started. The product is best-in-class and mission critical to customers across all industries - this means uncapped opportunity and earning potential. The team : It was extremely important to me to be surrounded by colleagues who would uplevel and challenge me. Growth and development potential : MongoDB (especially the Corporate Sales org) is just getting started. We’re positioned to grow exponentially in the next two years and the number one focus across the leadership team is people development and promoting from within. At previous companies, I never felt invested in from a sales enablement perspective. Ramping typically meant a couple 1-hour training sessions and then it was off to the races. Here at MongoDB, I was blown away by the onboarding and training process from day one. I’d compare the experience to getting your MBA in sales. I think it speaks to leadership’s commitment to invest in people, their development, and ultimately their long term success. Our Sales Enablement team set me up with all the tools I needed to master the complex technology and a repeatable sales process. I’ve been on the team for a year and a half and seen a ton of success. Recently, I was promoted to a senior-level sales role and accepted into leadership upskill as part of our BDR to CRO program. Working at MongoDB has been the most transformative, rewarding time in my career. If you’re looking to uplevel yourself (both professionally and personally), the Corporate Account Executive role is an incredible opportunity. Drew Oros , Corporate Account Executive, New York City I joined MongoDB for three key reasons. Professional Development : My long-term goal is to become a professional executive for pre-IPO tech companies. I see a tremendous opportunity to build that expertise in the cloud infrastructure/services space. I know to get there, I need a great story selling technology that’s mission critical and best in class - that’s without a question MongoDB, and it has given me a great opportunity to start writing that story. Leadership and people : It was important to me to be around leaders and sellers I feel I could learn from, as I'm a firm believer that your network is equal to your net worth. At MongoDB, I feel like I’m surrounded by current and future household names in the software industry. Product and market opportunity : I only want to sell best in class, mission critical technology. It also has to be the right timing, and have a huge, total addressable market, and strong go-to-market motion. I knew if I found that, magic would happen. MongoDB is the most downloaded NoSQL database , and it fits a wide variety of use cases for mission critical applications. The TAM is estimated to be $82 billion by 2022 , and MongoDB’s sales org and process are key differentiators. Ramping into the Corporate Account Executive role can be challenging, however, you are amongst some of the best people in the software industry to learn from. I identified the skills that were key to becoming a great seller and met with three to five of the top reps to learn how they created a pattern of success in each of those areas. Ultimately, I identified pipeline generation best practices, meeting preparation, discovery calls, New Business Meeting excellence, champion building, and paper process as the key skills fundamental to creating, moving, and closing pipeline. “Build together” is one of MongoDB’s core values and a big reason why colleagues are so open to sharing what makes them successful. If you put in the time and effort, there’s no shortage of resources to learn from here. Overall, this year has been a great success story for me as I’m 200%+ of my yearly number and won the Most New Logos award in Q3. We believe in a culture of promotion - internal promotions are core to MongoDB’s culture and strategic to how the company scales. MongoDB does not get in the way of your personal growth, but rather accelerates it. The BDR to CRO program lays out what good versus great looks like and what you need to do in order to move farther down that path. Whatever your career goals are, MongoDB is a company that supports your interests and provides the investment to help get you there. Interested in pursuing a career in Corporate Sales at MongoDB? We have several open roles on our teams across the globe and would love for you to transform your career with us!

