Dylan Duong | RoadTwip http://www.dylanduong.com Musings of a VK in Saigon posterous.com Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:13:00 -0800 Lean: Small But Strong http://www.dylanduong.com/lean-small-but-strong http://www.dylanduong.com/lean-small-but-strong

My former partner gave me some sage advice.

What it boils down to is “small but strong”.

Lean.

Let me explain.

I’ve been tinkering around at Andrew’s Ties using the same approach the past two months and I’m very pleased with the results. When I first took over Andrew’s Ties, we had a staff of 4. Not wanting to rock the boat, I kept the same head count. Shortly thereafter, one staff got married and decided to relocate.

My initial reaction was to find a replacement. I spent time interviewing and recruiting. I allocated time towards evaluating the overall performance of each staff, created a new commission plan, a lunch compensation incentive, as well as, individually recognizing the star performers. To measure how we were doing, I implemented customer service and sales metrics to evaluate our store performance.

Three months into it, another staff abruptly left the company to pursue other interest. I let another go due to poor performance. And so the cycle of having to hire and train began. That’s pretty normal in any retail business.

The second hiring cycle ended up exhausting a lot more of my time than expected.

If your company is highly profitable and has lots of cash to spend, then this whole issue is not as important. However, as we’ve seen companies can go from profit s to losses pretty quickly because of a bad economy, product cycle transition or some other bad fortune. When that happens being lean is always a good idea.

What I learned was during times of uncertainty or when things are moving very fast, it helps to be lean to take advantage of sudden market correction. In a slow retail economy like the one we are experiencing right now, that is an advantage to have.

I hope this helps those of you facing similar situations. If you know of other alternatives, please share them below.

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. Linked here

 

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:44:00 -0700 Wire Transfer From Vietnam to Indonesia http://www.dylanduong.com/wire-transfer-from-vietnam-to-indonesia http://www.dylanduong.com/wire-transfer-from-vietnam-to-indonesia

In a recent exchange with Ario Tamat (@barijoe), I was seeking a solution for a friend that needed to wire transfer money from Vietnam to Indonesia fast.

Below is an excerpt of the email that @barijoe replied to my tweet. He does a good job of describing what worked for him. Your situation may be different.

Nevertheless, I think it's useful to share this information, in case, you or someone you know comes across this in the future.


Because of my job, I have a contract, work permit etc and a Vietcombank bank account from the office.

I then brought my work contract etc to Commonwealth Bank, where I opened a VND account. They asked for contract, temporary resident card, passport to open the account.

Any time I want to transfer money to my Commonwealth Bank account in Jakarta, I withdraw the money from Vietcombank (keeping the receipts/ATM slips), and bring it to the teller and fill out a deposit form and a remittance form. The  receipts/ATM slips are to prove that I withdrew money from my Vietcombank account (sometimes they photocopy my ATM card as well), following my work contract of which they have a copy, and I am allowed to transfer as much as my salary every month. I usually use AUD as the remittance currency as USD is a bit tricky in Vietnam... and by the end of the day, the money is received in my Jakarta account.

That's pretty much it. I've researched alternatives through HSBC, ANZ, Citibank etc, and the Commonwealth Bank is the most consumer-friendly (i.e, don't need USD 2000 just to open the account).

For one-off transactions, though, it's a bit tricky. There are several forms you need to sign and basically you can't send over USD 5000 if I'm not mistaken, but services like Western Union usually can help you.

I hope this helps those of you facing similar situations. If you know of other alternatives, please share them below. 

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here. Google+ here

 

 

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Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:52:00 -0700 Revenge of the Nerds http://www.dylanduong.com/revenge-of-the-nerds http://www.dylanduong.com/revenge-of-the-nerds
Rotn
 (cc) Creative Commons

Woot! I just got early access to @rapportive. Strangely I feel like I won the NERD lottery. 


 


 

 


 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:27:00 -0700 Make Short URL for Google+ http://www.dylanduong.com/make-short-url-for-google-tags-google-g-short http://www.dylanduong.com/make-short-url-for-google-tags-google-g-short

Go to gplus.to to make short URL for Google+

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here. Google+ here.

