02 | Bridging Language Gaps: Inside the Nomad Summit Buildathon Winner’s Project

What happens when a seasoned translator and digital nomad turns a quiet frustration into a startup idea? In this episode, we sit down with Barny Mulcahy, the winner of the Nomad Summit Buildathon 2025 in Chiang Mai, to explore how he's helping authors and creators localize their content for underserved language markets.

Barny shares his journey from legal publishing to digital nomadism, the turning point brought on by the pandemic and AI, and how his new company, My3PO, aims to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps around the world.

You’ll hear about:
– The power of small teams
– The realities of language accessibility
– And how Buildathon gave Barny the push to launch a mission-driven business

This episode is a deep dive into the intersection of tech, language, and impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Why 6 billion people are left out of most digital content
• What makes true localization more than just translation
• How Barny's Buildathon team turned a small idea into a scalable platform
• The challenges of founding a business as a nomad across time zones
• Why his project isn't just about books – but about connection

Relevant Links:

• Upcoming Nomad Summit events: https://nomadsummit.com/upcoming-events
• More episodes: https://nomadsummit.com/podcast
• Buildathon pitch video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR-uVMIuquY
• Barny’s pitch deck: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGjwvQRiwU/QLY4nVOhq4-tVmJA9VMYnQ/view
• My3PO website: https://www.my3po.com
• Contact Barny: [e-mail] or [e-mail]
• Jerremy Newsome’s book Money Grows on Trees: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1796451223
• Barny’s book pick: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Into+the+Wild
• Sponsor: Visit Estonia – https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/ and https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/nomadvisa/
• The Radio Vagabond (Palle Bo) – https://theradiovagabond.com/link-tree
• Episode produced by Radioguru – https://radioguru.co.uk