Growing what3words Into 61 Languages, With Linguist & Composer Jamie Brown on his Career in Localization

In this episode Sonia speaks with Jamie Brown, a linguist, composer, and former Chief Language Services Officer at what3words, the company that makes it easy to identify a specific location.

Jamie shares his journey from growing up with a stammer to managing the development of 61 language versions of what3words across the world.

Key Takeaways

• Overcoming barriers through curiosity - Jamie’s stammer led him to study how language works beneath the surface, eventually becoming his career’s foundation.
• Language as connection - his transition from music to linguistics highlights how both are a form of communication.
• Building languages at scale - at what3words Jamie led teams creating 61 language versions, each built from scratch to reflect local linguistics and culture.
• Cultural sensitivity matters - from Tamil beliefs about turtles to Spanish dialectal differences, linguistic nuance is crucial in localisation.
• Resilience and opportunity - saying yes to unexpected chances - like a Facebook post about 'languages and Excel' - can shape an extraordinary career.

About Jamie Brown

Jamie is a composer, linguist, localisation consultant and TEDx speaker.

From early on he was interested in languages and how they work. As a stutterer from a young age he says he was trying to find a language he would stutter in less - which led him to music and composing, a language where few words are spoken.

After living in Brazil for a year, he completed a Masters in Linguistics and thanks to a friend's Facebook post he started working at what3words as their Chief Language Services Officer where he managed the creation of the language system in 61 languages.

• Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-brown-8a436540/
• Jamie's website: https://www.jamiebrown.info/
• What3words: https://what3words.com/

About Sonia Kampshoff

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithlanguages
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniakampshoff/
• Website: https://moreperfect.digital/

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