Image

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Sat, 09 Jul 2011 02:16:00 -0700 We're Hiring At Andrew's Ties http://www.dylanduong.com/were-hiring-at-andrews-ties http://www.dylanduong.com/were-hiring-at-andrews-ties

ANDREW’S TIES brand name was established in 1991 from an idea of Cravattificio Zadi S.r.l, a family-run business which, thanks to the combination of ideas, enthusiasm and passion for “Made in Italy” products, revolutionized the tie market with an outstanding quality/price ratio. Andrew’s Ties registered great success in just a few years, becoming the Italian market leader in the production of ties and accessories. The brand soon became popular abroad for its unique style, the ongoing research and competitive prices confirm the leadership of what is known as “Italian Style” in the world.

We're proud to be named to Forbes™ magazine's ‘The Finest Ties’. The accessories found in every Andrew’s Ties shop provide the sartorial details that push a man from forgettable to timeless.

Andrew’s Ties Vietnam, located in Diamond Department Store in Saigon, is a fashion specialty retailer founded on a simple idea: offer each customer the best possible service, quality, value and selection. We're looking for exceptional salespeople to provide outstanding customer service, develop strong customer relationships and build individual sales volume.

From attentive salespeople to meticulous tailors and innovative merchants, our teams are comprised of talented people who work hard to delight the customer. When you join an Andrew’s Ties Store, you are welcomed into a family dedicated to creating memorable and rewarding shopping experiences for our customers.

Andrew’s Ties currently has two sales openings. The ideal candidate is motivated, enjoys working one-on-one with customers and thrives in a commissioned sales environment. If you share our love for the customers we serve, the merchandise we sell and the work we do, this is a place for you to build a rewarding career.

Responsibilities 

  • Set and achieve personal sales goals while supporting the goals of the team
  • Greet customers in a timely, professional and engaging manner
  • Understand and communicate the latest fashion trends in the industry with specific knowledge on new designer and current runway collections
  • Provide honest and confident feedback to customers regarding merchandise style and fit
  • Build lasting relationships with customers by contacting them to follow up on purchases, suggest new merchandise and invite them to upcoming events
  • Consistently seek new fashion and product knowledge to act as an expert for the customer
  • Work as a team player to ensure each customer receives the best service possible
  • Perform daily department maintenance tasks including stock work, re-merchandising, display, price markdowns, and light cleaning

 Qualifications

  • Proven ability to set and achieve sales goals
  • Competitive drive and entrepreneurial confidence to succeed in a commission-based environment
  • Demonstrated ability to develop relationships with customers and coworkers
  • Knowledgeable and enthusiastic about high-end, designer fashion
  • Ability to positively and proactively handle customer concerns and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
  • Ability to quickly learn new procedures and processes
  • Strong organizational and follow-through skills
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • High level of ownership, accountability and initiative 
  • Bilingual Vietnamese with English or Korean speakers highly desired.

As an Andrew’s Ties employee, we offer a competitive compensation plan, a generous merchandise discount, and profit sharing plan and much more.

If you’d like to be considered, please contact us via email dylan @ andrewsties dot vn or share your LinkedIn profile here and use the “cover letter” to provide links to your web presence plus a way to reach you. We can’t promise to respond to every inquiry, but you can be sure that if the links you share show off your contributions, we will get in touch.

By the way, we are not prudes. We expect your web presence to represent who you are, not who you think an employer wishes you were, so don’t waste a lot of time sanitizing your web presence before sending us there. It will just confuse your friends.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a diverse environment.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. No visa sponsorship is available for this position.

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here

Photo Credit:  Max Murta

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Photo Credit:  Max Murta

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(cc) Creative Commons 

Red

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Wed, 19 Jan 2011 03:26:00 -0800 Vietnam vs. California http://www.dylanduong.com/vietnam-vs-california-wordle http://www.dylanduong.com/vietnam-vs-california-wordle

VN-CA_Wordle_8D.pdf Download this file

I created a wordle from @caligarn’s ‘Vietnam vs. California: 12 Small Differences in Lifestyle’. 

California, Vietnam and People stood out to me.

AND YOU?

What three words stood out to you?

If this is not enough Dylan for you, please feel free to connect with me here.

