What makes a world-class entrepreneur? Of course, there’s no cut-and-dry answer, but if you examine the backgrounds of some of the tech industry’s most well-known (perhaps even notorious) CEOs, some traits begin to materialize: computer-obsessed dropouts with passion that borders on hubris and the ability to convince people that what they are doing is the most important thing in the world.

In Japan, a country that beats conformity into the populace at a young age with such cautionary proverbs as “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” Yoichiro “Pina” Hirano had a lot more working against him than his western counterparts. His company, Infoteria, develops enterprise software – and while that’s definitely not as sexy as mobile apps or smart home gadgets, it bears mentioning that a homegrown company has triumphed over global giants in this sector like Microsoft and IBM.

Pina’s story is a special one – made even more unique against the backdrop of Japan.

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