Startup Wheel

For those of us born before the #digital age, it can be tough to live in a #GenZ world.

In a country like #Vietnam, however, it’s easy to see that the future is already being shaped by the enthusiasm of those young #leaders who grew up with the whole planet at their fingertips.

When they were born, their country was heavily burdened by the crippling after-effects of war—now they are part of a dynamic and flourishing economic force that has visibly transformed Vietnam’s cities within the decade I’ve lived here. Pandemic aside, this is an exciting time to be young, educated, and Vietnamese.

With startup culture now so pervasive in the young Vietnamese business world, I felt both proud and nervous to present my work with one of the oldest communication technologies we have – #books – to an audience at Startup Wheel, a competition designed to give wings to new businesses with a vision for the future.

While most entrepreneurs trying to build a new business today are chasing the latest advances in tech, Metro Writers looks to the prestige and gravity of well-crafted books. As I said to my audience, books are a form of content marketing that make a permanent impact. The books we write for our clients deliver enormous value, bringing them credibility, power and importance. Our content doesn't drop to the bottom of a social media feed – it remains in people's homes as a permanent physical artefact where it can always be browsed and referred to.

I've been told that Vietnamese people don't read books, but I've never believed that. I see young people reading books all the time, many of them seeking inspiration for their own prospects. The truth is that the heritage of Asia instinctively respects and treasures books. There is enormous respect here for anyone with their picture on the cover of a book.

I want to thank Startup Wheel for giving me a glimpse of the future while allowing me to share how values from the past still have great relevance and importance today.