Why Vietnam Is Becoming a Secret Weapon for Scaling Global Startups

When I founded my company, I quickly learned that scaling a business globally isn't just about expanding markets — it's about expanding talent. As the Founder & CEO of DigiEx Group, I faced a harsh reality early on: the competition for skilled tech talent was (and still is) fierce everywhere.

We'd be interviewing local candidates for months to fill crucial roles, only to see offers scooped by bigger firms.

I realized that if we wanted to keep innovating and growing, we needed to look beyond our home turf for talent. This is how Vietnam entered the picture for us, and why I believe building a Vietnamese tech talent hub can be a game-changer for entrepreneurs scaling globally.

Related: Exploring Vietnam's Economic Path: A Guide for Investors

The global tech talent crunch and looking beyond borders

The shortage of tech talent is a global concern, not just a local one. In fact, only 16% of executives feel comfortable with the amount of technology talent they have to drive their digital goals. A majority say that the scarcity of tech skills is a major roadblock to growth. I felt this pain firsthand. In the fast-paced tech world, having unfilled developer or data scientist positions can stall a product launch or derail a new initiative.

The good news is that today's entrepreneurs aren't limited to hiring in their own backyard. Remote work and global collaboration are now mainstream. It's no longer unusual for a startup in New York or London to have engineers in places like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

In my case, I realized that to overcome our talent crunch, we could tap into skilled professionals overseas. By thinking globally in our hiring, we weren't just filling positions — we were unlocking new perspectives and around-the-clock productivity. This strategy of going where the talent is became a pivotal move for us to scale effectively.

Vietnam's emergence as a tech talent hub

I'll admit, years ago, Vietnam was not the first place that came to my mind for high-tech talent. But experience is a great teacher. On my first visit to Vietnam, I was struck by the vibrant tech community and the sheer number of young, hungry engineers. Over 50% of Vietnam's population is under 35, and the country now produces 50,000+ IT graduates every year.

In fact, Vietnam's booming tech scene is estimated to demand about 500,000 tech workers by 2025. A strong emphasis on STEM education and a cultural enthusiasm for technology and innovation powers this youthful, growing talent pool.

The world is taking notice. According to recent hiring data, there was a 111% increase in international hiring of high-skilled Vietnamese talent in 2024, especially in tech roles. Key markets with tech talent shortages, like the United States, the UK and Singapore, are among the top employers of Vietnamese professionals.

I've seen this trend in action through our own work connecting businesses with Vietnamese developers. These engineers aren't just abundant; they are highly skilled and globally competitive, often with experience working for international companies.

Another advantage that became clear to me is affordability without compromise. Operating in Vietnam offers cost efficiencies (salaries and operating costs can be considerably lower than in Western hubs) while still delivering quality.

And importantly, language has not been a barrier in our experience. Many Vietnamese tech professionals speak English and are comfortable with Western work culture, making collaboration smoother than one might expect. Combine that with a time zone that lets a Vietnam team overlap with both Asian and European work hours, and we found we could integrate a Vietnamese development team into our global operations almost seamlessly.

Related: Why U.S. Businesses Are Turning to Global Talent More Than Ever

Lessons learned building a Vietnam talent hub

Establishing a tech talent hub in Vietnam hasn't been without its lessons. Looking back, there are a few insights I've gained that might help other entrepreneurs aiming to leverage emerging talent markets:

• Bridge the culture and communication gap. Business culture in Vietnam has its own nuances. Initially, I noticed team members were hesitant to voice disagreements or report delays out of cultural respect. To address this, we actively fostered an open communication culture — I shared stories of my own missteps and encouraged questions and feedback from everyone.

• Invest in your remote team's integration. It's easy to treat an overseas team as an outsourcing unit, but we took a different approach. We made our Vietnam engineers an integral part of the company. That meant flying out regularly (or hopping on overnight video calls), aligning them with our core values, and even mixing teams for projects so that "us" and "them" disappeared.

• Leverage local leadership and partnerships. One smart move we made was hiring a local operations lead in Vietnam who understood the local talent market and workplace norms. This helped tremendously in reducing turnover and keeping our team motivated. Additionally, partnerships with local tech organizations and universities have been invaluable for pipeline and training.

• Focus on growth and learning. One thing I love about Vietnamese tech talent is their hunger to learn. To keep our team at the cutting edge, we supported continuous learning — from sponsoring courses in new programming languages to hosting hackathons.

Throughout this journey, I also learned to navigate challenges like time zone differences (pro tip: establish a few hours of daily overlap time for real-time discussions) and the mechanics of international hiring and compliance. Fortunately, with the rise of global HR platforms, hiring talent in Vietnam (or anywhere) has become more straightforward than it was a decade ago.

Related: Why Investors Should Look at Vietnam's Renewable Energy Industry

Tapping into Vietnam's tech talent has fundamentally shaped how we scale our business. It started as a tactical solution to a talent shortage, but it has evolved into a strategic pillar of our growth. Beyond just cost savings or quick hiring, we've gained a foothold in a vibrant market that's full of ideas and energy.

From my perspective, Vietnam's emergence is also a sign of a bigger shift. Talent is everywhere, if we're willing to look. Today, it might be Vietnam; tomorrow, it could be other fast-developing tech hubs in Southeast Asia, Africa or Latin America. The key for any leader is to build the capability to integrate global teams and nurture that talent effectively. It's about being open to the idea that the next great engineer or product manager who propels your company forward might live 8,000 miles away and yet log in to your daily stand-up meeting.

As an entrepreneur, embracing a Vietnamese tech talent hub has not only solved our hiring woes but also made our company more resilient and diverse in thought. Vietnam has shown me that innovation isn't confined to Silicon Valley or Bangalore — it can flourish wherever there are bright minds and opportunities.

My advice to fellow founders and CEOs looking to scale globally is simple: don't overlook emerging talent pools. By building bridges to places like Vietnam, you're not just filling jobs; you're injecting fresh perspective and drive into your organization. In my experience, the businesses that win in the long run are those that recognize great talent knows no borders and act on that insight. And if you do, you might find, as I did, a wellspring of innovation and growth where you once least expected it.