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:24:00 -0800 Keeping On http://www.dylanduong.com/keeping-on http://www.dylanduong.com/keeping-on

Smile.jpg

(CC) Hugh MacLeod www.gapingvoid.com

“The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running.”    –Anonymous

I love these days before the New Year. It gives me time to not only reflect on the past year but feel inspired to take even more action in 2011. 

There are many things I’m sure we all would like to accomplish or wish we had accomplished already. Looking back on 2010, I made my share of investment mistakes. I’ve learned from prior experience that sometimes the better part of valor in any situation is to move on.

In basketball, you train and position yourself to anticipate where the ball is going to bounce off the rim while blocking your opponent out. Even with the inside position, you are guaranteed the rebound. If you’re on the outside looking in, you fight like hell to grab the board even if it means getting scraped up in the process. You hustle and work your ass off because you want it more. 

In track and field, the last 160-something meters is where you run right through your personal wall. Even when your legs feel like jelly, you keep on. We make that hideous face in order to power ourselves through the finish line; you don’t stop at the line. You lean into it.

No matter what, all we can do is the best we can, and just keep getting out of bed every morning and going about our daily business.

So what's your big plans for 2011?

If you would like to keep in touch, please follow here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:15:00 -0800 During Facebook's (Partial) Blackout [UPDATED] http://www.dylanduong.com/during-the-facebook-partial-blackout http://www.dylanduong.com/during-the-facebook-partial-blackout

UPDATE February 16, 2011:  Ultrasurf or bestfreevpn.com can be used to access Facebook in Vietnam  (www.ultrareach.com).  It's less annoying than Hot Spot Shield.  

UPDATE December 30, 2010:  Added VNPT subscribers can access Facebook through http://www.lisp4.facebook.com

First, you went on Twitter to ask other people if they could access Facebook  in Hanoi or Da Nang. Maybe it’s partially blocked or ISP-specific?

Secondly, you paced back and forth in your flat trying to remember your old MySpace or Friendster password.

So then your deepest fear starts to settle in. You know that “oh shit” moment when you can no longer get your kicks stalking your ex-whatever or scroll through the Newsfeed for the umpteenth time today.

Then you got serious right? You try accessing through a proxy, like OpenDNS or this one. You gotta get your daily Facebook fix. It’s your guilty pleasure that you do while you’re at work pretending to be working on something more urgent. I’m sure Mark Zuckerberg thanks you a billion for making him filthy rich.

By the way, Friendfeed is also blocked right now. I haven’t heard anyone talk about that yet. Earlier this week, Skype’s service was seriously interrupted.

Here’s an idea. We can use this downtime and put our energies to work collaborating on an country-wide, mobile-SMS-web app that serves as an early warning, emergency-notification system like when a natural disaster occurs here in Vietnam and we really do need something to get the word out about needed medical supplies and clean water. You know, shit that really matters.

Do something good people. It’ll be okay. Rock on. 

If this is not enough Dylan for you, you can connect with me here.


Related Post:

How to bypass Vietnam's Block of Facebook/ Friendfeed


 

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Mon, 27 Dec 2010 03:40:00 -0800 How (not) to use a bio-byproducts waste disposal unit http://www.dylanduong.com/how-not-to-use-a-bio-byproducts-waste-disposa http://www.dylanduong.com/how-not-to-use-a-bio-byproducts-waste-disposa

Saw this posted at a restaurant and I couldn't help it but laugh out loud. 

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If this is not enough Dylan for you, you can connect with me here.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:35:00 -0800 Boxing Day in Saigon http://www.dylanduong.com/boxing-day-in-saigon http://www.dylanduong.com/boxing-day-in-saigon

Bell Vietnam recently posted on their Facebook Fan Page announcing a Boxing Day celebration this Sunday, December 26 at the Hollywood Dome in Saigon.

Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas. Traditionally, this was the day to open the Christmas box and share the contents which long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions.

The European tradition traces back to the Middle Ages but the exact origin is unknown. There are several competing theories that it goes back to the late Roman/early Christian era. 

Christmas boxes were used in different ways. During the age of exploration, a Christmas box was used as a good luck device to protect ships. In churches, an alms box was placed on Christmas Day to collect special offerings. Worshipers placed gifts for the poor of the parish. Workers who where required to work on Christmas Day, were rewarded for good and reliable service throughout the year and allowed to take the following day off to spend with their families. These boxes were opened the day after Christmas, which is why that day became known as "Boxing Day."

