The Translation Odyssey
The Translation Odyssey
Or: How I almost deleted all the app's texts
It began like so many adventures in the software world: With the harmless idea of making a "quick" improvement.
CoachingTrackr was previously a completely German app.
Coaching is international. Coaches are international. Clients are international.
And so I began to translate the app.
In five languages. German, English, French, Spanish, Italian.
What followed was a journey that brought me to a point where I – really! – almost deleted 1566 translations.
The first step:
"How hard can translating be?"
The reality?
1566 different texts. 1566 contexts. 1566 opportunities to get it wrong.
I stumbled over nuances that only coaches know:
- "Sitzung" is not the same as "session."
- "Ziel" is not the same as "objective."
- In French, the wrong style can quickly sound distant.
- In Spanish, an accent can change the meaning.
Translation is not a technique. Translation is listening. Translation is respect.
The moment when everything could have gone wrong
I changed a small value. Just briefly. Just to test it.
And suddenly I realized:
All the real English translations – hours of work – were no longer recognized.
Everything I had worked on for hours had disappeared with one wrong click.
"Seriously? THAT'S why people make backups?"
The rescue: a small file backup
Luckily, I had a backup. A single file. A silent hero.
The real insight
**CoachingTrackr is German.
And that's a good thing.**
It's authentic. It's clear. It's familiar.
Backups aren't a technical obligation. They're self-care.
If you want to experience CoachingTrackr in 5 languages
The app now speaks German, English, French, Spanish, and Italian.
👉 Trial version