March 7, 2026
Clarity > Buzzwords, say devs
Working and Communicating with Japanese Engineers
Buzzword bingo vs plain talk: devs beg for clarity with Japanese teams
TLDR: A veteran in Japan says ditch buzzwords and use simple, direct English to work better across cultures. Commenters cheer “international English,” debate Western bluntness vs Japanese politeness, and rally behind writing things down—because clarity prevents bugs, saves time, and keeps global teams from burning out.
Engineers say the biggest bug isn’t in the code — it’s in the words. A former interpreter-turned-developer in Japan says language is only half the problem: shouting or slowing down doesn’t help, but clear, short sentences do. Their example of a manager’s “10x stickiness” speech vs a plain rewrite had readers cheering for less buzzword bingo and more everyday talk.
The comments lit up. “Could PMs speak like that to me too?” one begged, while another warned that Western-style bluntness can feel confrontational in Japan — a cultural clash that sparked a mini-brawl over whether “saying no” should be a punch or a pillow. Fans of international English called it a gift you offer to non‑native speakers. A former Lush dev swore the Japanese team kept everything “incredibly clear,” proof that effort pays off. And a popular shortcut emerged: “Text beats talk,” especially for complex ideas.
The memes wrote themselves: “Stop 10xing stickiness, start 10xing clarity,” “North Star? Try North Sentence,” and one hero proposed a buzzword swear jar. Why it matters: clear talk saves time, avoids bugs, and keeps teams sane. Verdict: less swagger, more clarity, and maybe write it down first.
Key Points
- •The author worked in Japan for 10 years, including six years at Mercari, observing cross-language engineering team challenges.
- •Communication issues go beyond language ability; native/fluent English speakers should adapt to be more understandable.
- •Avoid condescending fixes like speaking very slowly or louder; focus on clarity and empathy.
- •Use a checklist to improve clarity: avoid run‑ons, topic jumps, vague/difficult words, slang/jargon; be direct; pronounce clearly.
- •A scenario shows replacing jargon-heavy PM talk with low‑context, explicit goals prioritizing sign‑up simplification and user retention.