You Don't Know Vietnam

On today's episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, we're talking to Timen Swijtink, the Founder of Vietnamese coffee brand Lacàph. With Lacàph's coffee, coffee shops and coffee experiences in Vietnam, and grand plans to export high quality, branded Vietnamese beans to the world, Timen is on a mission to change the global perception of both Vietnamese coffee and the robusta bean. Tod...

Entrepreneur Nguyen Son is the founder and CEO of electric two-wheeler start up, Dat Bike. He's on a mission! To convert 250,000,000 motorbike drivers in Southeast Asia from petrol to electric, starting right here in Vietnam - the land of the motorbike. Today, he talks about why the motorbike is so important to people in Vietnam, why Vietnam has become the perfect place to kick start his Sout...

Meet retail expert Quang Thai, the CEO of direct to consumer (D2C) company DTX Asia. Since moving back to Vietnam from studying in the U.S, Thai has set up a handful of lifestyle brands in everything from fashion, watches and jewellery to men's cosmetics and temporary tattoos. He's seen Vietnam's retail sector move rapidly from social selling to e-commerce and most recently shoppert...

Ha Chu is the founder of Cooked. VN - a rapidly growing F&B school that helps its students learn about branding and marketing in the restaurant business. In today's episode, Ha shares what Vietnamese people really mean when they ask "Have you eaten yet?", why she thinks "phở" won't be Vietnam's poster dish forever, and also shares her three must-try dishes. S...

Ivy Nhi Chau is the CEO and founder of Ivy + Partners - a PR agency based in Ho Chi Minh City that helps global brands share their stories in Vietnam. Today, she talks about how the PR industry in Vietnam is changing. She also shares her tips for winning brand love in Vietnam, what can go wrong, and her five steps global brands should take when entering the Vietnam market to share their brand stor...

Thue Quist Thomasen is the CEO of market research agency Decision Lab in Vietnam. If there's anyone who knows about the trends driving Vietnam forward, it's him. Today, he talks about how the challenge of working in Vietnam is what attracted him to start a business here, what excites him most about Vietnam, and what global audiences tend to misunderstand about this country on the move. H...

According to studies, more than a quarter of young people in Vietnam are depressed and almost 6% have attempted suicide.  In this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, We Create Content's cofounder Ian Paynton speaks to Hanh Ha, the CEO of a new mental health app, SoftenMind. Hanh talks about her own journey with depression and therapy, the state of mental health as a taboo topic in Vietnam...

Linh brought the menstrual cup to Vietnam. And she had a real challenge on her hands: how to sell menstrual cups in a place where nobody talked about periods? 8 years later, almost 3,000,000 women in Vietnam have bought a Lincup and Linh says they're just getting started. Today, Linh talks about the entrepreneurial spirit and consumer habits  of Vietnamese women, the pressures faced by women...

Since coming back to Vietnam from studying and working overseas, serial tech entrepreneur Dave Bui has absolutely smashed it. He grew a healthcare information platform called ViCare and sold it to VinGroup in 2018. In 2019, he founded an interactive and super engaging presentation software called AhaSlides, which has more than a million users worldwide. His achievements in a short space of time ar...

In a country where the go-to music is love songs, Flow. D uses only his mouth to produce growly drum n bass with the goal to get Vietnamese audiences out of their comfort zone. Today, he talks about his personal development as a professional beatboxer, his experience working on commercial projects in Vietnam, and what the phở Vinahouse is all about.  You will also discover the potential for incorp...

If anyone knows about lovers in Vietnam, it's Thao. Along with her team, she's planned more than 500 weddings - most of which in the up-and-coming wedding destination of Danang. Today, she talks about how the traditional wedding is changing in Vietnam, the conflicts Vietnamese couples have with their parents when planning weddings, the evolving tastes of Vietnamese lovers and how Tik Tok...

Hanoi Rock City has been giving musicians in Vietnam a platform for more than 12 years. It's an institution that DA has proudly kept alive despite the financial difficulties associated with such grassroots endeavours. Today he talks about how Hanoi Rock City has changed during the years, the newfound success of indie bands in Vietnam, and what his dream is for Vietnam's wealth of talente...

Quang moved from Vietnam's northern mountains to Hanoi to follow his dream in documentary filmmaking. He created a film about Grindr that was shortlisted for awards - and also banned. Since then, he's produced multiple shorts about Vietnam's queer scene and is now working on a documentary about his sister's journey from mental health challenges to motherhood, which has recently...

If there's an electronic live act to catch coming out of Vietnam, it's Tiny Giant - a genre-defying music duo made up of Linh Ha and Tomes. Their live sets really take you on a journey, with a mixture of electronic beat productions, layered vocal looping, analogue synths and an acoustic instruments. Today, they talk about the influence Vietnam has on their music, being sensitive to cultu...

Annie Possible is the cofounder and CEO of tech startup Tubudd. It's a local concierge platform that connects Vietnam's foreign visitors with locals to ensure guests have a unique and pleasant experience during their stay. Today, she talks about why people can have a bad time in Vietnam and what it's like to be a woman in Vietnam's growing tech startup scene.  Send us Fan Mail...

Justin Mott has been living in (and photographing) Vietnam for 15 years. He's shot more than 100 assignments for the New York Times and owns a commercial photography business.  Today, he talks about why he chose to make Vietnam home, the changing tastes of clients, and what he's most excited about for Vietnam's future.  Send us Fan Mail If you enjoy this conversation or think someon...

Dung's been at the heart of Vietnam's hip hop scene for 20 years. He's witnessed hip hop culture trickle into Vietnam in the form of breakdancing, graffiti and emceeing over American beats, to the vibrant, popular and commercially viable rap scene that can be found in Vietnam today. In this episode, he talks us through the origins of his project Dunkare Magazine, underground rap art...

Uyen Ly has been at the heart of Vietnam's arts and culture scene for more than 20 years as a journalist. Now, as editor of arts and culture platform Hanoi Grapevine, Ly is witnessing a seismic shift as Vietnam's leaders look towards art and creativity as a resource for growth. Today, she talks about the challenges and opportunities this holds for artists and brands and what you should b...

Joshua Zukas is the go-to guy for everything travel in Vietnam. Today, he talks about what people overseas misunderstand about Vietnam, the issues with Vietnam's tourism brand, and what business travellers can do to really get to know the country when they visit.  Send us Fan Mail If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit f...

Hoang Pham moved from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to pursue a career in advertising. He's absolutely smashing it.  In this episode, he talks about the state of advertising and creativity in Vietnam, which foreign brands are getting it right, and his experience with gender transition.  Send us Fan Mail If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please...

From a small skate shop to a multi-million dollar fashion brand, Do Viet Anh has been on a 20-year journey with his company BOO in Vietnam.  But it hasn't always been easy. In the very first episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, Viet Anh talks about how appealing to the younger generation saved his business, the pressures facing young people in Vietnam today, and some of the trends making t...