5 THINGS TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN MARK ZUCKERBERG

TO BE A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP FOUNDER IN VIETNAM

DEMO ASEANHCMC, 8/2013

Dr. PHAM Minh Tuan - Founder & CEO, TOPICA Edtech GroupTran Manh Cong - Co-Director, Topica Founder Institute

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?

317 Founders of “Successful” Tech Startups

(Incomplete list)

4They Did Differently #1:

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

5They Did Differently #2:

Built Their Skills from Different PlacesThey built their skills59% (10/17) or more had had jobs or startup experience from two or more organizationsExceptions: Naiscorp and Peacesoft founders started while in university

6They Did Differently #3: Got International ExposureThey 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)…

7They Did Differently #4:

Customized Proven Biz Models from OverseasSurviving in Vietnam market is difficult enough, they reduced risks with proven models:Practically 100% has customized and localized biz models that had been proven overseasIt is a jungle, not a golf course where you can try new things

8They Did Differently #5:

Were relentless, It’s a Marathon not SprintThey have been running marathons:“Successful” founders has spent on average 6.6 years at their current startupsIt 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

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

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

Mentors

Graduates

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?

5 THINGS TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN MARK ZUCKERBERG

TO BE A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP FOUNDER IN VIETNAM

DEMO ASEANHCMC, 8/2013

Dr. PHAM Minh Tuan - Founder & CEO, TOPICA Edtech GroupTran Manh Cong - Co-Director, Topica Founder Institute