Boxing Day in Saigon, while not a direct link to the past, is about taking a blended approach of giving back to the community. It is a day of celebration and community-building through visual and performing art and participation a la the four pillars of hip hop culture: DJing, MCing, breaking, and graffiti writing. The event is open to all. 

Hip Hop has become increasingly popular among many Vietnamese youth in recent years. Director Stephane Gauger, who is a big hit on the art house circuit  for "Owl and The Sparrowwrote the script for "Saigon Electric", a film about Vietnamese boys and girls who are passionate about hip hop culture. Saigon Electric is scheduled to be released this February 2011 in time for the Tet Season. 

As someone who grew up listening to hip hop, I understand how hip hop has influenced me, shaped my understanding of the English language and the history of multiculturalism in America.  

I hope Boxing Day in Saigon infects the modern day Vietnamese youth to expand their horizons, attracting newcomers to this beautiful art form of individual and collective expression.

Happy Boxing Day Saigon!

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here

 

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:38:00 -0800 Anne Frank House http://www.dylanduong.com/ann-frank-house http://www.dylanduong.com/ann-frank-house

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Note:  Outside the Anne Frank House

I received a newsletter recently from annefrank.org notifying me that the popular destination recorded its highest ever number of visitors this year -- over one million. The previous record, if you're wondering was in 2007 -- with 1,002,902. People who are unable to come to Amsterdam can visit The Secret Annex Online.

The majority of the visitors, mainly young, come from outside of The Netherlands, but the number of Dutch people visiting the Anne Frank House is rising, putting this group behind American visitors. 

I visited Amsterdam in September of 2006. I remember having the best roast beef sandwich shortly after visiting the museum and sitting on the dock watching people go by. 

Below are some of the photos that I took while in Amsterdam. I hope you enjoy them. Please feel free to comment or share your experiences below. 

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Note: Cool transportation throughout town

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Note:  I love the red window shutters on this house

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Note: Looking down the canals

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Note:  Flat-skinny house

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Note:  Outside Rembrandt Museum

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Note: I caught a picture of the local movers and their ingenious device 

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Note: Wooden house boat

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Note: I forgot the name of this museum

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You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here

 

 

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Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:00:00 -0800 Green Drinks Saigon http://www.dylanduong.com/green-drinks-saigon http://www.dylanduong.com/green-drinks-saigon

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Simon Christy hosted a Green Drinks event earlier this week on Green/Clean Investment principles held at the RMIT Campus. According to Christy, the Green/Clean sector is often quite attractive for tech/internet entrepreneurs because of the similarities in its growth potential, disruptive nature and level of innovation.

Christy states "The idea is to show people that there is a business in green, you can make money in green, start a business in green, and you can invest in green"

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The attendance was impressive with the enthusiasm of its predominantly young participants.

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Shown:  Gavin Smith from Dragon Capital

The event was headlined by two leading thinkers in Green & Socially Responsible Investment Strategies, Stewart Davis from Small Giants and Gavin Smith from Dragon Capital. Stewart Davis from Small Giants kicked off the evening and covered early-stage investment in Green/Clean technology. Gavin Smith covered large scale investment areas and discussed making investing in sustainable, low carbon business part of the investment mainstream.

Green Drinks Saigon was founded by Simon Christy with the help of Damien Cupitt and othervolunteers in 2009. Green Drinks is an informal networking event where environmentally minded people meet over drinks. Green Drinks was originally started in London in 1989 and has since spread quickly around the world and currently has over 737 chapters worldwide. More information can be found here on their Green Drinks web page.

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here

 

 

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Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:14:00 -0800 BarCampSaigon 2010: The Day After http://www.dylanduong.com/barcampsaigon-2010-the-day-after http://www.dylanduong.com/barcampsaigon-2010-the-day-after

This is part of a series of posts about BarCampSaigon and SaigonEduCamp 2010.  I'm looking forward to sharing notes from sessions, links to research and findings and pictures from BarCamp. I'll do my best to share my experiences with the people who can't make the roadtwip to Saigon. Please be sure to check back for more information. 

Photos: (CC) Hendrick Beck

BarCampSaigon 2010 has come and gone. I finally had some time to jot down some of my thoughts on the event as a whole. In only the third year, there are signs that BarCampSaigon have continued with a can-do attitude of their predecessors.