December 20, 2021

Sales Development Series: Meet the North America Sales Development Team

Sales Development is a crucial part of the Sales organization at MongoDB. Our Sales Development function is broken down into Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), who qualify and validate inbound opportunities from both existing and prospective customers, and Account Development Representatives (ADRs), who support outbound opportunities by planning and executing pipeline generation strategies. Both of these roles offer an excellent path to kickstarting your career in sales at MongoDB. In this blog post, you’ll learn more about our North America inbound team, which works with customers all over North, Central, and South America. Hear from Manager Ravelle Mantoura and a few Sales Development Representatives about the SDR role, team culture, and how they’re looking to grow their careers at MongoDB. Check out the rest of our Sales Development series here . Ravelle Mantoura , Regional Sales Development Manager for North America As part of the inbound Sales Development team, there is an enormous opportunity for growth as you develop many skills in the Sales Development Representative role. Due to the nature of inbound, we tend to have a lot of conversations with customers who are further along their MongoDB journey than others. This means you will have a lot of customers asking questions about the product and features to understand what solution makes the most sense for them. Because of this, you will get well acquainted with the product and develop strong technical know-how around MongoDB offerings. Additionally, you will develop skills to understand how companies of all sizes purchase software. You’ll also have the opportunity to work with dozens of different Account Executives across the company, understand their business flow, their methods, and learn more about their organization -- it’s a great way to build relationships as you decide which path to take. Lastly, due to your customer calls, you will gain a deep understanding of our sales methodology very quickly which will prepare you well for the next role. All of this is incredibly valuable as you look to grow your career and decide which path makes the most sense for you (Enterprise or Corporate). To be on the inbound team means to work alongside marketing closely, understand the marketing to sales funnel, how data impacts results, and how to use the data you are given to have an impactful conversation with a potential customer. You will not be dedicated to one team or region but the entirety of North or Latin America, giving you the opportunity to network, build strong relationships with dozens of different stakeholders, and master your communication and relationship-building skills. We have a few different types of roles on the inbound team, so the typical day-to-day work can vary. For some, a daily structure will be around assisting customers through the live Sales Chat on our website, answering “contact us” forms, or responding to customer calls. This is a fast-paced role where you will help dozens of customers a week who are interested in speaking to sales. We typically schedule a meeting to understand the customer’s project and needs, so a large chunk of your week will be having live video conversations with customers. For the other roles on the team, we have individuals who respond to customers who have engaged with our marketing content. This can be anything from downloading the Enterprise Edition of our database to attending a webinar put on by MongoDB. Reps will reach out via phone, email, and LinkedIn to establish a connection and have a conversation around the potential customer’s interest. Lastly, we just launched a new strategic role on the team where reps will work on Enterprise accounts deemed with a high propensity for growth by marketing. The day-to-day in this role will focus on building connections within the entire account and understanding how the company can potentially leverage MongoDB in their current applications. This role is more strategic so there will be a heavier focus on building out messaging and strategy for approaching the account. The day-to-day in this role will be centered around gathering intel on the account, creating an action plan on outreach, and setting up live conversations with the customers you make contact with. Regardless of what role you’re in on our inbound team, you’ll have weekly, monthly, and quarterly enablement, training, and coaching sessions to set you up for success in your next career step. There are so many things that I love about our inbound Sales Development team. First, I enjoy being able to coach and develop my reps and seeing their growth throughout their tenure as they pursue a sales role at MongoDB. Second, getting the opportunity to learn about companies of all sizes and hear about the cool projects they are working on. Recently, one of my reps had the opportunity to meet with an architect from a popular digital music platform from the ’90s who wanted to completely re-platform their services to capture new market share. Another rep met with the CTO of an AI company where they use robots to track body motion throughout warehouses. Some really cool stuff! Lastly, being part of inbound and handling customers all across North, Central, and South America who are on different parts of the MongoDB journey makes every day exciting! Luiza Ozório , Sales Development Representative When I was looking for new career opportunities, I researched three points that I consider extremely important when assessing the job market: consistent company growth, people and culture, and training and growth possibilities. MongoDB excelled on all these points and when evaluating the two offers I received, I chose to join MongoDB. The Sales Development team culture is very collaborative. We are all on the journey of constant learning, so we often do teach backs on topics that contribute to our daily routines. We also share best practices and anything else that can help other team members develop. There is a culture of learning and development at MongoDB, with well-defined paths for career growth and open feedback which is an exciting working environment to be in. In terms of how to succeed, I don't think there is a specific formula that makes someone successful, but I believe in the importance of being consistent, disciplined, following the sales process, and, above all, communicating with stakeholders in a clear and effective way. Being part of a company that is constantly growing gives us the opportunity to build together and accelerate the company's development even further. I believe in the excellence of what MongoDB offers and I see that we really help our customers develop and scale their businesses. This feeling of being able to help is what energizes me! Brandon Bell , Sr. Sales Development Representative I chose MongoDB because the sales training is second to none. From the first interview, it was clear that MongoDB heavily invests in its people. I felt extremely welcomed and I could tell that MongoDB was a collaborative organization. I spent my first few weeks getting to meet others throughout the organization and going through our Sales Bootcamp which is a training program that’s designed to equip new hires with a strong technology and sales foundation before fully ramping into their role. MongoDB is uniquely positioned in the market to be the foundation for modern applications. It’s an incredible opportunity to be on the ground floor of so many digital transformation efforts. MongoDB is the foundation of so many applications that solve real-world problems! It's incredibly exciting getting to work with various customers with a wide variety of use cases like IoT, Machine Learning, and Blockchain technologies. What will make you successful is being intellectually curious and having a willingness to learn. Our industry and customers' needs are constantly evolving and being genuinely interested in keeping up with these changes is key. At MongoDB, your success is directly correlated with your ability to implement feedback and learn from your mistakes. Coming to the role with an open mind and an appetite to learn is one of the best things you can do as an SDR at MongoDB. My next step is going to be joining our Cloud team as a Cloud Account Executive. In this role, I will get the opportunity to support a lot of early-stage companies as they look to grow and launch new applications. In the long-term, I aspire to become an Enterprise Account Executive where I will get the opportunity to partner with some of the largest companies in the U.S. as they continue to innovate and create applications that will impact millions of people. I feel so fortunate to have joined a sales team that truly cares about everyone's success. Angel Rivera-Vega , Sales Development Representative One of my best friends was working at MongoDB and suggested that I apply to the Sales team based on the continuous growth that he experienced within the company. I had already been developing my tech sales career at other companies, and I knew a little bit about MongoDB through NodeJS and Javascript courses that I took back in 2017. I applied, and here I am! My onboarding experience with MongoDB was gold. I was blessed with a team that consistently helped me through the onboarding process. They always supported me when I needed it, and they consistently coached me on the path to success here in MongoDB. I have to admit that my journey through MongoDB’s Sales Bootcamp was the best sales training process in my professional career. Something that makes me feel very excited about my role is that I have the opportunity to help multiple entrepreneurial initiatives become a reality. I also enjoy promoting solutions to challenges that help enterprises in the long run. It feels great to interact with different companies across the globe and learn about different cultures. In my opinion, there are two critical elements for an SDR’s success. The first one is their mindset. The most successful SDRs are capable of continuously finding opportunities in which MongoDB will fit companies' initiatives. The second is that they are willing to learn and improve consistently. They are curious, test new ideas, and continuously improve on their execution. As I continue to progress my career at MongoDB, I see myself as a Cloud Account Executive in my next role. I like the idea of helping companies embrace cloud technologies such as MongoDB Atlas. In today’s world, all modern applications are empowered with data. To make good use of data, all modern applications need to use cloud technologies that will operate independently. These technologies will help companies to boost development productivity, reduce complexity, and facilitate innovation. What makes MongoDB exciting and unique is to see how much the company is growing year over year and know that our work is contributing to this continuous success. MongoDB is full of incredibly talented and capable people, and I always learn something new from them. Interested in joining the Sales team at MongoDB? We have several open roles on our team and would love for you to transform your career with us!

