Hao Tran shares his journey from the Bay Area to Saigon – and how being laid off in Silicon Valley led him to co-found Vietcetera, now one of Vietnam’s most influential media companies.

We talk about how Vietnam has changed in the past decade, what it takes for overseas Vietnamese to thrive when they return, and what Hao has learned from building a 70-person media business in a fast-evolving country.

Hao Tran is the Co-founder & CEO of Vietcetera, a leading media network founded in 2016 with the mission to bring Vietnam to the world and the world to Vietnam. Hao is also an angel investor and advisor to businesses and family offices across Southeast Asia.

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We discuss:

00:00 Intro
02:00 Growing up Vietnamese-American in the Bay Area
05:00 Getting laid off and discovering Vietnam
10:40 First impressions and deciding to stay
13:00 How Vietnam has evolved in the past decade
14:20 What Vietnam taught him about leadership and humility
18:10 Early mistakes and lessons from building Vietcetera
20:45 How overseas Vietnamese can create value when returning
25:30 Advice for moving to Vietnam and building a career
33:00 Networking and landing opportunities in Vietnam
38:20 Starting Vietcetera and the chaos of early years
41:20 Going from blog to multi-platform media company
46:00 Conviction, monetization, and growing pains
49:40 Leading a Vietnamese team as a Vietnamese-American
55:10 Selling and doing business in Vietnam
1:01:40 Leadership, relationships, and management style
1:03:50 Defining success and staying disciplined in Vietnam
1:08:00 Reflections, lessons, and advice for overseas Vietnamese

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Connect with Hao:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/haontran/
https://www.instagram.com/haontran

Connect with Quang:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ovquang/
https://www.instagram.com/quang

Join OV: https://joinov.com
About OV: https://overseasvietnamese.com