In this episode of Voice of FinTech: Asia Pacific Series, Chia Jeng Yang, Principal of Saison Capital based in Singapore, spoke to James Vuong, founder and CEO of Infina Vietnam, about his journey from Vietnam to the US and back, his entrepreneurial journey and his latest venture, Infina, providing investment opportunities to retail investors, similar to Robinhood in other markets.

Here is what Chia asked James:

Hi James, it is great to have you! You’ve had a long career as an engineer, operator, investor and now founder. Tell us a little about yourself and what makes you passionate.
You have been in the Vietnamese startup ecosystem for a very long time, as a VC, VP of Investments at IDG Ventures, since 2008, and then CEO of Lana Group until it got acquired. How has the ecosystem changed, what are some of the key milestones, and what has you most excited about the Vietnamese ecosystem? Could you tell us a bit about what investing in Vietnam was like back then?
Tell us a bit about Infina, what made you pursue this particular opportunity, how you got started, and where you are now.
The Vietnamese consumer is, of course, very different from other markets. What are some of the nuances you’re discovering about consumer investment patterns, the Vietnamese market and regulations?
What has been one of the most surprising things you’ve learned while building Infina?

Startups are hard.
Work life balance won’t work.
Startup is a series of tests.

What are the largest gaps in understanding when founders or VCs look at Vietnam? What things would you say are key things to look at that might otherwise be overlooked, as opposed to Singapore, Indonesia or India? What geographies do you look to as the likely or aspirational model for Vietnam?