The general consensus was that there is an emerging tech community in Vietnam and with more events like these throughout the year; the tech community will continue to get bigger and better. We are a young, ambitious, entrepreneurial community that wants to embrace both socio-economic and technological change.

As we wrap up 2010, we also look forward to what lies ahead. While there is much work to be done, I feel optimistic that these types of events not only bring in the necessary new blood required, but also ignite a new spirit of entrepreneurship focused on solving interesting problems and leading the way.

The challenges of building a vibrant tech community can only be accomplished through continuous, thought provoking dialogue. That is something I hope both new and returning barcampers internalize as they return to their respective communities.

Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a newbie, I think BarCampSaig

on surprised people about the future of where our communities are headed.

Perhaps @prateekdayal said it best when he tweeted:

"Never expected #barcampsaigon to be this big and this awesome. There is a pretty good tech community here. Even more tempted to move here”

We are stewards of this community. We live, work, play and bust our asses everyday to make this place a better place to live. In the short term, we will have to attract top talent elsewhere in order to make Vietnam a viable ground for starting up a business. We can build locally but think globally attracting more top talent.

Where Is This All Going?

That’s the 50,000 dollar question. It all depends on what each one of us took away from BarCampSaigon. If we continue to build alliances, work in co-operation with each other then the future in 2015 and certainly by 2020 seems rather interesting.

If we revert back to our silos, just content to show up every year then we have no right to complain how there is a lack of opportunity here. There are plenty of opportunities and Vietnam is a good place to start building now.

How Do We Improve?

BarCamp is not the be all end all.

·         For every individual that walked away early or disappointed:  Ask yourself if you really reached out and made an effort to connect with someone new, participated during the sessions, outside of the sessions, or tweeted what you were interested in learning more about before arriving at barcamp.

·         There is a need for more peripheral events before, during and after BarCampSaigon.

·         After all this is a tech crowd, so we should have a live streaming of tweets, Q&A that happens on the back channels.

·         BarCamp Ambassadors that roam the conference giving a helping hand to newbies.

@caligarn tweeted:

“I think #barcampsaigon should be held more often so that the community can build faster and we can build more idea momentum.”

What I Love About BarCampSaigon

I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with people. For example, @li11ian11, @eduretweet and I sat in the lobby brainstorming ideas, crowd sourcing for more participants to join in on an impromptu idea of:  Should we do a barcamp for students? @dshupp walked by, sat down and really gave some helpful insight.

We need more exchanges like these both online and offline. Like @caligarn indicated above, we need to keep the idea momentum going.

Did I miss anything? Let me know with your comments below.

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here.

 

Related Audio Posts From BarCampSaigon 2010 and SaigonEduCamp 2010:


 


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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Fri, 10 Dec 2010 22:24:00 -0800 Before BarCampSaigon http://www.dylanduong.com/before-barcampsaigon http://www.dylanduong.com/before-barcampsaigon

Barcamp

Photo by: (CC) Khanh Le Ngoc Quoc. http://www.flickr.com/people/step2vn/

This is part of a series of posts about BarCampSaigon and SaigonEduCamp 2010.  I'm looking forward to sharing notes from sessions, links to research and findings and pictures from BarCamp. I'll do my best to share my experiences with the people who can't make the roadtwip to Saigon. Please be sure to check back for more information. 

BarCampSaigon 2010 is less than 24 hours away. Here is a look at the current numbers.

700+   The number of registered attendees through BarCampSaigon site.

215       The number attendees confirmed through Facebook.

35        The number of tweets with the hash tag #BarCampSaigon within the past 7 days.

15         The number of tweets with the hash tag #SaigonEduCamp within the past 7 days.

The numbers suggests how both the participants prefer to engage. It’s not through Twitter or Facebook but through other preferred channels of engagement.  

Earlier this week, I had a long conversation with Noah Couture (@ncouture), an American expat now living in Saigon, about partnering opportunities and establishing relationships with businesses here in Vietnam for BPM (business process management).  I suppose the key thing I took away from the conversation is the opportunities that exist here and the challenges of building a strong team.

