I believe that many development teams get caught up in the granular details of building products far too easily. While there is great value in focusing on each line of code and producing it with care, in this state of intense focus we forget what it is we are building, the purpose it serves, and most importantly, who will inevitably use our creation. For me, being a product owner is not just about managing and refining a backlog for the developers, it's about working harmoniously with the developers and all stakeholders so that the larger vision of what we're doing is shared and understood. This statement is no secret revelation, but it is undoubtedly critical to the success of any project and must be mentioned whenever possible. However, creating a shared vision requires a great deal of attention, especially when working across time zones, cultures, and languages. This is where I hope the members of my team feel my value most: acting as the glue of our team.I'm keenly interested in human-computer interaction and enjoy studying it in my spare time, in addition to other technical studies that enhance my ability as a decision maker. After all, no one can be successful in this field without the desire to learn something new every day.My (very) short backstory:I am originally from Austin, Texas. I studied in Japan as an undergraduate at Hokkaido University, where I received my bilingual bachelor's degree with a major in Japanese Political Economy and Society and a minor in Japanese History and Culture. Although I didn't start out with a technical background, over the years I've become an Agile practitioner and product owner/proxy product owner. This is just one hat I wear, although I actually work in numerous roles within my current company (Account Management, Business Development, Technical Writer, yadda yadda).Before joining development teams in the trenches, I started out as a recruiter for the tech industry. Most of the clients I worked with were Japanese startups looking for skilled foreign engineers. Although this work gave me a basic knowledge of the IT industry, I felt the need to find a role that stimulated my creativity and engagement in the products being built.I'm currently living in central Vietnam and honing my skills as a multi-faceted tech professional and decision maker.