The Tale of the Data Privacy Rookie

Introduction

Hello there, my name is Matthew. I joined Acompany in November of 2023 as a researcher, eager to learn about and contribute to the world of data privacy. If there’s two things I love, it’s tech and language. I’m always trying to keep up with the latest technology trends and advancements, and learning Japanese has opened up an entirely new world for me to explore, both in tech news and career opportunities.

This is the 34th entry for the #AcompanyChristmasAdventCalendar2023

I’ve done quite a bit of work in translation, interpretation and localization over the years. Something interesting I’ve encountered is how it’s actually easier to communicate certain ideas and concepts in a language other than my native tongue. Oftentimes I find single words in Japanese that take two or three words in English to explain the same concept. When translating documents, it’s important to take these subtleties into consideration, not only to keep the original intended meaning, but also to make sure your translated work isn’t too wordy.

In the same way, I think language can be fascinating from the perspective that we have many different words that can express the same concept. It might also be the case that there’s only one word to describe something. It’s easy to get confused over which words to keep as-is and which to translate into the locally-relevant vernacular. Sailing these personally-uncharted waters has been thrilling, overwhelming, exciting and exhilarating.

But First, About Me

I was born and raised in the state of Alabama, located in the southeastern region of the United States. Some call it the Deep South, some call it the Bible Belt, I call it home. When describing my hometown in Japanese, I tend to just stick to very simple descriptors (southeast, near Florida…). I grew up exposed to a lot of Japanese entertainment, so I started learning Japanese when I was in high school. I ended up putting it on the back burner when I went to college to study business.

After graduating and working in a few managerial positions, I decided to go back to my studies of yesteryear and earnestly learn Japanese once again from the ground up. It worked for a while, but lack of educational opportunities in my area led me to seek out a language school in Japan, and so I moved across the Pacific in 2018. I joined a publishing company a few years later before pivoting to Acompany in 2023.

Interests & Hobbies

I love to play video games; more than a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. I like to keep myself open to any kind of genre, so the types of games I play tend to be quite varied. This year in particular I played a lot of Zelda & Splatoon, but I also enjoyed other titles like Forza, Hi-fi Rush and Dragon Quest X.
When I’m not gaming you can find me studying Japanese, watching anime, or learning Unity.

I live in Yokohama, by the way. Nothing beats the oceanside!

All Right, Enough About Me

Well then, why Acompany? Actually, I took advantage of their Casual Interview process in early 2023. I was happy with my job at the time, but it’s always nice to see how green the grass may be on the other side, you know? It was great to have the option just to hear more about the company itself without the pressure of a full-on interview. If you’re interested, why not give it a go? I reached out with a very casual outlook and it turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made.

Acompany Careers // 採用情報

Truth be told, I’m not a data privacy expert. What little I knew about data privacy was pretty much what I saw in the news or on social media. My time so far as a Researcher at Acompany has been filled with more acronyms than I can shake a stick at (DCR… PIA… PET… omg…). That being said, many tech terms are often not localized too terribly much between English and Japanese, so keeping them the same across the board eliminates a lot of headwork for me. Still, navigating an already complex world from a newbie’s perspective has been nothing if not equally exciting and confusing.

If you’ve ever learned a second language, taught yourself some software, or even put together a jigsaw puzzle, you’re familiar with the pivotal moment when your understanding of the task at hand starts to make sense. It may be an “a-ha!” moment, or it may be something more gradual, but both cases present a powerful opportunity to understand and grow. Your only job is to sort out what piece goes where.

Finding out what translates directly from one language to another and what doesn’t is just part of that puzzle. Another thing I find particularly interesting about the world of data privacy is how loosely many things are defined, making a bilingual conversation all the more challenging.

• What is Data Privacy?

• What are use cases?

• How will Data Clean Rooms be used in the future?

All of these questions have different answers depending on who you ask. Data privacy is such a flexible and diverse industry affecting nearly every sector in the market. Making sense of these questions and providing relevant context and background is part of what we strive to do at Acompany. As a researcher, it’s my responsibility to discover what’s come before, what’s happening now, and what to look for next. In an ever-evolving industry, that’s a pretty big ask. But I have a secret weapon.

Culture

That would be the company culture and the plethora of kind-hearted coworkers that surround me. From the moment I stepped in, I could tell things were a little bit different, but I didn’t realize just how much this team would come to mean to me in such a short amount of time.

One of the key aspects of Acompany is our commitment to communication. Speaking with teammates is highly encouraged and actively performed. Channels in which each individual member can write down their own thoughts or share work progress are provided, and through this I’ve learned so much more about my coworkers than I could have ever imagined. I’ve even been able to share my thoughts in both English and Japanese - an option that I’m always grateful to have.

I also think it’s great that I have a team I can rely on for technical and specialized information. When it comes to programming or technical aspects I can reach out at any time and get an easy-to-understand explanation. Let’s face it, extremely technical language can be near-impossible to understand even in your native language.

Oh, and who can forget the extracurriculars? Just the other day we had a Super Smash Bros. tournament! I lost pretty early on (cut me some slack!) but just having the opportunity to join was an incredibly moving experience for me.

It’s quite a refreshing experience to have an entire team working together toward the same goal, so even though I work in a remote environment, I’ve never actually felt separated or alone. Every day I’m experiencing new “a-ha!” moments, and that constant reminder that there’s so much to learn out there has been a consistent source of motivation.

Wrap up

As I look forward to the years ahead, I have to wonder how the data privacy industry will start to be defined, especially considering the ever-changing legal landscape behind it. Simultaneously, I’ll need to consider the words I use to define my work, my career, and my future. My first impression of the data privacy industry is overwhelmingly positive, and I’m excited to see what’s coming next. In the meantime, I’ll be here working on my technical jargon and my Japanese in general. Here’s to a promising tomorrow.