You Don't Know Vietnam
by Ian Paynton - We Create Content
Latest episode
E76: So you've spotted a gap in Vietnam’s market... But should you…
E76: So you've spotted a gap in Vietnam’s market... But should you…
About this podcast
Forget what you thought you knew about Vietnam. It's no longer that, as you're about to find out. Hit subscribe for conversations about trends, culture and business from one of the world's fastest growing markets: Vietnam. Hosted by Ian Paynton, co-founder of We Create Content, a content agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 76 episodes
- E76: So you've spotted a gap in Vietnam’s market... But should you fill it? · 32 min · Season 1 Episode 76A gap in the market looks like an opportunity. But what if your potential customers don’t understand what you’re selling? Hannah Tuong-Jefferys started making cider in her Saigon…
- E75: A beginner's guide to contemporary art in Vietnam — with curator Tuong Linh Do · 30 min · Season 1 Episode 75What does contemporary art in Vietnam look like today? And where should you start as a newbie? As Vietnam approaches the end of its debut national pavilion at the Venice…
- E74: How this side hustle fragrance brand won over Vietnamese students · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 74How do you get a Vietnamese fragrance into the top 10 men’s fragrances on Shopee in your first year... while both founders still have full-time jobs? Enter Vy Nguyen and Ngu Phan…
- E73: Remembering a Hanoi we once knew — with journalist David Stout · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 73Before Ian Paynton co-founded WCC, and before journalist David Stout went on to report from Myanmar, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Balkans and Saudi Arabia, the pair…
- E72: What Singapore’s Ambassador learned from his first 10 months in Vietnam · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 72What does Vietnam look like through the eyes of someone arriving at one of the most ambitious moments in its recent history? Ten months into his posting, Singapore’s Ambassador…
- E71: Vietnam's young people have never had it better. Or is there something we're missing? · 24 min · Season 1 Episode 71Vietnam's young people have more opportunity than any generation before them. They are globally connected, ambitious, educated, and growing up in one of the world's…
- E70: I was the US ambassador to Vietnam. Here’s why I’m betting on its future · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 70In this 70th episode, former US ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius shares a rare, first-hand view of Vietnam’s transformation; from post-war recovery to one of the most dynamic…
- E69: Go live or get left behind: inside Vietnam’s e-commerce boom · 39 min · Season 1 Episode 69E-commerce in Vietnam is big, but it's about to get A LOT bigger. Right now, it’s sitting at around 12–15% of total retail. But it’s growing at 2–3x the speed of offline, and the…
- E68: The 9 cultural truths your brand MUST master to get started in Vietnam · 36 min · Season 1 Episode 68You know the score! Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world right now. But most global audiences and brands still don’t understand how it actually works. Sure…
- E67: Growing IRONMAN Vietnam: lessons in community, planning and reading the room · 31 min · Season 1 Episode 67Triathlon participation in Vietnam has grown nearly 30x in a decade. And Danang is about to host its first full-distance Ironman. In this episode, Ian Paynton speaks to Rob…
- E66: Building a life in Vietnam: identity, business, and the search for home · 35 min · Season 1 Episode 66In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton is joined by Gauthier D'haenens, a Vietnamese-born Belgian adoptee who returned to Vietnam as an adult searching for his…
- E65: What GDP headlines don’t tell you about Vietnam’s 'era of rising' · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 65Vietnam is no longer just a fast-growing economy or a low-cost manufacturing hub. It is entering what many local leaders now call an era of rising — defined not only by economic…
- E64: Let’s talk about Tết, baby — has Vietnam’s biggest holiday changed forever? · 31 min · Season 1 Episode 64Tết has always been Vietnam’s most important moment of the year — culturally, emotionally, and commercially. For some categories, it can account for up to 40–45% of annual sales…
- E63: Reduce emissions AND grow economically? Why Vietnam can do both · 45 min · Season 1 Episode 63Michaela Baur is the Country Director of GIZ Vietnam, a German development agency with more than 30 years of experience working in Vietnam. Today, Ian asks the question on the…
- E62: Keeping soul, changing shape: Vietnam’s evolving identity · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 62Vietnam is changing shape fast — but its soul hasn’t moved an inch. In this episode, Ian sits down with Vinamilk creative director Chieu Pham to unpack the cultural codes that…
- E61: Factory towns, gig work, and the untold side of Vietnam’s economic boom · 33 min · Season 1 Episode 61Vietnam’s economy is booming. Foreign factories are multiplying, GDP is surging, and global investors are calling it the next Asian powerhouse. But who’s really benefitting from…
- E60: Why foreign leadership styles fail in Vietnam (and how to fix yours!) · 35 min · Season 1 Episode 60Many foreign leaders arrive in Vietnam full of confidence — armed with a leadership style that’s worked everywhere else. But within weeks, frustration sets in. Teams seem…
- E59: Navigating the grey area that can decide life or death for business in Vietnam · 30 min · Season 1 Episode 59"That grey area or that almost darkness within a conversation can be life and death. And if you don’t have the trust to be able to have an honest conversation, you can meet an…
- E58: Eat alone? Not in Vietnam — the F&B localisation playbook · 36 min · Season 1 Episode 58What makes Vietnamese dining culture so unique—and why do so many global F&B brands stumble here? In this episode, Ian Paynton speaks with Loan Vu, hospitality expert and…
- E57: The future of retail in Vietnam — with e-commerce veteran Benji Lamb · 45 min · Season 1 Episode 57If you're on LinkedIn and interested in Vietnam, you've probably already heard of Benji Lamb. He's the founder and CEO of Asia Circles, a company that partners with global brands…
