Jennifer "J-Ha" Hasegawa

Hello, I'm J-Ha!

Yes, sort of like J.Lo, but without the amazing singing, dancing, and skincare line.

About me

What will you be doing at XMTP?

I'll be leading our technical writing efforts, helping developers understand, adopt, and thrive with XMTP.

I also have a background in content design (words in UIs) and information architecture (organizing, structuring, and labeling content), so please feel free to reach out to me if you'd like my help in any of these areas.

Where are you currently based?

San Francisco

What’s your primary time zone?

UTC–08:00 (PT)

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Hilo, a small town on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

By the time I started high school I was a goth and could not wait to leave the island so that I could fulfill my dream of becoming a poet and seeing The Cure in concert! LOL Plus, wearing all black and trying not to get a tan in Hawai'i is really hard work.

In hindsight, I was so lucky to grow up on such an amazing island. The Big Island has rainforests, deserts, active volcanoes, and snow atop Maunakea, the tallest mountain in the world when measured from the sea floor. The street I grew up on had a pony, a goat, chickens, cats, and dogs, most of which were free to roam around.

In gratitude and acknowledgment for the island I grew up on, I did a radio documentary about Hawai'i County's vision for living with natural phenomena, interviewing the mayor, head of county civil defense, and a practitioner of the Hawaiian language.

What does your household look like?

I live in an apartment in the Excelsior District in San Francisco with my partner Dennis. My home office is a spare bedroom. Dennis does a daily investigative news radio program from our bedroom! We're so grateful that we're able to do the work we love, remotely.

Here we are in our kitchen next to a gingerbread house I baked for the winter holidays:

If you'd like to see our neighborhood, I created this series of video poems, recording video through the windows of our apartment during the pandemic.

What keeps you energized?

I love learning and creating.

Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?

I'm a poet. I published my first book, La Chica's Field Guide to Banzai Living, in March 2020. I had an existential crisis when we had to cancel the in-person book tour and everything went online. It's hard enough to sell a book of poetry, let alone sell it through Zoom! I also felt guilty for worrying about my book, which I wrote over the course of 10 years, while there was so much suffering in the world. I learned a lot through the process, including my true motivations for writing. Surprise, it doesn't have to do with selling books!

I'm also passionate about preserving vintage Hawai'i community cookbooks. I started Kau Kau Chronicles, also in March 2020. Our team of community archivists digitizes Hawaii's most beloved and fragile cookbooks and we post them to the site. We've preserved over 30 cookbooks and 4,000 recipes and add more each day. Culinary arts educators in Hawai'i discovered the site and are using it as a source for recipes and culinary history.

Work preferences

Where on the spectrum of introvert to extrovert would you place yourself?

I identify as an introvert. I enjoy time with people, especially 1:1 or in small groups, but I do also need time to myself to recharge and re-center.

What’s your preferred way to receive feedback, in terms of speed?

Right away. I see feedback as a gift. Thank you in advance for being open to sharing with me.

What’s your preferred way to receive feedback, in terms of format?

For feedback about my work, whether it's a piece of documentation or other deliverable, I love receiving actionable comments directly in the deliverable format, such as in a PR, Google Doc, or Figma.

For feedback about the way I work, I'd love a chance to talk with you in real time, whether it is via Slack or in a 1:1. This will give us the opportunity to have a full-fidelity, two-way conversation, which will help me ensure that I truly understand your feedback.

But above all else, I am happy to receive feedback in the format that makes it easiest for you to express yourself. All I ask is that you do your best to make the feedback actionable and constructive.

What’s your orientation toward conflict?

I appreciate a team that does the work to develop clear and safe communication so that we can organically address issues before they turn into conflicts.

I strive to embrace conflict and get out of "avoidance mode." Well-mediated conflict helps us learn and grow as a team. Avoidance feeds bitterness and alienation.

It might not always be easy, but I'm committed to working on it.

What time(s) of day are you most productive?

I can be productive at any time of my work day. What makes more of a difference for my work style is having uninterrupted time.

When I schedule a meeting, I try to create it next to another meeting. This way, I'm just adding to an existing meeting block and not disrupting what could potentially be a focus block.

What do you value more than anything else?

Empathy

What’s your biggest work-related pet peeves?

• Toxic competition. We're on the same team working toward the same big goal. Instead of competing against each other, we should be lifting each other up and helping each other succeed.

• Being treated as a "content vending machine." In the past, I've been asked: "Can you give me a description text string real quick?" What exactly am I describing? Who is the user? What is the end-to-end flow? What is the user's goal? What is our goal? Clear, accurate, and user-centric content takes research and thought.

What does ‘work-life balance’ mean to you?

Bringing everything I have to my work projects to help us succeed and reach our goals, while also having the "mindspace" and energy to enjoy my personal projects. I find that there is usually an ebb and flow, and I go with it.

While I enjoy the excitement and intensity of "crunch time," I do appreciate the power of being able to unplug and recharge, and then come back to work with a clear head and fresh eyes.

Anything else you’d like to share about what makes for your ideal work environment?

I appreciate being able to build authentic and meaningful relationships with my collaborators.

I appreciate being able to easily and safely ask for and offer help.

I appreciate having fun at work! Like, "Ever since the ayahuasca trip..."

What’s your favorite way to decompress after work?

I love posting a few recipes to Kau Kau Chronicles, attending an online poetry reading, or making a special dinner.