Best Minh Nguyen Podcasts (2025)

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Making tech literacy irrelevant | Infactory’s Ken Kocienda 54:21

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11m ago54:21

54:21

What do you learn after spending 15 years at Apple and demoing your work directly to Steve Jobs? Ken Kocienda, Co-founder of Infactory AI and author of Creative Selection, joins us to share the answer. As a former Principal Engineer at Apple who helped create the iPhone keyboard and autocorrect, Ken discusses his incredible journey from a history m…

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Back Catalog Rewind : Discover Vietnam - Mischa Smith - Pasteur Street Brewing Company Sales Director 48:09

1h ago48:09

48:09

Mischa Smith, from Canada, is a regular sight around Saigon in the craft beer scene as the Sales Director for Pasteur Street Brewing Company. Mischa started in the craft beer industry in Toronto, Ontario before he packed up and moved to South Korea to teach English for a year that turned into four years and five months. After a visit to Saigon he f…

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Discover The Setbacks I Overcame to Create Seven Million Bikes Podcasts 35:25

4d ago35:25

35:25

“Choose one thing that you want to focus on. Start saying no to everything else politely. Make everything you do about that one thing and I guarantee you’ll be successful.” That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned in my journey of turning a hobby podcast into a full-time business. Today, I opened up about the setbacks, surprises, and wins I’ve had al…

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Q&A: Discover The Setbacks I Overcame to Create Seven Million Bikes Podcasts 18:49

4d ago18:49

18:49

“Choose one thing that you want to focus on. Start saying no to everything else politely. Make everything you do about that one thing and I guarantee you’ll be successful.” That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned in my journey of turning a hobby podcast into a full-time business. Today, I opened up about the setbacks, surprises, and wins I’ve had al…

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Why enterprise AI lives or dies on applied research | Contextual AI’s Elizabeth Lingg 54:12

1h ago54:12

54:12

What does it take to transform a brilliant AI model from a research paper into a product customers can rely on? We're joined by Elizabeth Lingg, Director of Applied Research at Contextual AI (the team behind RAG), to explore the immense challenge of bridging the gap between the lab and the real world. Drawing on her impressive career at Microsoft, …

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Back Catalog Rewind : Discover Saigon Native Kim Nguyen's Life Overseas & Vietnam 31:08

7d ago31:08

31:08

In this episode I speak with Saigon native, Kim Nguyen. Kim moved to the UK as a teenager to study and stayed for 6 years, meeting her boyfriend in the process who now lives with her in Saigon. Returning to Vietnam in 2018, Kim has a unique perspective on both living overseas and in Vietnam and has some helpful tips for young Vietnamese students th…

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Discover How Devin Hong Found Identity, Acting, and Belonging in Vietnam 56:10

11d ago56:10

56:10

“It’s like you’re wearing our face, but you’re not really us.” – Devin Hong This episode with Devin was one of those conversations that reminded me why I started this podcast in the first place. Devin’s journey—from leaving Vietnam as a child, growing up in California, then returning decades later—was powerful, funny, and deeply honest. I loved hea…

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Your AI demo is a lie (and how to make it real) | Arcade’s Alex Salazar 1:01:58

1h ago1:01:58

1:01:58

AI that talks is easy, but AI that acts securely is where everything breaks down. We're joined by Alex Salazar, CEO of Arcade, to confront the massive and often underestimated gap between a flashy AI demo and a production-ready system. Drawing from his team's own pivot from building agents to building the tools that secure them, he explains why a w…

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Back Catalog Rewind : Discover Why JK Hobson Made A Life in Saigon 54:40

13d ago54:40

54:40

My first guest on Seven Million Bikes is JK Hobson. As a finalist in the 2018 Vietnam Comedy Competition JK is known by many in Saigon as a stand-up, but is a man of many talents. We had so much to talk about I’ve split this first episode into two parts. Growing up in New York, JK moved to LA with his “fairly well known” thrash-metal band, Crisis. …

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Discover Why The Nguyens Took Their Kids Out Of School To Travel The World 42:14

18d ago42:14

42:14

What an amazing story! I was so fascinated by Dennis and Emily's decision to leave their jobs as accountants and travel the world with their two kids, Hannah and Aiden. They turned a simple idea into an incredible journey across more than 30 countries. Listening to them talk about the challenges of homeschooling on the road, the cultural difference…

