Germaine Chin

About me

I'm Germaine, a Product Manager at Phillip Nova with a background in Cognitive Science. I like to turn chaos into structured, controlled chaos. A few links to explore:

Background

I studied Cognitive Sciences at UNIMAS, and that's where I became fascinated by how people process information, make decisions and learn. Ideas like cognitive load, mental models and attention still shape how I work: I'd rather design products that fit the way people naturally think than ask people to adapt to the limits of the technology.

I didn't go straight into product. I taught art for a year, then moved into systems: data pipelines at META Research and three years supporting ERP and supply-chain planning systems at Plexus Corp. In 2024 I moved into product management at Phillip Nova, and I'm now studying for an MBA at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

I think of agile as a mindset rather than a method. Every product is different, so if an approach doesn't work, I try something else. People who know me well describe me as upbeat, people-centred and driven by possibilities (ENFP, Enneagram 7).

Education

Certifications

  • Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO®)

  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM®)

  • Chat Ambassador, Institute of Mental Health Singapore

In progress

  • PMP certification

  • Toastmasters SR5, MR1

Hobbies

Outside work you'll usually find me at a tabletop: Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer 40k, pen-and-paper RPGs, or losing to a Souls boss. It's good practice for collaborative storytelling, scenario planning and creative problem-solving. I also enjoy:

  • Art
  • Worldbuilding
  • Board games
  • Gaming
  • Photography

Some of these turn into small projects.

Tools I love and use

Tech

Photography

Hydration

Current obsessions

  • Playing: Final Fantasy XIV
  • Drinking: Longjing tea
  • Loving: Chiikawa

Philosophies I follow

Elsewhere

Say hi by email, or find me here:

Colophon

This site is written by hand in plain HTML and CSS, with a little JavaScript for the dark mode toggle and the recommendations. There's no framework. The typeface is Inter, and the source is on GitHub.