November 10, 2021

Sales Development Series: Meet the EMEA Account Development Team

Sales Development is a crucial part of the Sales organization at MongoDB. Our Sales Development function is broken down into Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), who qualify and validate inbound opportunities from both existing and prospective customers, and Account Development Representatives (ADRs), who support outbound opportunities by planning and executing pipeline generation strategies. Both of these roles offer an excellent path to kickstarting your career in sales at MongoDB. In this blog post, you’ll learn more about our EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) outbound ADR team, which is divided into territories covering the UK & Ireland, the Nordics & Benelux, Central Europe, and Southern Europe. Hear from Manager David Sinnott and a few Account Development Representatives about the ADR role, team culture, and how MongoDB is enabling ADRs to grow their career. Check out the first blog in our Sales Development series here . An overview of Account Development in EMEA David Sinnot , Sales Development Manager for the UK & Ireland The Account Development team works very closely with our Enterprise Sales organization, supporting some of our largest customers across all industries. ADRs partner with Enterprise Account Executives to identify and uncover some of the biggest challenges facing their customers and through further discovery, position MongoDB as the solution to help solve whatever these challenges are. I started my own career in tech sales as a Sales Development Representative 11 years ago. In tech sales, reps will have lots of successes and challenges and personally, I have always used these experiences as a way to try and better myself. My advice to reps just starting out is when things are not going to plan, take a step back to analyze the reason why, learn from it, and implement some new methods to avoid it happening again. The opportunity to learn never stops at MongoDB. My team and I learn something new every day! Our products are always evolving and we continue to release added features and functionality, so we continually provide training around all of this. ADRs also spend a great deal of time learning about and implementing the sales methodology frameworks that MongoDB uses across the entire Sales organization. There are promotion paths available to all of the ADRs, whether that be staying in Sales or exploring other parts of the business, such as Marketing or Customer Success. All of the knowledge and skills picked up during their time as ADRs ensure that they hit the ground running once they are promoted to their next role within the business, whatever that may be. Some of the most successful Corporate and Enterprise reps in MongoDB started their own careers here as part of the ADR program. We do our absolute best to support all team members in deciding what is the best career path for them in the long term. MongoDB is disrupting an industry that largely hasn’t changed in over 40 years. We currently have around a 1% market share of the database market, which IDC predicts will be close to $119B by 2025, so the potential for MongoDB is still massive. With data being at the core of every modern-day business, organizations are having to modernize their legacy technology stacks and are starting to move more of their business functions to the cloud. MongoDB has an opportunity to play a big part in all of these initiatives and transformations. It’s still an incredibly exciting time for any sales rep out there who may be considering MongoDB for their next move. Hear from some team members Johanna Sterneck , Sr. Account Development Representative for Central Europe I joined MongoDB because I wanted to be part of a fast-growing, successful company that would help me grow professionally and personally. Over the past 10 months, every day has been a new experience and I feel that I’ve become part of something bigger. My onboarding experience was completely remote, but my team, manager, and everyone else at MongoDB have been very welcoming and supportive. The entire onboarding process was very well structured which allowed me to ramp up quickly. As an ADR, persistence in getting things done and positivity are definitely key factors in my role. What’s exciting is learning from the people around me and the great feedback culture we have. My team is very supportive, caring, and fun, and we are all happy to go the extra mile to achieve our goals. Federica Ramondino , Sr. Account Development Representative for Southern Europe I joined MongoDB because I believed it was a company where I could develop my skills and grow professionally. I’ve stayed because it lived up to my expectations! I see a clear career path for myself here, and I am excited to progress into my next role and get closer to my final objective of becoming a manager. To excel in an ADR role, you need dedication, good time and stakeholder management skills, and a positive attitude! My team is an amazing bunch of people that are always positive and keen on helping each other, even in a constantly evolving environment. What’s exciting about this role is all the other teams that you get to work with and learn from, from Sales to Customer Success and Marketing. Ruhan Jay Bora , Sr. Account Development Representative for the UK & Ireland I joined MongoDB because I was keen to work for a company creating experiences for the future, and I wanted to be a key player in helping companies digitally transform. I see myself staying at MongoDB for a while because of the heavy emphasis that leadership places on development. I have monthly catch-up sessions with the VP of Sales for EMEA, VP of Cloud Partners, and regular 1:1’s with my managers. Not a day goes by where I feel like I’m stagnating, and between learning about the latest in tech and sharpening my client-facing skills, there is plenty more room to grow! If you want to be successful as an ADR, the first thing you need to have is a tremendous work ethic. I believe sales is ultimately a game of grit, perseverance, and resilience. It’s not easy to learn so many technical concepts in the span of a few weeks, but our Sales Enablement team has compiled a bevy of excellent and readily digestible content that makes upskilling on MongoDB much easier. I will be moving into a new organization formed by our Sales team called the Associate Account Executive program. I harbor an ambition to become an Enterprise Account Executive, and this program will help me to develop the skills needed to work regularly with some of our most exciting clients! The feeling of seeing a client's satisfaction and astonishment at how MongoDB can solve some of their technical and business challenges truly amazes you. Hearing how great MongoDB is directly from clients makes you realize we really have a great product. I also find that the opportunity to accelerate your career here is extremely tangible. The company is young enough for you to shape your own path and no goal is too ambitious. The ability to engage with senior leadership up to the C-level is great too. Interested in joining the Sales team at MongoDB? We have several open roles on our team and would love for you to transform your career with us!

October 26, 2021

MongoDB Employees Share Their Coming Out Stories: (Inter)National Coming Out Day 2021

