Customer success leader bringing AI and developer platforms to Japan.

I’m Nicolas, based in Osaka. I joined Vercel as its first Japanese-speaking Customer Success hire, built the Japan enterprise practice from the ground up, and now lead Japan go-to-market as Interim Country Manager. I work in Japanese, English and Spanish, and I’m as comfortable in an executive business review as in an API-level architecture discussion.

Nicolas with a colleague at a Next.js event
Nicolas on a lantern-lit street in Japan at night
Nicolas on a snowy mountain in Japan
Nicolas in a traditional haori
Nicolas with friends around a mahjong table

How I learned languages, and what I'd skip

Spanish is my first language. I taught myself English as a kid, studied translation, and now work in Japanese every day. What worked, what didn't, and where AI fits in.

Localization is not translation

I studied translation, then spent years marketing a Japanese e-commerce platform to a dozen countries. Most of the localization problems I ran into had nothing to do with words.

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Work

  1. Company
    Vercel Inc.
    Role
    Interim Country Manager
    Date
  2. Company
    Synergy Marketing, Inc.
    Role
    Frontend Engineer
    Date
  3. Company
    ZenGroup Inc. / ZenPlus
    Role
    Web Marketing Director
    Date
  4. Company
    ZenGroup Inc. / ZenMarket
    Role
    Marketing Director
    Date
  5. Company
    Centro Universitario de Idiomas
    Role
    Japanese Instructor
    Date
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