Startup & Business

I was tired of paying $20+/month for Vercel and Railway, but also tired of self-hosted panels eating 2GB of RAM on my $5 VPS. So I built Server Compass — a desktop app that connects to any VPS over SSH and gives you the full power of a managed PaaS, with zero server overhead and one-time pricing.

I hadn't written blog posts for a long time and realized I was too dependent on AI. To rebuild my writing habit and think more clearly, I decided to build a writing platform: write.rocks.

An analysis of the intersection between Game Theory and artificial intelligence, explaining how AI is changing Nash equilibrium principles and optimal strategies. The post includes real-world examples of applications in business, transportation, and cybersecurity.

An in-depth analysis of the confrontation between Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve (FED) over interest rate adjustments. The article explains how interest rates affect the economy, the FED's role in preventing crises, monetary policy impacts on the dollar, and financial tools used to combat recession. A comprehensive look at the complex relationship between politics and monetary policy.

Detailed analysis of the drawbacks and risks of Vibe Coding - the approach of letting AI write code without human oversight, helping readers understand the challenges in applying AI technology to software development.

A detailed analysis of how 'vibe coding' - a programming method based on describing intent rather than writing code directly - will democratize software development, helping readers better understand technology trends and their impact on the IT industry.

Introducing Vibe Coding - a new approach to software development, emphasizing the mindset shift and approach to building software, helping readers understand modern technology development trends.

An analysis of the trade-off between high short-term revenue and low long-term revenue in startups. Comparing two models: a startup with $10k-$20k/month revenue for 4 months versus a startup with $1k/month revenue for 3 years, along with the pros and cons of each model. Also discusses the importance of stability, exit strategy, and building a sustainable business plan for entrepreneurs.

An analysis of Micro SaaS development trends in 2024, explaining the concept and differences between traditional SaaS and Micro SaaS. The author presents characteristics of Micro SaaS businesses, why 2024 is the breakout moment for this model, and guides on building a successful Micro SaaS with nocode technology. Also shares real experience and lessons from the author's own Micro SaaS projects.

Introducing GPTs feature from ChatGPT that allows users to create custom AI assistants based on their expertise and publish them on the ChatGPT Store.

Introducing the challenge to create an English course in 2 weeks to market the SaaS app Bubble Component Collection. The author shares the strategy of using Info Products (ebooks, courses, templates) to promote software, differences between info products and regular blogging, and the plan to create a course under 3 hours demonstrating how to use the Chrome extension to build app frontends.

Analyzing Naval Ravikant's wealth-building philosophy, founder of AngelList, through his famous tweet storm 'How to Get Rich'. This post explains the difference between wealth and money, the importance of passive income, and how to build sustainable wealth through specific knowledge and permissionless leverage.

An introduction to two popular financial concepts: FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and Fat FIRE. I explain the formula for applying the 4% rule to achieve financial independence, analyze risks like inflation, and compare regular FIRE with Fat FIRE - the upgraded version allowing more comfortable spending during early retirement.

Distinguishing between assets and cashflow in investing, how they work, and the importance of building stable cashflow.

Sharing about the IreneDAO NFT phenomenon by Irene Zhao - from free minting to skyrocketing to 3 ETH (around $8,000) in just two days, plus lessons about the advantages of good looks and the potential of NFTs in the crypto market.

Exploring the concept of by-product - those unexpected secondary products in life. This post shares how simple actions like blogging or reading books can create unexpected value, from new relationships to changed perspectives, and how to connect these dots following Steve Jobs' philosophy.

An analysis of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's strategy to keep users glued to screens as long as possible. The author compares current Facebook to FaceMash - Mark's first project, while questioning the real value of social media and the necessity of self-expression in virtual spaces.

A frank perspective on the success of Axie and Coin98 - two Vietnamese blockchain projects that raised millions of dollars and built extensive ecosystems. This article counters negative opinions and properly values these pioneers.

Sharing perspectives on approaching problems in life, emphasizing the importance of positive thinking and effective problem-solving.

Sharing the development journey of StaticWeb.Studio, a nocode tool that failed after 200 hours of work with zero revenue.

The journey from idea to successfully selling Profitable Insider project for $5000 after just 100 hours of work. This post shares details about choosing ideas, building products with no-code tools, pricing MVPs, and the sales process - valuable experience for anyone wanting to develop side projects.

Detailed walkthrough of validating a startup idea using no-code tools, from building an MVP to achieving $567 in revenue within 3 weeks, helping readers understand market approach and product building.