National Coming Out Day is celebrated annually on October 11 and is widely recognized in the United States. MongoDB proudly supports and embraces the LGBTQIA+ community across the globe, so we’ve reimagined this celebration as (Inter)National Coming Out Day. In our yearly tradition of honoring (Inter)National Coming Out Day, we asked employees who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community to share their coming out experiences. These are their stories. Jamie Ivanov , Escalation Manager For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to play with dolls and felt closer to my female cousins. This was rather difficult for someone who is a male at birth being brought up in a fairly conservative family. At a young age, I knew that I was different but lacked a way to describe it. I certainly didn't have the support I needed, so I was brought up as a male. My father went out of his way to “make a man out of me” and toughen me up in ways that weren't exactly the most productive. Going through school, I still knew that I was different because I kept feeling attracted to both genders, but I was too afraid to admit to it. I found a youth group for LGBT teenagers that gave me a safe place to be myself and admit to people who I really was. Outside of that group was still pretty scary; I knew that I had to be straight or I would risk being beaten up or harassed, so I tried to push my queerness aside. In my 30s, after going through the Army and having three children, I realized that I couldn't keep pretending anymore -- who I was wasn't the true me. I started telling people that I was bisexual and hoping that they wouldn't see me as less of a person. Most of the responses I received were "yeah, we kinda figured.” Having that weight off of my shoulders was immensely relieving but something still wasn't quite right; while admitting that helped explain who I was interested in, it still didn't explain who I was. Through a series of fortunate unfortunate events, a lot of the facade I had built up for so many years came down, and I realized that who I was didn't match the body that I was given. It was terrifying to talk to anyone about how I was feeling or who I was, but I finally told people that I am a transgender woman. It was one of the scariest things that I have ever done. Some people didn't understand, and I did lose some family over it, but most people accepted me for who I am with open arms! Since being true to myself, more weight has been lifted off of me, and my only regret is not having the resources and courage to admit who I really was years and years ago. Since I've come out as bi/pansexual and a transgender woman, I've built stronger relationships and felt much more comfortable with myself, even to the point of liking photos of myself (which is something I've always hated and realized it was because it wasn't the real me). When a MongoDB recruiter reached out to me, I asked him the same question I asked other recruiters: "How LGBT friendly is MongoDB (with an emphasis on the transgender part)?" The response I got back from my technical recruiter Bryan Spears was the best response I had received from ANY recruiter, or company, and was the deciding factor in why I chose to work at MongoDB. Here’s what he said: “MongoDB is a company that truly does its best to follow our values like embracing the power of differences; we have many employees who identify as LGBTQ+ or are allies of the LGBTQ+ community. We also have two ERGs, MongoDB Queeries and UGT (Underrepresented Genders in Tech), which both aim to create and maintain a safe environment for those identifying as LGBTQ+ or questioning. From a benefits standpoint, we have expanded the amount of WPATH Standards of Care services available for people who identify as Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, or Transsexual through Cigna. While I know none of the information I have shared tells you what life is like at MongoDB, I hope that it shows we are doing our best to make sure that everyone feels respected and welcome here.” I didn't always have the support I needed to be myself at some previous jobs but MongoDB has raised the bar to a level that is hard to compete with. I'm happy to finally find a place that truly accepts me for who I am. Ryan Francis , VP of Global Demand Generation & Field Marketing Growing up in the 90s in what I used to call “the buckle of the Bible Belt,” I did not believe coming out was in the cards. In fact, I would sit up at night to devise my grand escape to New York City after being disowned (how I planned on paying for said escape remains unknown). I was, however, out to my best friend, Maha. During the summer between my Sophomore and Junior years of high school, I spent time with her family in Egypt. On the return trip, I bought a copy of The Advocate to learn about the big gay life that awaited me after my great escape. Later that month, my mother stumbled upon that magazine when she was cleaning the house. She waited six months to bring it up, but one day in January sat me down in the living and asked, “Are you gay?” I paused for a moment and said… “yup.” She started crying and thanked me for being honest with her. A month later, she picked up a rainbow coffee mug at a yard sale and has been Mrs. PFLAG ever since, organizing pride rallies in our little Indiana hometown and sitting on the Episcopal church vestry this year in order to push through our parish’s blessing of same-sex marriage. Needless to say, I didn’t have to escape. My father was also unequivocally accepting. This is a good thing because my sister Lindsay is a Lesbian, so they sure would have had a tough time given 100% of their kids turned out gay. Lindsay is the real hero here who stayed in our homeland to raise her children with her wife, changing minds every day so that, hopefully, there will be fewer and fewer kids who actually have to make that great escape. Angie Byron , Principal Community Manager Growing up in the Midwest in the 80s and 90s, I was always a “tomboy;” as a young kid, I gravitated to toys like Transformers and He-Man and refused to wear pink or dresses. Since we tended to have a lot in common, most of my best friends growing up were boys; I tended to feel awkward and shy around girls and didn’t really understand why at the time. I was also raised both Catholic and Bahá’í, which led to a very interesting mix of perspectives. While both religions have vastly different belief and value systems, the one thing they could agree on was that homosexuality was wrong (“intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law” in the case of Catholicism, and “an affliction that should be overcome” in the case of Bahá’í). Additionally, being “out” as queer at that time in that part of the United States would generally get you made fun of, if not the everlasting crap kicked out of you, so finding other queer people felt nearly impossible. As a result, I was in strong denial about who I was for most of my childhood and gave several valiant but ultimately failed attempts at the whole “trying to date guys” thing as a teenager (I liked guys just fine as friends, but when it came to kissing and stuff it was just, er… no.). In the end, I came to the reluctant realization that I must be a lesbian. I knew no other queer people in my life, and so was grappling with this reality alone, feeling very isolated and depressed. So, I threw myself into music and started to find progressively more and more feminist/queer punk bands whose songs resonated with my experiences and what I was feeling: Bikini Kill, Team Dresch, The Need, Sleater-Kinney, and so on. I came out to my parents toward the end of junior high, quite by accident. Even though I had no concrete plan for doing so, I always figured Mom would be the more accepting one, given that she was Bahá’i (a religion whose basic premise is the unity of religions and equality of humanity), and I’d have to work on Dad for a bit, since he was raised Catholic and came from a family with more conservative values from an even smaller town in the midwest. Imagine my surprise when one day, Mom and I were watching Ricky Lake or Sally Jesse Raphael or one of those daytime talk shows. The topic was something like “HELP! I think my son might be gay!” My mom said something off-handed like “Wow, I don’t know what I would do if one of you came out to me as gay...” And, in true 15-year old angsty fashion, I said, “Oh YEAH? Well you better FIGURE IT OUT because I AM!” and ran into my room and slammed the door. I remember Mom being devastated, wondering what she did wrong as a parent, and so on. I told her, truly, nothing. My parents were both great parents; home was my sanctuary from bullying at school, and my siblings and I were otherwise accepted exactly as we were, tomboys or otherwise. After we’d finished talking, she told me that I had better go tell my father, so I begrudgingly went downstairs. “Dad… I’m gay.” Instead of a lecture or expressing disdain, he just said, “Oh really? I run a gay support group at your Junior High!” and I was totally mind blown. Bizarro world. He was the social worker at my school, so this makes sense, but it was the exact opposite reaction that I was expecting. An important life lesson in not prejudging people. When I moved onto high school, we got… drumroll ... the Internet. Here things take a much happier turn. Through my music, I was able to find a small community of fellow queers (known as Chainsaw), including a ton of us from various places in the Midwest. I was able to learn that I was NOT a freak, I was NOT alone, there were SO many other folks who felt the exact same way, and they were all super rad! We would have long talks into the night, support each other through hardships, and more than a few of us met each other in person and hung out in “real life.” Finding that community truly saved my life, and the lives of so many others. (Side-note: This is also how I got into tech because the chat room was essentially one gaping XSS vulnerability, and I taught myself HTML by typing various tags in and seeing how they rendered.) I never explicitly came out to anyone in my hometown. I was too scared to lose important relationships (it turns out I chose my friends well, and they were all completely fine with it, but the prospect of further isolating myself as a teenager was too terrifying at the time). Because of that, when I moved to a whole new country (Canada) and went to college, the very first thing I did on my first day was introduce myself as “Hi, I’m Angie. I’ve been building websites for fun for a couple of years. Also, I’m queer, so if you’re gonna have a problem with that, it’s probably best we get it out of the way now so we don’t waste each others’ time.” Flash forward to today, my Mom is my biggest supporter, has rainbow stickers all over her car, and has gone to dozens of Pride events. Hacking together HTML snippets in a chat room led to a full-blown career in tech. I gleaned a bit more specificity around my identity and now identify as a homoromantic asexual . Many of those folks I met online as a teenager have become life-long friends. And, I work for a company that embraces people for who they are and celebrates our differences. Life is good. Learn more about Diversity & Inclusion at MongoDB Interested in joining MongoDB? We have several open roles on our teams across the globe and would love for you to transform your career with us!