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The future of the terminal is not a terminal | Warp’s Zach Lloyd 57:32

22d ago57:32

57:32

For decades, the command line has been a developer's staple. But what if its future isn't to be a better terminal, but something else entirely? We're joined by Zach Lloyd, co-founder of Warp, to discuss this groundbreaking shift in developer tooling, sharing his bold vision that the future for developers is neither the IDE nor the terminal, but a n…

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Discover Vietnam's Changing Consumption Patterns and Health Trends 57:30

25d ago57:30

57:30

“Everyday life in Saigon means navigating sugar in everything—from coffee to orange juice—and I can’t have any of it.” – Jane Ha My guest today is Jane Ha, a researcher in behavioral science who has lived in Hanoi, the U.S., the U.K., and now Saigon. Jane’s story is as much about resilience as it is about culture—living with diabetes in one of the …

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Forget vibe coding. Say hello to vibe entrepreneurship. | Shopify’s Andrew McNamara 42:43

14d ago42:43

42:43

First, there was vibe coding. Now, get ready for "vibe entrepreneurship." Andrew McNamara, Director of Applied Machine Learning at Shopify, joins us to explain how his team is making this new era of business a reality. He shares the vision behind Shopify Sidekick, an AI co-founder designed to empower merchants by acting as their on-demand e-commerc…

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Discover the Silent Struggles of Vietnam’s Returning Students 48:18

1M ago48:18

48:18

“I felt like my Vietnamese froze at the level of a 17-year-old.” – Mai Doan My guest today is Mai Doan, who left Vietnam at just 17 to study in Oregon, later studied in France, built a career in the U.S., and then made the choice to return home. Her story was full of courage and honesty. She talked about cultural shocks, stereotypes, and the challe…

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You can't have AI without DevOps | GitHub’s Martin Woodward 57:36

24d ago57:36

57:36

The single biggest predictor of success with AI isn't the model you choose, it's the DevOps culture you've already built. Martin Woodward, VP of Developer Relations at GitHub - and the sixth person to ever use Copilot - joins us to explain why this surprising insight is key to the new era of autonomous coding agents. He traces the evolution of GitH…

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New Name: Same Podcast! 4:16

1M ago4:16

4:16

If you’ve been following the show since the Seven Million Bikes: A Saigon Podcast days, you’ll know this has always been about sharing the stories of the incredible people who make up Vietnam — locals, expats, entrepreneurs, creatives, and everyone in between. A Vietnam Podcast is now... Discover Vietnam: A Vietnam Podcast marking the start of our …

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Discover Why People Stay in Saigon With Krista Bernard and Guest Host, Adrie Lopez Mackay! 21:30

1M ago21:30

21:30

“People at home always ask, ‘When are you moving back?’ But honestly, I’m not sure I could.” – Krista Bernard If you grew up in a small town—or in Krista’s case, a village with 500 people including cows—you’ll know the feeling of leaving and never quite seeing it the same again. Adrie Lopez Mackay (yep, my amazing wife) takes over the mic to speak …

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The art of letting go as a manager | Transcend’s Minh Nguyen 42:50

28d ago42:50

42:50

What's the hardest habit for a top engineer to unlearn in a leadership role? For Minh Nguyen, VP of Engineering at Transcend, it was breaking the "I'll do it myself" mentality. In this episode, she shares her impressive journey from individual contributor to VP at the same high-growth startup, offering a rare and honest look at this challenging tra…

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Discover How Premier Dental is Changing Vietnam's Dentistry with Annie Vo 30:52

2M ago30:52

30:52

“You can fly to Vietnam, stay a month, get your teeth done—and still spend less than you would back home.” – Niall Mackay Annie Vo finally made it on the podcast—and it was well worth the wait. This is Part 2 of our conversation, and in this episode, we dug into something I find really fascinating: what it takes to run a truly modern, ethical denta…

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AI agents are knocking. Is your API ready to answer? | GraphQL’s Matt DeBergalis 59:13

1M ago59:13

59:13

The rise of AI agents is more than a tooling upgrade - it's a fundamental rewiring of the entire developer experience, with your APIs at the very center. We're joined by Matt DeBergalis, co-founder and then-CTO-now-CEO (congrats Matt!) of Apollo GraphQL, to explore this massive transformation. He introduces the emerging concept of "agent experience…

