The young man with a stutter who became a startup founder

At age 15, Tùng developed a stutter. Switching from a specialized French class to English left the student confused, and he suddenly could not complete an ordinary conversational sentence. At that time, classmates only had to pick up the phone and hear silence to know Tùng was on the other end. When the teacher called on him, he knew the answer but could not speak because of his stutter. Those moments became a source of laughter for the class. For the adolescent boy, they were haunting—a fear that stayed with him until he received a scholarship and went to study in the United States.

Low self-confidence made it difficult for Tùng to adapt to his new environment. He felt crushed by the thought that he could not remain silent forever, yet could only utter very short sentences when he spoke. At times, the international student felt discouraged and hopeless. He searched books and the internet to learn about this condition. A teacher at Ohio University encouraged him: “The only way to overcome fear is to face it.”

He tried working in an office that called alumni to ask for donations to the university's fund. Tùng made as many as a hundred calls a day. Gradually, his fear of communication disappeared, and before he knew it, he could speak in many complete sentences. His sales and foreign language skills also improved noticeably. Tùng became more confident. He took on all kinds of part-time jobs, from carrying dishes to serving in restaurants, to earn money and gain experience.

From being insecure and shy, Tùng stepped out of his shell and reconnected with the world. In 2012, after many years away, he returned to Vietnam and joined Lana, a million-USD e-commerce project backed by IDG Ventures. The Đà Nẵng native also co-founded several projects and traveled frequently between the United States and Vietnam.

Tùng began building Jobhop, a simple mobile app that helps students find jobs conveniently and quickly. This June, after half a year of preparation, the app officially launched. Although it was not his first product launch, he still felt nervous. The lively numbers moving across the screen filled him with excitement. But he joked: ‘Experience has taught me to temper my excitement, because entrepreneurship is a thorny path. This is only the beginning.’ Last year, while helping a social-sector enterprise recruit staff, the entrepreneur born in the 1980s noticed many problems in this area. Students in particular, who always want to find work as quickly as possible, had to submit applications everywhere with no guarantee of success. Employers’ needs were also urgent, yet they could not always find suitable people, even for roles requiring few skills.

Through the app, users can easily create profiles and find jobs matching their location, free time, class schedules and desired pay. The video feature lets them upload or directly record videos under 60 seconds to impress employers.

Each application costs 10 bananas—the app's currency—to submit. Each banana equals one thousand dong, but they are currently free for users. Tùng said this arrangement limits users from sending applications indiscriminately, encouraging them to select opportunities that match their needs. It is also a way to respect employers and minimize fake applications.

Jobhop now has more than 4,000 users, 7,000 jobs and 150 employer partners, including major brands such as KFC, VinMart, Gongcha and BHD Cinema…

Tùng and the Jobhop Team. Photo: Provided by the subject

Everything needs a beginning. Tùng is still following the path he chose several months ago: accompanying students as they seek jobs and experiences to equip them for the future. The young entrepreneur's week is always busy with meetings, including visits to universities and meetings with students. He works with universities to organize seminars for students, spending considerable time learning about their wishes and aspirations.

Tùng values today’s Vietnamese student community for its energy, eagerness to learn, logical working habits, and deep thinking. ‘Even a highly developed society like the United States still has many problems to solve. However, returning to Vietnam gives me the opportunity to help more people I love. That is what makes me happiest about my choice,’ he shares.

Every day at their office in Ho Chi Minh City, Tùng and his employees spend time sharing about work. Topics revolve around everything they do during the day and their difficulties, with no shortage of spontaneous snacks—part of a startup office's soul. All of this has kept Tùng in Vietnam.

The entrepreneur who once stammered now dreams of bringing his product to one million users as quickly as possible. “I hope the application reaches 20,000 employers in the next 12 months,” he says, making no secret of his ambition.