Three reasons why Vietnam Rocks

I've had the pleasure to work with 100+ companies building products and services with the help of talent from Vietnam. In my most recent business we had an interesting choice between Seattle and Saigon as a home for our product and engineering team.

At that point we were just about to raise money and many said that in order to effectively do so in the valley we would need to have our key people in the states.

However, our lead investor Baseline Venture Capital along with 9 others were willing to bet $3.5M that we would be able to build our SAAS company using a Global Talent strategy centered in Vietnam.

Vietnam is a rapidly developing country with a young and dynamic population. It is also a country with a rich history and culture, and a stunning natural environment.

Here are three reasons why Vietnam was the right choice for us:

1. Education

The Economist posted an article titled "Why are Vietnamese Schools So Good?" that brings to light some of the key reasons why Vietnam has a high literacy rate of 92%, and its education system is constantly improving. For companies like mine, this means that there is a large pool of highly educated talent available.

“For the sake of ten years’ benefit, we must plant trees. For the sake of a hundred years’ benefit, we must cultivate the people,” Ho Chi Minh

2. Environment

Come once and you will feel a vibe that exists in very few places around the world. So many people like Anthony Bourdain fell in love because of the people, places and of course, the food. It's no wonder that Vietnam was recently placed top 5 in the world's most happiest countries. Stable government and safe streets make for a strong foundation to

3. Entrepreneurial spirit

Walk down the hems (alleys) of just about any city in Vietnam and you will immediately notice the entrepreneurial culture. Need some eggs? There is a family selling them. I find this spirit intoxicating. As an entrepreneur there is no better feeling than seeing your team members step up. COVID forced many people to perform new roles and work within difficult environments and few countries did this better than Vietnam.