Sharing real experience on validating app ideas manually before investing time and effort into programming. I advise doing 'things that don't scale' - collecting data manually, using no-code platforms to validate market demand first, and only developing full apps when you have paying users.

Sharing the difficulties of finding Product Market Fit, based on real experience from multiple projects with varying degrees of success.

Sharing a case study on validating a dating app idea for the sapiosexual community with minimal cost, from market research to MVP building and feedback collection.

Summary of the NoCode MVP project with ProgressKer app built entirely on Bubble, sharing experiences and lessons learned after 120 hours of work.

Sharing about facing missed deadlines in the NoCode MVP project and the decision to let go of some features to focus on what matters most.

An explanation of the Product Manager role, their work at the intersection of Business, UX, and Technology, along with different types of PMs in the tech industry.

Sharing about the idea-finding process for the NoCode MVP project and introducing a goal management app integrating multiple features like notes, time, and finances.

A detailed introduction to Bubble.io, a powerful visual programming tool that allows building complete web apps without writing code.

Analysis of technology development history and why NoCode is an effective solution for building MVPs quickly and cost-effectively.

Introduction to the NoCode MVP challenge, plans and goals for building an MVP product without code after experience from the previous challenge.

Final summary of the 30-day profitable MVP challenge, evaluating the entire development process of three different apps: SoundBar, ReadingPointer, and Focusify. Detailed analysis of revenue, costs, actual profit achieved, along with valuable lessons about choosing business models, focusing on one product instead of spreading resources thin, and future plans for the developed products.

Days 28-29-30 of the profitable MVP challenge where I look back at the original plan and assess progress. Sharing how I plan to hit the $1000 profit goal by buying my own app, and announcing the new app Focusify.app instead of letmethink. Also preparing landing page, promo video, and images for launch day.

Day 27 of the profitable MVP challenge where I decide to abandon the Group Opener idea and pivot to building a 'silly app' - a simple, easy-to-build app that still has profit potential. Explaining what silly apps are: simple features that seem unremarkable but can achieve massive downloads, like fart sound apps with 50 million downloads or beer drinking simulators with 90 million downloads.

Day 25 of the profitable MVP challenge where I admit ReadingPointer's failure - user retention is extremely low and no one cares about the paid features. Sharing lessons learned including targeting users with higher willingness to pay, challenges of building cross-browser extensions, and difficulties turning scientific methods like speed reading into products.

Day 24 of the profitable MVP challenge where I decided to launch ReadingPointer on Product Hunt without waiting for Chrome Web Store to approve the new version. Analyzing initial Google Analytics data after 18 hours including new users, average session duration, and button click behavior.

Day 23 of the profitable MVP challenge where I share the frustration of waiting for Chrome Web Store to approve my app update. Also discussing early user feedback on the UI and weighing two options: focus on content marketing or build a new app in the remaining 7 days.

Day 22 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing a detailed checklist before launching the ReadingPointer product. The post categorizes items to check into groups like technical, website, marketing content, distribution channels, and analytics, ensuring the product is polished and ready for users.

Day 21 of the profitable MVP challenge, explaining the early adopter concept and sharing how to experiment with this model for the ReadingPointer app. The post describes creating a premium version introduction page with special benefits for early users, implementing a 'Go Pro' button on the homepage and app to test users' willingness to pay.

Day 19 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing a sad story about working with a designer on Fiverr during the COVID-19 pandemic. The post reflects on hasty judgments, feelings of regret, and lessons about empathy and patience in online communication, especially during difficult global times.

Day 18 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing about completing the Speed Reading extension for $160 after 3 days working with a freelancer on Upwork. The post describes the process of adding analytics, final adjustments, and submitting the app to Chrome Web Store for review, plus sharing inspiration from the book 'Start Something That Matters'.

Day 17 of the profitable MVP challenge, analyzing monetization models for Chrome extensions, comparing free, one-time payment, and monthly subscription versions. I decided to test the sponsor and donation model, and set up tracking metrics like user time spent to evaluate effectiveness.

Day 16 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing about the Speed Reading app development progress with a freelancer on Upwork, the naming process from SpeedReading to ReadingPointer, and the experience hiring a designer on Fiverr for $15 to create a professional logo.

Day 15 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing experience hiring freelancers on Upwork. The post explains why I chose this platform, how to describe features clearly for freelancers, the job posting process, evaluating candidates, and setting appropriate project timelines.

Day 14 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing about completing the Speed Reading extension mockup and analyzing the choice between coding yourself and outsourcing. The post offers advice for both programmers and non-programmers, analyzes time and money costs, and shares the decision to post a freelancer job on Upwork.