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Discover Vietnam’s Hidden Magic with Uncle George & Aunt Betty | An Extra Special Epsiode!! | S14 E11 26:37

2M ago26:37

26:37

“I can honestly say my expectations of Vietnam were completely blown away.” This episode is extra special. Not only is it the first recorded in the brand-new Saigon Podcast Studio, but my guest is my very own Uncle George. He and my Aunt Betty just spent two weeks traveling through Vietnam, and we squeezed this conversation in right before they fle…

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The people-pleaser in the machine | Wayfound’s Dr. Tatyana Mamut 1:00:41

1M ago1:00:41

1:00:41

Your AI is learning to lie to you. It's not malicious—it's just trying to be a people-pleaser. This dangerous phenomenon, known as AI sycophancy, is what happens when we train models with outdated incentives. Dr. Tatyana Mamut, an anthropologist, economist, and the CEO of Wayfound, joins us to explain why treating AI like traditional software is a …

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Discover How Culture and Sugar Shape Vietnam’s Dental Health with Dr Albert Le | S14 E10 35:17

2M ago35:17

35:17

I’ve met a lot of interesting people in Vietnam over the years, but this conversation with Dr. Albert Viet Le really stuck with me—pun intended (and yes, it involves floss). Albert is the Managing Director of Premier Dental and the only US and Australian board-certified periodontist practicing in Vietnam. We recorded this episode in our brand-new s…

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Is your AI strategy built for speed or stability? | Qodo’s Itamar Friedman 41:35

2M ago41:35

41:35

Is your team's AI strategy tailored for a fast-moving startup or a high-stakes enterprise? The answer could determine your success or failure. We're rejoined by Itamar Friedman, co-founder and CEO of Qodo, to break down what separates engineering teams that truly thrive with AI from those that are just experimenting, explaining why the path to succ…

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First EVER A Vietnam Podcast in Vietnamese! With Huynh Nhu (Bonus @ House of Merlin) 6:07

2M ago6:07

6:07

With Huynh Nhu from Seven Million Bikes Podcasts! "Send me a message!" This Season is sponsored by Premier Dental. Discover the potential of a confident and healthy smile with the excellent dental clinic in Ho Chi Minh Support the show 🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today! 👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life! 🎥 Edit Videos…

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Discover what Vietnamese Gen Z Really Thinks About His Generation with House of Merlin | S14 E9 24:48

2M ago24:48

24:48

"For me, the customer is like my girlfriend. If the customer is happy, I’m happy.” – Nguyen Van Nam This episode was such a blast to record. Not only was it filmed at the stunning House of Merlin, one of my favorite cocktail bars in Saigon, but I also got to sit down with Nguyen Van Nam, a talented young bartender who represents the next wave of Ge…

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You don't need more code. You need more business impact. | Thoughtworks' Chris Westerhold 59:10

2M ago59:10

59:10

Is your engineering team shipping more code but creating less business impact? We're joined by Chris Westerhold, Global Practice Director at ThoughtWorks, to confront why engineering waste is so difficult to define and eliminate. He explains that for many teams, the issue isn't a lack of tools but a lack of a clear 'North Star' to align their effor…

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Discover What's Fuelling Vietnam's Growing Economy with Hugo Bosch | S14 E8 40:13

3M ago40:13

40:13

"There’s a youthful, hungry population here—and you can feel the energy in the streets every day." – Hugo Bosch I absolutely loved this episode. Hugo was not only a fantastic guest, but also someone who opened my eyes to a side of Vietnam I hadn’t properly explored before: the stock market and capital markets. I’ll admit it, even as a long-term exp…

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The fundamentals of agent-driven software workflows 59:08

3M ago59:08

59:08

You've bought the AI tools, but are you seeing the promised productivity gains? Join Dev Interrupted hosts Dan Lines and Ben Lloyd Pearson, as they break down the fundamental shift from AI coding assistants to intelligent, agentic systems. They discuss the key findings from their new guide, "The Six Trends Shaping the Future of AI-Driven Developmen…

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Discover How Hanh Overcame Child Labor and Poverty | S14 E7 49:52

3M ago49:52

49:52

“If I don’t speak, I cannot share what I’m thinking.” – Hanh, Haga SmartTech This quote from Hanh really hit me. Her story isn’t just about fixing phones—it’s about finding your voice, building a life from scratch, and helping others do the same. I had the pleasure of speaking with Hanh, founder of Haga SmartTech in Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve been a cu…

