The document outlines 5 things successful tech startup founders in Vietnam did differently than Mark Zuckerberg to find success. They were generally older and more experienced than college dropouts when starting their first successful company. Many built skills from multiple organizations and gained international experience working or studying abroad. They customized proven business models from overseas rather than trying untested ideas. Finally, they took a marathon approach rather than sprinting, spending an average of 6.6 years building their current successful startups.

1. 5 THINGS TO DO DIFFERENTLY
THAN MARK ZUCKERBERG
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP FOUNDER IN VIETNAM
DEMO ASEAN
HCMC, 8/2013
Dr. PHAM Minh Tuan - Founder & CEO, TOPICA Edtech Group
Tran Manh Cong - Co-Director, Topica Founder Institute

2. One possible “definition”
• “Tech”: Internet, Mobile
• “Startup”: Founded after 2000
• “Successful”:
• Valuation: $10m+
• Or Revenues: $2m+
• Or Staff: 100+ Full-time
• Or Funding: Series B+
• Or Exit
Disclamer
• This is an incomplete list, we may have missed many great companies & founders
• This definition of “successful” is obviously debatable, there are many other possible definitions
• We did not consider spin-offs, joint ventures for this study
• We only considered verifiable data, rumors are only used for double-checking
BAO GIỜ SÓNG ĐẾN ĐÂY?
What Do We Consider a
“Successful” Tech Startup in VN?

3. 3
17 Founders of “Successful” Tech Startups
(Incomplete list)

4. 4
They Did Differently #1:
Got Older, More Experienced
They are not college-drop out kids:
 Average age when started their first “successful” startup: 28.5
Exceptions:
 Nguyen Hoa Binh (Peacesoft): started at 20
 Nguyen Xuan Tai (Naiscorp): started at 22
 But both did finish university

5. 5
They Did Differently #2:
Built Their Skills from Different Places
They built their skills
 59% (10/17) or more had had jobs or startup experience from two or more organizations
Exceptions:
 Naiscorp and Peacesoft founders started while in university

6. 6They Did Differently #3: Got International Exposure
They worked or studied overseas:
 65% (11/17) or more had had worked or studied abroad
Exceptions:
 Nhan The Luan (NCT), Vuong Vu Thang (VC Corp)…

7. 7
They Did Differently #4:
Customized Proven Biz Models from Overseas
Surviving in Vietnam market is difficult enough, they reduced risks with proven models:
 Practically 100% has customized and localized biz models that had been proven overseas
 It is a jungle, not a golf course where you can try new things

8. 8
They Did Differently #5:
Were relentless, It’s a Marathon not Sprint
They have been running marathons:
 “Successful” founders has spent on average 6.6 years at their current startups
 It takes much longer to build a hundred-million dollar startup
Exceptions:
 Tiki is only 3-years old, just raised Series B, but Tran Ngoc Thai Son will likely keep building it
for many more years

9. TOPICA Edtech Group
High-quality Online University Programs
• 7 University Partners Including Top-tier
• Bachelor’s of Business, Accounting,
Banking, Law, IT
• Expanding into Indonesia,
Philippines, Thailand
Bill Gates & Deputy PM Phạm Gia Khiêm
Launching TOPIC64, 4/2006
Education Minister of Victoria, Australia
Teaching TOPICAAmazing, 6/2012
Graduates of TOPICA
Founder Institute, 2012
English Training Franchise for Kids
Based on Online Game
• 12 Franchisees
• Official Test Provider for Min. of
Education’s
Internet English Olympics (IOE)
Vietnam Chapters of Silicon-Valley
Accelerator Network
• 16 Graduates: Appota, Biaki,
Tapmee, Yton...
• Who’s Who of Accomplished
Founders Served as Mentors
Finalist, 2007
INTERNATIONAL
AWARDS
Winner, 2011Finalist, 2008
Young Global Leader
Honoree, 2012
Team: 300 Full-time; 100 Part-time; 1100 Industry Instructors

10. 10
Topica’s Contribution to
Developing the Startup Community
 Organized and supported
40 events, ~7,000 participants
(with grants from World Bank Infodev)
 Serving on Steering Committee of 2
largest Online Communities for startups:
Launch (8k members),
Mobile Monday (4k members)

11. 11
Mentors
Graduates

12. FOLLOW THE LOCAL EXAMPLES
• Get older and more experienced
• Build your skills from different places
• Get some international exposure
• Customize a proven biz model from overseas
• Be relentless
OR: BE THE EXCEPTION
EITHER WAY: JUST FREAKING DO IT
BAO GIỜ SÓNG ĐẾN ĐÂY?
What should you do to build your successful startup?

13. 5 THINGS TO DO DIFFERENTLY
THAN MARK ZUCKERBERG
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP FOUNDER IN VIETNAM
DEMO ASEAN
HCMC, 8/2013
Dr. PHAM Minh Tuan - Founder & CEO, TOPICA Edtech Group
Tran Manh Cong - Co-Director, Topica Founder Institute