Day 12 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing the feeling of wanting to quit but deciding to continue, the internal struggle between laziness and determination to complete the challenge. In the end, I choose to develop the Speed Reading Chrome Extension - an idea that solves my own problem and something I'd use daily.

Day 11 of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing about searching for new ideas after struggling with the first product. This post introduces the Reading Tracker idea - a tool to help users create, manage, and share their reading lists, with features like syncing from Goodreads, auto-completion when typing, and Amazon affiliate link integration.

A summary of the first 10 days of the profitable MVP challenge, sharing launch results with 2 first sales, analyzing 4.8% conversion rate, and lessons about perseverance, commitment to daily blogging, and not giving up despite difficulties.

Day nine of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, sharing about the SoundBar launch day on platforms like ProductHunt, Reddit, and Hacker News, and the joy of getting the first sale from Reddit.

Day eight of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, analyzing distribution and payment channels for apps like AppStore, Gumroad, Paddle, and Stripe, along with calculating how many products need to be sold to reach the revenue goal.

Day seven of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, focusing on building the SoundBar app brand including naming, creating a slogan, designing a logo, and building a landing page.

Day six of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, analyzing four software monetization models: advertising, donation, subscription, and one-time payment, to choose the most suitable option for the music player app.

Day five of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, facing the discovery that someone already built my idea and how to turn this into an advantage to improve my product.

Day four of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, facing the YouTube developer policy violation issue and finding SoundCloud as a legal alternative for building a music player app.

Day three of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, focusing on defining core features and designing mockups for the Youtube Playlist Player Mac Menu Bar app.

Day two of the Profitable MVP in 30 Days challenge, focusing on analyzing and finalizing the idea between Speed Reading Extension, Pomodoro Timer, and Youtube Playlist MacApp.

Day one of the 30-day profitable MVP challenge, focusing on finding and evaluating ideas. I share how to find ideas from personal problems, analyze pros and cons of this approach, and introduce three initial ideas: Speed Reading Chrome Extension, Pomodoro Timer app, and YouTube music player.

The opening post for the 30-day profitable MVP building challenge. I share the detailed plan, goals, $1000 budget, and commitment to spend 5 hours daily developing the product and blogging the entire process.

A detailed review of Adalo - a no-code platform that helps you create mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Web without writing a single line of code. Learn about UI/UX design features, data management, and API integration capabilities to build MVPs quickly!

Discover 4 types of MVP from No-product to Functional, and how to choose the most suitable strategy to validate your idea without wasting precious time and resources!

The journey from idea to successfully launching a SaaS product with a budget under $40k. This post analyzes crucial steps from market research, wireframe design, writing user stories to finding and managing an outsource team. Especially useful for founders without technical background wanting to build quality software at reasonable cost.

Introduction to the Productized Services business model - a solution helping service businesses scale up effectively. I analyze limitations of traditional service models like consulting and outsourcing, compare with the SaaS model, and explain how to turn services into fixed packages with clear scope, timeline, and pricing. With real examples from various industries.

This post analyzes three levels of creativity: from recreating others' products, to improving, and finally creating revolutionary breakthroughs.

A guide on using the Sharetribe platform to build a used book marketplace app without writing code.

A guide on using GlideApps to create mobile apps from Google Spreadsheet without programming, suitable for MVP development.

Analysis of the Pathos Problem in startups - when founders have oversized egos and seek validation instead of listening to real feedback.

Guide on asking effective questions when interviewing potential customers to validate startup ideas, with analysis of good and bad questions.

Introduction to Villand - a resort property management application helping investors and managers easily track and manage their assets.

Analyzing pros and cons between learning to code yourself and outsourcing when building an MVP for founders without technical backgrounds.

Analyzing the difference between ideas and reality when executing projects, helping readers better understand the process of turning ideas into reality and the challenges they face.

An introduction to the 'Company of One' concept from Paul Jarvis's book - a business model focused on maximizing profit rather than scaling. I compare running a large company with many employees versus the one-person company model, analyze the advantages of staying small but highly efficient, and share real examples of successful individuals in MMO, influencer, and content creator spaces.

Discover Customer Education - helping customers deeply understand your products and services, building absolute trust and creating competitive advantages in business.

Discover 6 golden tips to help businesses and startups find, evaluate, and work effectively with freelance developers - from someone who's been on both sides of the negotiation table!

A positive and humorous take on the concept of 'unemployment'. This post analyzes unemployment as a pre-entrepreneurship phase and an opportunity for learning and self-development. Discover how to make the most of your unemployed time to prepare for new career opportunities.