October 11, 2021

Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month

We’re honoring Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) in a few ways here at MongoDB! First, hear from three MongoDB employees about their own experiences and what this month means to them. Then, keep scrolling for a Spotify playlist, reading list, and movie list curated by members of our affinity group the Underrepresented People of Color Network (TUPOC). Alicia Raymond , Director, HR Business Partner (Core & Cloud), New York City At 18 years old, and without knowing a word of English, my mother left behind her entire family in Chile to come to the United States. This was in 1973, shortly before the dictator Augusto Pinochet came into power. The following years in Chile were tumultuous and my mother, who was now married to a U.S. military member, relocated frequently. Over time, she lost contact with her family in Chile. Years later, I was a college student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a Morehead-Cain scholarship. The scholarship allowed me to take part in various summer activities, including a summer of studying abroad. Chile was on the list of countries where I could study, so I jumped at the opportunity to go there and find my family. As soon as the plane touched down, I began searching for traces of my family members. This was before the prevalence of social media, so I spent a lot of time sifting through phone books. Finally, I was able to locate a phone number for my mother’s younger sister, Esther, but I didn’t call her right away. I was anxious about how I would fit in with my Chilean relatives. My identity as Latina had always felt a bit nebulous — a common feeling among multiracial, multicultural people and second-generation immigrants. I was Spanglish-speaking and white-passing, and I had not grown up among a Latinx community in the U.S. At the time, I struggled to feel like part of the Latinx community, but I also felt a deep obligation not to abandon the complex mix of identities I inherited from my mother — a mix we are still learning about today. Until recently, she didn’t know she was almost half Indigenous American — a detail her parents hid to improve their chances of integrating into the middle class of Chilean society. Alicia with her mother and aunts from Chile in New York City Eventually, I worked up the courage to make the call. After a few rings of the phone, someone picked up on the other end. I confirmed that it was Esther and then, in broken Spanish, I explained who I was and that I was in Chile. Esther’s excitement melted away all of my concerns. We scheduled a time to meet in person that week, and we have remained in contact ever since. After re-establishing and maintaining contact with my Chilean family, my bonds with my Chilean heritage strengthened. Although my cultural identity still feels complicated, within that complexity lies an incredible blessing. It has given me the opportunity to navigate multiple worlds and be shaped by varied perspectives and communities. That’s not to imply that those identities always meshed in a frictionless way — my father’s parents almost disowned him for marrying my Latina mother — but even that friction helped expand my view of the world. In a career context, this has allowed me to be highly adaptable to new circumstances, adept at perspective-taking, and flexible enough in my own beliefs to understand others’ viewpoints. Those skills are essential for my role as an HR Business Partner, where the issues I face often involve multiple stakeholders, rarely have one right answer, and require a big dollop of creative problem-solving. I am eternally grateful for the multifaceted lens my cultural background has provided me. Alicia's mother as a child, outside the house she grew up in Gustavo Chavez , Senior Solutions Architect, Austin Hispanic Heritage Month is not just a month, it’s a lifestyle! I’m originally from a small town in Mexico and was raised all over the state of Chihuahua. Growing up, I was always fascinated by airplanes and technology, and when I reached high school I had the opportunity to start learning computer programming. My friend’s father owned a payroll-processing company, and he started teaching RPG and COBOL on an IBM System 34 (yeah, I know, I’m dating myself) during the afternoons, so I would go there two or three times a week. This is where my passion for computers and technology really grew and led me to pursue a degree in computer science. After graduating, I began working at a local startup doing offshore work for a mainframe application performance-monitoring company located in Santa Monica, California. The company, Candle Corp, then offered me the opportunity to work for them in the U.S., so my wife and I packed our things in a U-Haul and drove 900 miles west to Los Angeles! IBM acquired Candle Corp in the mid-2000s, which led me to Austin, Texas. After a few years, I had the opportunity to join MongoDB. Diversity is celebrated here, and we all work together toward a common goal while having fun along the way. In my role as a Senior Solutions Architect, I support the LATAM Corporate Sales organization and help align MongoDB technology with customer needs and business goals. My children were born in Los Angeles, where, as an immigrant, I started thinking about my role as a parent in preserving Hispanic language and culture for the next generation. Luckily, it wasn’t too difficult given our location. The shared history between Mexico and the U.S. provides the perfect canvas to paint a picture of blended colors and influences from other places. This is apparent all across Texas and the southwest of our country. The food, architecture, names, battles, and social struggle through the years help build the foundation of what it means to be of Hispanic descent in the United States. We are embedded in the fabric of the region and country, and that is what we aim to share with everybody — our common bonds instead of our differences. Today, as the proud father of two young adults attending university, I can honestly say the job is not done. We still have other generations to share our culture and heritage with. I hope we can ensure that future generations are proud of being Hispanic and proud of the contributions made by members of the Hispanic community to the United States. Gustavo and his family Camilo Velez-Gordon , Field Marketing Specialist, New York City In 2003, my mom and I hopped on a one-way flight from Colombia to Newark International Airport with four suitcases and a lot of unknowns. As a 7-year-old with minimal knowledge of the English language, I had no idea what it meant for me or my future, and I was terrified. My family and I quickly settled