Jackson Marketon
Product-Driven Staff Engineer & Engineering Leader
Volunteer Search & Rescue Responder
By day, I'm a Staff Engineer who turns "what if" into "what's next," though occasionally it's more like "what just happened?" At Shopify and Pinterest, I was the engineer product teams summon (usually with a mix of hope and mild desperation) when they need to transform ambitious ideas into impactful features.
Professional Journey
I transform nebulous product concepts into measurable growth engines, specializing in the delicate phase between 'just an idea' and 'first thousand users.' While others chase vanity metrics, I build instrumented foundations that turn user behavior into actionable insights.
Through rapid experimentation with deep analytics I find those critical 'aha moments' that drive both activation and retention. My north star? Creating scalable wow-moments that users can't help but share – though my proposed metric of 'viral coefficients per sleepless night' hasn't caught on yet.
Education & Background
Computer & Network Security
Dakota State University
Like any good experiment, my career has had its fair share of variables. A Computer & Network Security degree – which I use about as often as South Dakotans use their air conditioning – kickstarted a journey through the freezing cold Twin Cities followed by the Bay Area's tech scene.
These days, I'm bringing that midwestern sensibility and coastal tech experience to Las Vegas, where I live with my wife and two dogs. Turns out "prairie tough" translates surprisingly well to desert living.
Adventures Beyond Code
When I'm not bringing new features to life or running growth experiments that would make statisticians blush, you'll find me wearing multiple hats – sometimes literally, as required by my Search and Rescue work with Red Rock SAR.
From plunging into the depths of the ocean as a certified diver, to navigating wilderness trails during search operations, to exploring remote backcountry in my modified overlanding rig – I'm drawn to adventures that challenge both mind and body.
Whether it's plotting the perfect route through challenging terrain, setting up camp in remote locations, or troubleshooting a mechanical issue miles from civilization – it turns out the principles of rapid prototyping and iterative problem-solving work just as well on dirt trails as they do in product development.
Kitchen Experimentations
In the kitchen, I've become something of a vegan recipe engineer, treating each dish as a product development challenge. My specialty? Reverse-engineering traditional recipes into plant-based versions that would convince even the most skeptical users.
I love exploring regional cuisines, treating each new cooking tradition like a fascinating codebase to study and understand. My kitchen experiments often involve unconventional ingredients, as I search for creative ways to replicate the fall-apart tenderness of slow-cooked meats or the umami depth of long-simmered broths.
Digital Realms
When it comes to gaming, you'll find me deep in the weeds of grand strategy games like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, where my love for complex systems and long-term planning finds its perfect playground.
Whether I'm orchestrating interstellar empires in Stellaris, optimizing factory layouts in Satisfactory (it's basically product development, but with conveyor belts), or building the perfect city in Cities: Skylines, I'm always looking for that sweet spot between efficiency and user experience. And yes, I have strong opinions about traffic management in both virtual cities and API design.
What Drives Me
What truly drives me is the thrill of building something from nothing. Whether I'm turning a product manager's wild idea into a shipping feature, plotting an overlanding route through unexplored backcountry, or figuring out how to make the perfect vegan bolognese, I'm happiest when venturing into unknown territory – preferably with a good cup of coffee in hand and enough instrumentation to measure the results.
Just don't ask me about the time I tried to A/B test my camping gear layouts. Some experiments don't need statistical significance to prove their point.