Analyzing Udemy's disadvantages and the requirements needed to build an independent online learning platform.

An analysis of chatbot limitations today and solutions for building smarter chatbots, integrating well with business systems and delivering better user experiences.

Analyzing trends and challenges for marketplace startups, from a technology and business model perspective, helping readers understand the potential and risks of this model.

Personal experience and lessons from quitting a big company job to join a startup. The importance of having a long-term life plan, careful evaluation before quitting, and the benefits of starting a business in your area of expertise.

An introduction to no-code tools that help non-programmers build effective MVPs (Minimum Viable Products). I share real experience with platforms like Bubble.is for web apps, Shopify for e-commerce, and Configure.IT and Dropsource for mobile app development. A cost-effective solution for startups wanting to validate product ideas before making big investments.

This article introduces Facebook's new dating feature announced at the F8 conference, with features like separate profiles, information privacy, and how it works. I analyze the potential of this feature in competing with existing dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and OkCupid.

An analysis of using Shopify for e-commerce websites in the Vietnamese market. Comparing e-commerce development options like hosted solutions (Shopify, Haravan), open-source platforms (Magento, OpenCart), and custom development. A detailed evaluation of Shopify's strengths and weaknesses to help readers decide if this platform suits their business needs.

Sharing real experiences about freelancing from an insider's perspective. The post analyzes the challenges of freelancing like unstable income and high competition, helping newcomers get a realistic view before deciding to pursue this path.

Detailed explanation of Upsell, Downsell, and Cross-sell concepts in marketing, how they work and real-world applications in business, helping readers understand revenue-increasing strategies.

Sharing experiences and lessons from famous developers about blogging and knowledge sharing, helping readers understand how to build personal brands and develop skills in the tech industry through writing.

A realistic perspective on tech startups from someone in the industry, analyzing misconceptions about startup ideas and the importance of validating ideas before building products. Advice and useful resources for those wanting to start tech businesses but lacking experience in the field.

Guide to places and communities for finding a suitable cofounder for your startup in Vietnam.

A comprehensive list of 37 investment funds and angel investors supporting startups in Vietnam, including both local and international organizations.

How to start a successful tech startup without coding skills through the concept of Minimum Viable Business (MVB). Instead of rushing to build a tech product, the author advises creating simple manual solutions to validate ideas and attract customers first.

An analysis of ReactXP - Microsoft's cross-platform framework based on React/React Native, comparing it with Xamarin and explaining Microsoft's strategy of developing both technologies in parallel in the cross-platform app development market.

An analysis of advantages and disadvantages when students start businesses, based on Paul Graham's 'A Student's Guide to Startups.' I point out five advantages students have: good health, no financial pressure, no family obligations, easy to find co-founders at school, and naivety that lets you try bold things. Also warnings about disadvantages like inability to solve real-world problems and lack of cross-disciplinary knowledge.

Explaining Gig Economy - the freelance economy where workers own their work without obligations like Uber, Grab, Fiverr. Analyzing this model's growth trend and opportunities for developers to participate by creating gigs, building connection platforms, or developing support tools.

Sharing my experience developing Elite Condos - a platform connecting apartment owners with home service providers. I distill lessons about finding practical ideas, the importance of software architecture, code comments, refactoring, and focusing on one platform to ship the product.

A realistic perspective on students starting businesses, defining startup simply as being your own boss, developing products, and earning money from them. I analyze IT's advantages in startups, face negative reactions from society, and give practical advice for students wanting to start: begin with small, realistic, achievable goals rather than dreaming of becoming Bill Gates.

A detailed walkthrough of learning and exploring React Native, from setting up the environment to building real applications, helping readers understand how to approach and develop mobile apps with this framework.

Sharing real experiences of freelancing on Upwork, from getting projects to completion and valuable lessons learned.

Detailed analysis of Swift's future, comparing syntax with Objective-C and exploring potential application areas, helping readers understand Swift's development potential in the Apple ecosystem and other platforms.

A detailed analysis of the benefits of maintaining a personal blog, from learning new skills, improving writing ability, to creating career opportunities and building personal brand, helping readers understand the importance of blogging in career and personal life.

Real experience and valuable lessons from creating an online programming course on Udemy, from preparing content to recording videos and interacting with students.

An introduction to E-Myth Revisited - a book analyzing why small businesses fail. The author shares real examples of sales innovation and the story of Sarah - a woman who started a bakery and faced many challenges. The book uses specific, easy-to-understand situations and provides valuable lessons.

My journey and valuable lessons after one year of learning to code, from initial struggles to building real applications and shaping my career path.