in northern New Jersey, and I learned English in less than a year thanks to cartoons and shows such as Rocket Power and Drake and Josh. Throughout my upbringing, I learned that two things will always be true: Family is and always will be an important part of my life, and in the United States you are in control of your destiny, which may not be the case elsewhere. The older I get, the more significance Hispanic Heritage Month has in my life. This may be due to a deeper understanding of the importance of culture and my background. The month is a great opportunity to reflect on my journey to where I am today, and also a good time to educate the people around me about what it is like to be Latino in today’s America. The tech industry has always been fascinating to me, but, while in school, a career in tech always seemed like a far-fetched goal. Through my network, I was fortunate enough to secure a marketing internship for an ad-tech firm while finishing my senior year as a business student at Montclair State University. Once I got my foot in the door, I was determined to take full advantage of the opportunity. To this day, my main takeaway from the process of getting into tech is that mastering the skill of networking will open many doors in your career. As I approach my two-year anniversary at MongoDB, I frequently look back on my journey to where I am today, and I can’t help but smile. The terrified 7-year-old from 17 years ago came a long way. At MongoDB, I continue to grow, evolve, and learn. During my tenure, I have met incredible people, achieved many milestones, and launched multiple global programs that have had a positive impact on the business. I am so proud of how far my family and I have come, and I could not be more excited for what is to come for MongoDB. Camilo and his family Celebrate the Hispanic and Latinx community's contributions to music, literature, and film Spotify Reading list Title Author The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Erika L. Sanchez The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz Dominicana: A Novel Angie Cruz War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony Nelson A. Denis Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics Frederick Luis Aldama Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism Greg Grandin Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza Gloria Anzaldúa The Borders of Dominicanidad Lorgia Garcia-Peña The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists Naomi Klein The Arawak: The History and Legacy of the Indigenous Natives in South America and the Caribbean Charles River Editors The Indian Chronicles José Barreiro Eva Luna Isabel Allende The Bronx Evelyn Gonzalez Barrio Dreams: Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and the Neoliberal City Arlene Dávila Bodega Dreams Ernesto Quiñonez The Eagle's Throne Carlos Fuentes The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo When I Was Puerto Rican: A Memoir

October 4, 2021

MongoDB is a Crain's Best Place to Work in NYC for the Fifth Year in a Row

We’re thrilled to announce that MongoDB has made Crain’s 2021 Best Places to Work in New York City list. This is the fifth year in a row that we’ve ranked among Crain’s top 100 companies in New York City, coming in at #29 for 2021. Among large companies specifically, MongoDB ranks #14 out of 47. At MongoDB, we are passionate about our mission of freeing the genius within everyone by making data stunningly easy to work with. This means enabling each individual to pursue their vision, whether they are a developer using our products or an employee. At MongoDB, if you have an idea, you get the trust from leadership and autonomy to run with it while excelling in your role. Every employee can see the direct impact they have on the business and product, as well as the inclusive culture we are building. To drive the personal growth and business impact of our employees, we have committed to developing an open, supportive, and enriching environment for everyone. From meditation sessions and yoga classes to fertility assistance and a generous parental leave policy — the opportunity to make an impact at MongoDB is real and we want to support all of our employees in that journey. It’s important for us to embody our company values, especially when it comes to “Embracing the Power of Differences.” One way we promote this is through our affinity groups , which support our larger commitment to an inclusive community. Our affinity groups provide a collaborative space for employees to mentor and connect with one another through a common interest or identity. In collaboration with our affinity groups, MongoDB supported organizations fighting for racial justice and equal opportunity through a fundraising campaign in 2020. MongoDB pledged $250,000, and through combined efforts with employees and outside contributors, we donated over $330,000 to organizations fighting for justice. While employees have worked from home during COVID-19, we’ve provided telehealth options, mental health support, emergency care leave, company-wide days off, and initiatives to increase social connectivity in a virtual environment. As employees begin to return to our offices, employee health and wellbeing, happiness, and success are of utmost importance to us. We are always striving to make sure that MongoDB is a great place to work for everyone. Hear from some of our New York City employees Marissa Jasso, Product Marketing Manager “As a Latina and Native American in the tech industry, it’s not often I come across a company that makes a consistent effort to ensure all members feel included. To me, that’s a real unicorn company. MongoDB is a deep breath. It’s the relief of knowing that every day, I can bring my whole identity to work.” Paige Jornlin, Manager, Customer Success “MongoDB has an incredible culture. Not only do we have an amazing team that makes me excited to come to work each day, but there are countless growth opportunities and our leaders show so much care for their people. It's truly special. MongoDB is also deeply committed to embracing differences. Without having such a diverse team, we wouldn’t be able to innovate, challenge the norm, or think about different ways of doing things as much as we do.” Blake Deakin, Area VP, Technical Services “We have the opportunity to solve really big, really interesting problems for our customers. There’s a good chance you’ll work on something, see it in the news, and then say, ‘Hey! I helped make that happen.’ For me, that’s one of the most gratifying things about working here.” Interested in joining MongoDB? We have several open roles on our teams across the globe and would love for you to transform your career with us!

