Killing the Per-Word Model: Diego Cresceri on Reinventing Localization Value

Talk to an expert: https://crowdin.info/4avcwKU In this episode of The Agile Localization Podcast, host Stefan Huyghe is joined by Diego Cresceri, the Founder and CEO of Creative Words, to unpack one of the industry’s most uncomfortable conversations: what happens when the per-word pricing model no longer reflects the value LSPs deliver.

In this episode of The Agile Localization Podcast, host Stefan Huyghe is joined by Diego Cresceri, the Founder and CEO of Creative Words, to unpack one of the industry’s most uncomfortable conversations: what happens when the per-word pricing model no longer reflects the value LSPs deliver.

What You’ll Learn

Why per-word pricing is broken but persistent
How to shift from selling words to selling judgment and accountability
The hidden risks of subscription-based localization models
How to structure governance without creating bureaucracy
Where to position localization within organizational structures
How human expertise becomes more valuable, not less

Diego Cresceri is the Founder and CEO of Creative Words, an Italian language service provider based in Genoa, with over two decades of experience in localization and language services. A trained interpreter by education, he has evolved his career across all operational levels of the localization industry, positioning himself as a strategic thought leader on pricing models, AI-driven localization, and organizational governance.

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