So whether you’re an entrepreneur working your ass off to build the next cool app for the mobile space, a journalist who is working out there on the periphery on Ancient Cham civilization like Adam Bray (@fisheggtree), or an educator who wants to share your passion for changing the landscape of education in Vietnam through software like Lillian Forsyth (@li11ian11), these public spaces (both online and offline) and user-generated events such as BarCampSaigon becoming increasingly important for authentic public discourse and knowledge sharing.

Socializing Before & During The Event

I look to more of the peripheral events before and during the main event. Sometimes those are the more interesting conversations that occur outside of the actual sessions. It could be while you’re having your first cup of coffee, grabbing a bite to eat or meeting up around the RMIT campus.

Circling back to the numbers mentioned above, I want to emphasize the effort that it takes to build a participatory community and the culture of participation sometimes requires a nudge. We see in with our co-workers, clients, or students all too often.

So if you’re reading this post, or curious about what is BarCampSaigon, or still sitting on the fence about attending, just do it.  There will be first time attendees who are curious, myself included.

Would you prefer more peripheral events before the un-conference? Let me know in the comments below.

About me:  This past year, I’ve been examining how business, organizations and individuals use social media and social networks to build relationships, communities and deliver value.

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here.

 

Related Post:

Destination: BarCampSaigon 2010

 


 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/698323/Mui_Ne_060b.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37qIU3NT580p Dylan Duong Dylan Dylan Duong
Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:02:00 -0800 DESTINATION: BARCAMPSAIGON 2010 http://www.dylanduong.com/destination-barcampsaigon-2010 http://www.dylanduong.com/destination-barcampsaigon-2010

Barcamp
Photo by: (CC) Khanh Le Ngoc Quoc. http://www.flickr.com/people/step2vn/

This is part of a series of posts about BarCampSaigon and SaigonEduCamp 2010.  I'm looking forward to sharing notes from sessions, links to research and findings and pictures from Saigon. I'll do my best to share my experiences with the people who can't make the roadtwip to Saigon. Please be sure to check back for more information.  

This will be my first year participating in BarCampSaigon. Last year, approximately 300 participants attended and there were lots of sessions going on. Most sessions are in English and most participants were Vietnamese.

For starters, if you want a quick rundown, I recommend checking out this video by Thomas Wanhoff here.

If you want to register for BarCampSaigon, go here.

SAIGONEDUCAMP

This year SaigonEduCamp will be a part of BarCampSaigon and sharing the same venue and facilities as BarCampSaigon.

SaigonEduCamp is a free, open “un-conference” for anyone involved in education to meet and collaborate. At SaigonEduCamp everyone is a participant and no one is a spectator.

If you are a teacher in Saigon you should attend SaigonEduCamp and share your passion for education with others.

BEFORE THE “UN-CONFERENCE”

Put to work the tools and networks you already have before heading to BarCampSaigon. Try to make it a point to see who else will be there. That could be using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or the registration page on BarCampSaigon to find and connect with people who share similar interests, challenges and beliefs.

BARCAMP CULTURE

The BarCamp vibe tends to be more laid-back and casual. So go ahead and say “hi” to everyone.

MOBILE SOCIALIZING

Even a single day event like BarCampSaigon can be a bit overwhelming with so many sessions and agendas going on. Social media apps like Foursquare can help remedy that.

Foursquare players can “check-in” on a session using their iPhone or Android app alerting their network of friends to their current location in case they feel like dropping by to say hello.

What is cool about the Foursquare app is that it alerts you to other people that are in the same location as you, and help you discover new people. 

THE REAL VALUE OF BARCAMPSAIGON

The real value of BarCampSaigon happens when individuals assemble as a collective from diverse communities to engage, share, and collaborate in person. It comes from making new connections and deepening existing ones.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment, or invite your friends to attend this year.

You can follow me on Twitter here. Foursquare here. LinkedIn here.