September 30, 2021

Sales Development Series: Meet the North America Account Development Team

Sales Development is a crucial part of the Sales organization at MongoDB. Our Sales Development function is broken down into Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), who qualify and validate inbound opportunities from both existing and prospective customers, and Account Development Representatives (ADRs), who support outbound opportunities by planning and executing pipeline generation strategies. Both of these roles offer an excellent path to kickstarting your career in sales at MongoDB. In this blog post, you’ll learn more about our North American outbound team, which is divided into territories covering North America West, North America Central, New York City and the Mid-Atlantic, and New England, East Canada, and the South East. Hear from Regional Manager Jordan Gregory and a few Account Development Representatives about the ADR role and how MongoDB’s sales culture enables employees to grow and succeed in their career. An overview of Account Development in North America Jordan Gregory , Regional Manager of Sales Development for New England, East Canada, and the South East Account Development at MongoDB is crucial to the success of our sales organization, being the first point of contact with all of our prospective customers. We partner with our incredibly talented Enterprise Account Executives to find new business opportunities within some of the largest and most complex organizations in the world across a broad range of industries (financial institutions, video games, telecommunications, insurance - you name it!). The Account Development team culture is one of extreme ownership. It’s about controlling what we can control, building off of each other’s strengths, enjoying working together, and holding ourselves and each other accountable for growing and failing forward every day. If you work hard, you play hard, and that culminates in a lot of fun with this incredible group! MongoDB has a growth-focused culture. Our management and Sales leadership team take learning and development seriously, and the most successful individuals on the Sales team are those who are committed to growing and learning in their role. MongoDB is an open-source data platform company, and I firmly believe that if you can sell an open-source data platform, you can sell anything. This is one of the most challenging places to sell and because of that, and the focus on growth and development, I’ve seen countless people (including myself) take their careers to new heights. The hardest part of sales is prospecting, and it’s something we train our ADRs on extensively. You’ll learn how to identify your Ideal Customer Profile, execute deep discovery and qualification, and progress deals forward to Qualified Pipeline. You’ll also go through our Sales Bootcamp and on-the-job training. Another product of the ADR program is the massive impact we have on revenue which allows folks to build their internal brand and make lifelong connections. On top of that, we have structured upskill programs to set our ADRs up for success in the next role that they’re pursuing internally, whether that's as a Cloud Account Executive, an Associate Account Executive, or other non-direct sales roles like Customer Success and Field Marketing. We’ve also had internal promotions from the Sales Development org to Sales Enablement. At MongoDB, there is a lot of mobility to progress your career in the direction you want, and you’ll be truly valued as a person rather than an employee number or a revenue target. Hear from some team members Andrew Brownlee , Account Development Representative for New York City I joined MongoDB because it seemed like a great place to start my journey to being an Enterprise Sales Executive in the software industry. The people here have a winning mentality and operate as a team when faced with a challenge. The products are world-class and we invest heavily in R&D. MongoDB also has a process called BDR to CRO that’s geared towards developing and promoting sales talent year over year. The most exciting part about working here is the opportunity ahead. To be successful at MongoDB takes conviction, drive, and curiosity. You have to be firm in your opinion that our technology can transform an organization for the best. You must have the drive to push when it's easy, and when it's hard. The best ADRs are focused on being effective with their activity day-to-day and aren't dissuaded by how easy or hard that particular quarter is. Curiosity will help you grow in your career. It’ll also help you get the respect you need amongst your stakeholders. Maria Dorsey , Account Development Representative for North America Central I joined MongoDB because I was looking for a challenging yet rewarding start to my software sales career. It was clear to me throughout the MongoDB interview process that there is a huge emphasis on growth and development which is exactly what I was looking for. During my onboarding, I received a lot of support from my team. Although learning the MongoDB value proposition, products, and sales process can seem overwhelming, my team set aside time to ensure I was ramping up successfully. My manager also took the time to listen to my concerns, talk through tech fundamentals, walk through use cases I was unfamiliar with, and was an ally that I could depend on. What makes me stay at MongoDB is the opportunity for growth, the culture of the Sales Development organization, and the collaboration with enterprise reps and management. I’ve been extremely lucky to learn from and work alongside Enterprise Account Executives, Regional Directors, and my Regional Vice President who all truly care about my growth and success. The biggest thing that makes someone successful as an ADR is their willingness and eagerness to learn. MongoDB doesn’t necessarily care if you come from a software sales background (some of the best ADRs have not), but rather your ability and eagerness to learn the tech, sales process, and stakeholder management. These characteristics are a great foundation for building a long successful career at MongoDB. Vlad Pak , Account Development Representative for North America West I joined MongoDB because I wanted to challenge myself and gain experience working in enterprise sales. MongoDB is an incredible company that offers many opportunities for personal, professional, and financial growth, but the thing that keeps me happy here is the culture. I am surrounded by driven and intelligent teammates and leadership that cares about my success. It's great to be supported from an employee-first perspective. I think the two key traits that make someone successful on my team and in my role are proactiveness and curiosity. Many of our team members are proactively sharing insights, collaborating, and facilitating engagement with each other which benefits us all and drives us to be the best ADRs we can be. Curiosity is the bread and butter of any successful sales professional and will directly impact the quantity and quality of the meetings we set, helping us attain our quotas! I am looking forward to growing my career with MongoDB in a closing role and taking on the challenge of owning my own sales cycle. It’s exciting to work for a company that is leading the charge in digital transformation and changing the way enterprises approach technological innovation. It has been a great learning experience so far, and I can’t wait to see how the organization will grow and evolve along with my career! Interested in joining the sales team at MongoDB? We have several open roles on our team and would love for you to transform your career with us!