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You’re not the user anymore | Layer’s Andrew Hamilton 49:00

3M ago49:00

49:00

If you're still building products only for humans, you're already missing out on a massive new customer base: AI agents. Joining Dev Interrupted is Andrew Hamilton, co-founder and CTO of Layer (a first-of-it’s kind MCP agency) to unravel this monumental shift in how products will be discovered and consumed. He dives into how AI agents are rapidly e…

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Discover How Vietcetara's Hao Tran Went From $300 a Month to Vietnam’s Media Mogul | S14 E6 45:51

3M ago45:51

45:51

"I took my entire severance pay and blew it on a two-month trip to Asia — and that decision changed my life." - Hao Tran In this episode, I felt a strong sense of kindred spirit with Hao. We both came to Vietnam almost exactly nine years ago and ended up building something rooted in storytelling. I loved Hao's honesty about how Vietcetera started f…

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Inside Amazon's AI video generator | Kabir Bedi 48:45

3M ago48:45

48:45

What if creating a professional video for your business was as simple as a single click? We're joined by Kabir Bedi, Head of Product for Image and Video Generation at Amazon Ads, to discuss how generative AI is making that a reality. He provides an inside look at Amazon's mission to democratize video advertising, empowering everyone from mom-and-po…

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From College Dismissal to Pro Basketball and Plant-Based Living in Vietnam | S14 E5 53:00

3M ago53:00

53:00

“I got kicked out of college. That was the moment I had to grow up—not just as a player, but as a man.” – Davon Dillard When I first saw Davon Dillard playing for the Saigon Heat, I knew I had to talk to him. He stood out immediately—not just because of his athleticism on the court, but because there was something about his presence. He looked focu…

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Google DeepMind's AI playbook for engineering at hyperspeed | Philipp Schmid 50:27

3M ago50:27

50:27

What if the traditional engineering career path is being fundamentally rewritten by AI? We're joined by Philipp Schmid, Senior AI Developer Relations Engineer at Google DeepMind, to explore how artificial intelligence is not just a tool, but a force reshaping engineering roles, team dynamics, and the foundational methods of skill development. Phili…

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A BIG Announcement for A Vietnam Podcast & Seven Million Bikes Podcasts 22:09

3M ago22:09

22:09

After starting this podcast in 2019 in my living room with one mic I can't believe this is happening... "Send me a message!" This Season is sponsored by Premier Dental. Discover the potential of a confident and healthy smile with the excellent dental clinic in Ho Chi Minh Support the show 🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today! 👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call wi…

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The Hidden Struggles of Navigating Multiple Cultures | Phuong Anh S14 E4 56:58

3M ago56:58

56:58

"I didn’t know I was Vietnamese or Asian until I looked in the mirror — because I only saw my friends, and I saw my reflection in them." — Phuong Anh I had a chance to talk to Phương Anh, someone I met at an Overseas Vietnamese networking event here in Saigon. What struck me about Anh right away was the richness of her perspective — having grown up…

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AI is the future of the SDLC 35:44

3M ago35:44

35:44

Imagine saving as much as 75 days of work within a six-month period, all through intelligent automation. Building on last week’s discussion about the critical shift from passive metrics to active productivity, host Ben Lloyd Pearson and LinearB co-founder Dan Lines now look forward to realities like this: 19% cycle time reduction and reclaiming sig…

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Michelin Guide 2025: Beyond The Tourist Traps | Saigon Sunday Sessions #17 47:49

3M ago47:49

47:49

"Beef stew for breakfast, in this heat? Only in Vietnam - and somehow, it works." I’ve lived in Saigon for nine years, and yet, this city’s food scene never stops surprising me. Let me bring you through Michelin Guide’s 2025 picks - but not the fancy, white-tablecloth stuff. We're talking about the real heroes: local eateries that made it to the Bi…

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Navigating Culture Shock and Love in a Vietnamese-American Story | S14 E3 Hoa Chanh 47:57

4M ago47:57

47:57

I absolutely loved recording this episode with Hoa. We first met through my Tuesday night quiz at Rabbit Hole, and her warmth, wit, and honesty always stood out. This chat went from laugh-out-loud moments to some truly eye-opening reflections about culture shock, navigating visa bureaucracy, and the sometimes ridiculous expectations placed on Vietn…

