Straight as “code”, rugged as the product

Looking to the future, Le Viet Thang doesn’t talk about IPOs or becoming a unicorn. What he hopes for is that one day, when he meets three business people on the street, at least one of them will have a business using 1Office. When attending a party, if there are six people at the table, one or two of them will be working at a company using the platform he and his team created. 1Office will become a part of Vietnamese business life – as familiar as the air we breathe, as natural as a habit, yet precise and effective in every action. It’s a very down-to-earth dream. But only those in it for the long haul can understand the value of such seemingly simple things.

Staying True to Oneself in a Constantly Changing World

The founder of 1Office is not afraid to admit his own imperfections. He has a hot temper, is prone to shouting, and has even caused employees to quit out of fear. He once tried to “tone it down” for a few months, being gentler and less demanding. The result was that the company came to a near standstill. He concluded that while his style might not suit everyone, what’s important is consistency, clarity, and good intentions.

He calls this personality a part of his DNA. DNA, according to him, is not immutable, but it is the core. Flawed genes can be fixed, but if you lose the core, you are no longer yourself.

It’s the same with investors. He doesn’t hesitate to say that many have turned him down after just a few conversations, but he thanks them. Because if they had agreed solely for a profitable opportunity, they might have been the ones to diminish the “human” aspect of 1Office. Just one or two investors who understand that DNA is enough.

He was once advised by industry veterans to be less “eccentric” on social media and to be more restrained in his communication. But he believes that being authentic is the only way to keep the fire burning for the long term. That fire cannot be faked, and if it’s gone, he won’t be able to inspire the product, the team, or the customers.

Being authentic doesn’t mean not changing. If English was once a weakness, now the entire 1Office leadership is required to work in English, and he is teaching himself every day. With AI, instead of fearing replacement, he sees the potential to redistribute labor to make society more efficient. For the international market, instead of starting with seasoned experts, he wants to build a young team, unburdened by experience, who can see things with clarity and integrity.

There is a consistent theme in all of Le Viet Thang’s answers: he always speaks from real experience. No polish, no formulaic interview answers, no embellishments. That’s why when he talks about “service,” he doesn’t use it as a slogan.

He simply speaks of customers as the ones who gave him the problems, the data, and the finances, and helped him “extract” a product like the one today. He speaks of his team as people who are dedicated to customers with three C’s: Competent, Conscientious, and Candid. And he speaks of himself as someone who will always hold over 30% of the company’s shares and will live and die by the path he has chosen, at least until 2040.

The “service” that Le Viet Thang pursues doesn’t require grand declarations. It’s demonstrated by fixing a small feature, advising a business struggling with KPIs, or staying up with employees at midnight to fix a bug. It’s shown in how a leader doesn’t stand above, but stands among customers, the team, and the product with a hands-on leadership style.

After a decade of accompanying businesses, 1Office is entering the AI era with the ambition to create a new operating system for Vietnamese enterprises. The story of Le Viet Thang – the founder – is not just a startup journey, but also a commitment to the value of ‘service’ until 2040.”

👉 Read the full article here: https://theleader.vn/dac-san-cua-tap-chi-dien-tu-nha-quan-tri-t8-2025-magazine20.html