September 27, 2021

From Solutions Architect to Enterprise Account Executive: How Julian Storz is Growing His Career at MongoDB

MongoDB empowers employees to transform their careers by growing in the direction they want. One of the ways we do this is through our many internal transfer opportunities. Hear from Julian Storz about his transfer from Solutions Architect to Enterprise Account Executive and how he became the inspiration behind the MongoDB Lego person along the way. Jackie Denner: Thanks for sharing your story with me, Julian. To start, how did you come to join MongoDB? Julian Storz: I worked at a management consulting firm in the financial services industry before joining MongoDB. By chance, I was invited to a wine tasting in 2018 where I got to know Anton Rau, Regional Director at MongoDB, who was an Enterprise Account Executive at the time. We had an interesting conversation about current trends in the market, technologies that he saw emergings, and MongoDB not only as a technology but also as a company. I was familiar with MongoDB from my studies, loved the technology for its simplicity, and knew that they had IPOed recently, but I wasn’t thinking about a role in tech back then. Consulting and banking was what I learned and knew; thus I did not fully comprehend the potential of a career in the tech sector. Anton and I met again a month later, and by then I had done further research on the business model and took some time to ramp up my knowledge on the current state of MongoDB’s technology. During our second meeting, I agreed to kick off conversations and later accepted a Solutions Architect role within the Presales organization at MongoDB. This marked the starting point for an incredible journey at the company. JD: Tell me about your journey from presales to sales. JS: The main driver for me joining MongoDB was the technology. I always enjoyed programming and entrepreneurship. As part of the Presales team, a Solutions Architect is responsible for guiding our customers and users to design and build reliable, scalable systems using MongoDB. In this role I worked closely with one of our Enterprise Account Executives, Oliver Wedell. We paired up as a team for the Accounts in southwest Germany along with Austria and Switzerland, working on big deals with clients. This teamwork provided me with a profound insight into the sales role. After one and a half years as a Solutions Architect, I decided to make the move into Sales. JD: Why did you decide to make this move from presales into sales? JS: My role as a Solutions Architect also provided me the opportunity to work with many additional sales representatives from different regions, learning about their styles and approaches. I fell in love with the idea of building a business from the ground up and learning how to develop customer relationships by solving their problems systematically. In essence, the role of an Account Executive at MongoDB is one of a real businessperson. You are in charge of your franchise. You have a vast number of topics you can address with the technology, and it comes down to understanding the customer’s business, the current situation they are facing, and how MongoDB can add value for them. I’ve realized that it’s similar to working in consulting. The difference is that it’s not about services, but a product solution. After one and a half years as a Solutions Architect, I decided that I wanted to take the opportunity to learn the sales craft and gain the knowledge of all the inspiring people who are part of the Sales organization at MongoDB. My motivation behind this is to take the knowledge I’ve gathered and help smaller companies grow their businesses in the future. The complexity of growing an organization effectively requires a mindset that I feel can be improved upon in Germany. I am very thankful for this opportunity and the ability to tackle a new challenge. JD: What training was provided to you to help you transfer from a presales to a sales role? JS: During my transition period I received very close coaching from our Regional Directors. They supported me in analyzing my accounts, defining sales campaigns, identifying the right targets, training my pitches, and organization. At the same time, Oliver was promoted into a Regional Director role and became my manager, so I was thrilled that we would continue to work together. On top of that, the Central Europe team has weekly sessions organized by our Regional Vice President and the Leadership team to address specific areas of development for the whole Central Europe organization to allow for continuous development. JD: I hear that you’ve recently played a role in one of our field marketing campaigns. What's the story behind the MongoDB Lego set? JS: The MongoDB Lego set was part of a regional field marketing campaign for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH). The purpose was to promote MongoDB Atlas and its multi-cloud clusters, which enables a single application to use multiple clouds. The campaign was a raffle in which you could enter to win one of the 33 Lego sets MongoDB designed. I have always collaborated closely with our Marketing team, speaking at global and local events such as MongoDB World, webinars, and meetups. When the Marketing team decided to create this Lego set, they wanted a figure that people could relate to. It seems like this was my reward for almost two years of great collaboration because they decided to model the Lego person after me! JD: Tell me a bit about your team and culture. JS: One of the reasons I joined MongoDB initially was that it is all about personal growth and performance. The company culture is very open-minded and goal-oriented, which comes with a strong focus on development. As a team, we understand nobody is perfect and that we can all learn from each other, so this is what we do! We have weekly calls sharing our experiences, reflecting on how we can become better and deepening our knowledge on our sales processes and approaches to ensure that we can serve our customers effectively. During COVID-19 things have been different. We used to do a lot as a team and met at least once a week in-person. This obviously was not possible anymore. We adapted to remote work by having digital team events and working together via Zoom. As of July 2021, things are gladly easing up in Germany which means we can begin meeting face to face again! JD: Why should someone want to join your team? What would you like a candidate to know about life at MongoDB? JS: If you are interested in technology, like working with people, enjoy problem solving, and want to grow, MongoDB is a remarkable place to be. It may not always be easy, but it is more than worth it! The best part is that we have an outstanding leadership team, strong growth and market opportunity, and an open-minded culture - the perfect soil to plant the seed to a stellar career. Interested in pursuing a career at MongoDB? We have several open roles on our teams across the globe and would love for you to transform your career with us!

August 25, 2021