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Now is the time to rethink engineering productivity 40:20

4M ago40:20

40:20

Are your teams feeling the intense pressure to "produce more" in an era increasingly dominated by AI? Join hosts Ben Lloyd Pearson and Dan Lines as they unpack a major shift in how engineering organizations must now approach productivity. Dan reveals the urgent challenges he hears directly from CTOs and VPs, who are grappling with how to define the…

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Escaping Saigon: Our Glamping Adventure Just an Hour Away | On The Road with Niall and Adrie #15 41:43

4M ago41:43

41:43

"Everything we do in Saigon, we're like, 'We don't do this enough.'" - Niall This episode perfectly captures why I love living in Vietnam — the spontaneity, the constant surprises, and how quickly you can go from urban chaos to countryside magic. What started as a simple glamping trip turned into one of our most memorable adventures yet. Driving on…

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Bridging Worlds: Identity, Legacy, and Coming Home | S14 E2 Annie Vo 39:05

4M ago39:05

39:05

"I think I grew up more sheltered. I didn't have the typical New York upbringing." - Annie Vo This episode was special in so many ways — not just because it marked six years of A Vietnam Podcast, but because of Annie’s story. Her journey from Saigon to Yale, and then full circle back to Vietnam, embodies what this podcast is all about: identity, re…

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The Odyssey of Innovation: Classics, Code, and Cognitive Load | Two Sigma's Matt Greenwood 52:52

4M ago52:52

52:52

What can ancient languages and epic poems teach us about building resilient tech and future-proof teams? Host Andrew Zigler welcomes Matt Greenwood, Chief Innovation Officer of Two Sigma, for a conversation that uniquely blends their shared background in classical languages with over two decades of Matt’s experience at the forefront of financial te…

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Exploring Amazing Places in Thailand You Won't Believe! On The Road (In Thailand) with Niall and Adrie #14 26:54

4M ago26:54

26:54

"Send me a message!" This Season is sponsored by Premier Dental. Discover the potential of a confident and healthy smile with the excellent dental clinic in Ho Chi Minh Support the show 🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today! 👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life! 🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript! 👉 I use Descript to cre…

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Growth and Friendship in Vietnam | Sandler Ernst S14 E1 44:47

4M ago44:47

44:47

"I was born in a house without electricity, and now I help create families through adoption. It’s like winning the lottery." I catch up with one of the very first guests ever on A Vietnam Podcast — my friend Sandy. The last time we recorded together, it was 2019. We were sitting in my apartment with a tiny mic that picked up every sound in the room…

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Redefining Ambition After Burnout | Zapier’s Kelly Vaughn 59:05

4M ago59:05

59:05

What happens when the person trained to spot burnout becomes its next victim? Kelly Vaughn is a Senior Engineering Manager at Zapier, the author of the After Burnout Substack, and a trained therapist. She joins hosts Ben and Andrew to share her incredibly candid journey of discovering burnout in herself. Kelly reveals how she (despite her professio…

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We Tried the Craziest Road in Thailand! On The Road (In Thailand) with Niall and Adrie #13 24:41

4M ago24:41

24:41

This trip was one of the most fun and immersive ones we’ve recorded so far. Pai has this laid-back charm and unexpected beauty that really took us by surprise. Adrie and I take you along as we explore some of Pai’s must-see spots — and wow, what a day. We started with the National Park Hot Springs, where the water gets hot enough to boil eggs (or a…

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Discover Why Life in North and South Vietnam are so different | S13 E06 Viet Anh 52:05

4M ago52:05

52:05

“In the south it's always more dynamic. Everyone is just moving around all the time. In the north, it's slower. People are a bit meaner.” - Viet Anh For nearly ten years now, I've called Vietnam home, and while I've experienced the incredible energy and warmth of the south, Viet Anh's perspective on the north offered a viewpoint I hadn't fully cons…

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Foresight Over Firefighting: Being Proactive in a Reactive World | Rootly's JJ Tang 44:02

4M ago44:02

44:02

Still stuck in a reactive loop with incident response, only fixing problems after they happen? JJ Tang, Co-founder and CEO of Rootly, joins host Andrew Zigler to reveal how to shift beyond reactive, leveraging powerful AI and an often-underestimated skill in engineering: genuine customer empathy. Discover how these elements are crucial for navigati…