AMA Podcast (S-02, E-16) with Kevin Dias, Founder of Ambiki and The Problem-First Method

Hear the story of a Japan-based entrepreneur helping to improve lives through innovative solutions in the fields of speech, occupational, and physical therapy. You may work remotely a few days each week but take a minute to meet an entrepreneur who has completely dismantled the traditional office hierarchy. Although his company operates exclusively in the U.S. market, Kevin Dias doesn't run things from a corner office in New York City or a glass tower in Silicon Valley. He manages his entire enterprise from a quiet home in the Japanese countryside. Join us as we explore how Kevin navigates time zones, cultural divides, and the challenges of leading an international team in a place where life moves at a different pace. . During our 50-minute discussion, Real Gaijin explored Kevin’s journey to Japan, the challenges that pediatric therapists face today, the realities of building a healthcare software company, and the importance of his patented "Problem-First Method" to innovation. If you're interested in healthcare, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence (AI), or developing meaningful technology to solve real-world problems, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Please subscribe and click on 🔔, 👍 and share. ▬▬▬ CHAPTERS ▬▬▬ 00:00 Introductions and housekeeping 02:09 Kevin's personal background and initial pathway to Japan beginning at Wake Forest University 05:09 Return to Japan to teach English which morphed into a computer programming project that was rejected by management 08:39 Rebounding from the initial rejection, dove into the development of Kevin's first web app for computer assisted translation with Ruby on Rails 12:39 Hired by ProZ.com, the online community and workplace for freelance translators, as a software developer 13:16 In 2018, serendipitous opportunity to partner with a college friend who had just purchased Sidekick Therapy Partners in Tennessee 15:22 In 2021, brainchild for a spin-off; Ambiki was born! 16:14 Tips and tricks for working remotely from Japan since 2008! 18:14 What's the story behind the name Ambiki? 19:28 How does Ambiki strive to help speech language pathologists? 23:01 Ambiki also has a teletherapy platform 23:57 Ambiki is focused on the needs of speech OT and PT and generally immune to the threat of vibe-coding by AI LLMs 28:23 Ambiki operates exclusively in the U.S. market (for the time being) 29:09 More tips and tricks for working remotely from Japan (including pros and cons) 31:43 How Ambiki uses a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to compensate Kevin 35:20 Local community support when middle son experienced a febrile seizure 41:59 Career Advice: Increase your "luck surface area" 45:09 Career Advice: Go above and beyond the defined job definitions 47:09 General advice for fellow foreigners who are interested to live in Japan 48:53 Career Advice: Networking opportunities in Japan as a system engineer to develop software 51:06 Ambiki's future prospects and the new book The Problem-First Method 53:08 Final words and a big thank you to Kevin! Lets connect... ▪️Website (Substack): https://realgaijin.substack.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ▪️ Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/realgaijin.b... ▪️ Instagram:   / real_gaijin_on_substack   ▪️ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_... ▪️ Tiktok:   / real.gaijin   ▪️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_ ▪️ YouTube: / @realgaijin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ▪️  / mark-wilt-kennedy   Copyright ⓒ 2026 Real Gaijin, All Rights Reserved.