 

 

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Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:28:00 -0700 Peak Break-Up Times (According to Facebook status updates) http://www.dylanduong.com/32488418 http://www.dylanduong.com/32488418

breakups_facebook

 

Interesting statistical visualization about when people break up according to Facebook status updates via David McCandless and Lee Byron (InformationIsBeautiful.net/ LeeBryon.com)

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Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:47:00 -0700 Check this thing out called Jambox. http://www.dylanduong.com/check-this-thing-out-called-jambox http://www.dylanduong.com/check-this-thing-out-called-jambox

Way cool. I want one. Rock on

 

Related Link:

http://lonelysandwich.com/post/1480591963/jambox

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Sat, 23 Oct 2010 20:39:00 -0700 Ca o sau http://www.dylanduong.com/ca-o-sau http://www.dylanduong.com/ca-o-sau

This fish is called 'ca o sao' in Vietnamese. One of the local fisherman stopped by my grandmother's house to drop off this catch of the day. 

To give you an idea, fresh squid will fetch around 100,000 to 200,000 dong per kilo ($5 USD-$10 USD) depending on the quality of squid. Ca o sao will fetch about 500,000 dong per kilo ($25 USD) if you buy it straight from the source. It goes for around $1,000,000 dong per kilo ($50 USD) if you order it at a restaurant. The locals may catch one ca o sao every 1-2 months. 

 

 

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Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:42:00 -0700 Some Thoughts on Vietnam National Day: Entrepreneurship, Education and Entertainment http://www.dylanduong.com/27162381 http://www.dylanduong.com/27162381

Vietnam National Day

September 2nd in Vietnam symbolizes the August 1945 Revolution and Vietnam National DayOn this day in 1945, President Ho Chi Minh solemnly read the Declaration of Independence in Vietnam at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi. With this, he proclaimed the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This event marked the beginning of a new era for the Vietnamese nation.

Vietnam is home to 86 million people. According to McKinsey Quaterly, the population is adding a million people per year. Vietnam’s dynamic population and impressive potential for further growth, and the budding spirit of cooperation between other nations, multi-national organizations and common individuals offer a strong foundation and bridge for continued growth. 

Vietnam is still new. It's still not to late to enter. There are still opportunities and room for growth. Setting up shop in Vietnam, however, isn't easy. The market is fragmented and difficult to reach. 

Entrepreneurship

A Korean friend of mine named Kim arrived in Saigon over eight years ago with $20,000 in his hand. His objective? To open a jewelry store. When Kim arrived, he thought it was too late. He didn't speak a word of Vietnamese. He had no business network. There were already plenty of jewelry stores around. Fast forward two years, a lot of hard work and long hours and Kim's stores became the #1 jewelry store in Diamond Plaza.

It's not too late. Just start "small but strong" was Kim's advice.  

Education

Education in Vietnam has improved. Yet, there is still room for improvement. AIS offers primary and secondary education programs and was the first one of its kind to follow an American curriculum. American International School Nha Be campus officially began construction in 2009. This project aims to build the largest and most modern K-12 school in Vietnam and the region. More info here.

Entertainment

De Mai Tinh - Fool For Love (loose translation: Figure it out tomorrow), and Giao Lo Dinh Menh - Inferno (loose translation: Intersection of fate), are two new films for 2010.  Both films were written, produced and directed by Vietnamese Americans. Charlie Nguyen's De Mai Tinh was released April 2010 and is a romantic comedy.

Victor Vu's latest feature film, Giao Lo Dinh Menh is a psychological triller, set to be released on September 17th, 2010. Victor found one investor that believed in him and his track record. He also collaborated with a established production company with a lot of experience. The third factor was perfect timing.

Ground breaking endeavors in any field: entrepreneurship, education and entertainment is never easy. Vietnam's infrastructure is improving, and modern trade has made significant inroads. Things have improved which makes Vietnam an exciting market. But is is by no means an easy one.

On this feastive occasion, I wish all Vietnamese people peace and prosperity in the coming year.

 

Dylan Duong is an American expat living in Saigon. He is currently an Associate at Amvest Advisory. Amvest is an established boutique advisory firm based in Vietnam. Amvest specializes in accelerating cross-border transactions and new market entry for foreign firms looking to enter or invest in Vietnam.  

Follow Dylan on Twitter:  @dylanduong

 



 

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Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:59:00 -0700 Welcome Elijah Marcus Delloro http://www.dylanduong.com/welcome-elijah-marcus-delloro http://www.dylanduong.com/welcome-elijah-marcus-delloro

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This is my newest nephew, Elijah Marcus Delloro, born Thursday, April 8th at 6:23 am in Baldwin Park, CA. He weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz. and measured 18.9 inches.

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