From Cash to Courage: What Truly Matters in Startups and Life

I used to live in Singapore for a long time, a place where the “5Cs” define success (Cash, Car, Credit Card, Condominium, and Country Club). But in 2016, I made the decision to return to Vietnam for good, trading those 5Cs for another set of 4Cs: Communication, Courage, Compassion, and Consistency.

Today, I want to bring some perspectives from my accidental entrepreneurial journey.

The Accidental Entrepreneur Journey

To date, I’ve lost count of how many companies I’ve been a part of since 2009, somewhere between 10 to 15, maybe more, and a few more are coming. I don’t say this to brag; if anything, it means I’ve made a shit ton of mistakes along the way. Each venture, whether a success or a failure, has been a lesson in what it truly means to build something that lasts.

I never planned to be an entrepreneur. It wasn’t a childhood dream, nor was it something I actively pursued at the start of my career. Til date, coding is still my core passion, and I still do git push almost everyday. But somehow, one thing led to another, and I found myself in the trenches; building, failing, learning, and doing it all over again. I’ve learned, it’s that life isn’t about the destination, or the materialistic goals. No matter where you are, what you do, everyday is a struggle so we should all learn the skills to enjoy the journey instead of fixate on the outcome. Those “skills” are essentially the foundation of maintaining the relationships around us: Communication, Courage, Compassion, and Consistency.

1. Communication: The Foundation of Every Relationship

One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was assuming that good work speaks for itself. It doesn’t. Whether in business, leadership, or even marriage, clear, honest, and intentional communication is everything.

• I’ve seen brilliant ideas fail because teams couldn’t align on vision.

• I’ve seen trust erode because leadership failed to communicate changes.

• And I’ve seen relationships, both personal and professional, fall apart because people assumed rather than talked.

Communication isn’t just about talking; it’s about ensuring that the message is truly heard, understood, and acted upon. It’s about bringing everyone on the same page, eliminating ambiguity, and fostering alignment.

As leaders, the hardest part is communicating even when it’s uncomfortable, when delivering bad news, handling difficult conversations, or managing uncertainty. But the ability to communicate clearly in tough moments is what separates strong leaders from the rest.

Beyond the workplace, we’re also facing a new generational challenge, non-verbal communication is unfortunately becoming a lost skill. Our kids, having grown up glued to their devices during the COVID years, missed out on learning social cues, body language, and the nuances of in-person interaction. As they grow up and enter the workforce, leaders will have to deal with this communication gap, teaching them skills that previous generations naturally developed through everyday interactions. We could blame them when we are too, addicted to our phones, addicted to be "busy".

And looking even further ahead, our grandkids might grow up with AI companions, AI mentors, and of course AI VR pets. How will this reshape human communication? Will they still value face-to-face connection, or will digital relationships dominate?

One thing is certain: the ability to communicate, connect, and align with others will always be a defining factor for success, whether you’re leading a startup, a family, or the next generation of AI-human interactions.

2. Courage: Facing Hard Truths and Tough Decisions

Entrepreneurship and VC investments are often romanticized, but behind the scenes, it’s a constant battle with uncertainty. As decision-makers, it takes immense inner strength and courage to:

• Admit when something isn’t working and pivot.

• Let people go when necessary; sometimes, it’s the best decision for both parties.

• Stand by your vision, even when no one else sees it yet.

• Support your partners and co-founders through tough times.

Some of the hardest moments in my career weren’t about taking risks to start something new, but rather, having the courage to let go of things that weren’t working, cutting losses when necessary. Walking away from a business you’ve poured years into isn’t failure; it’s a necessary step toward something better. Every experience, successful or not, is a lesson. Til date, I don’t regret a single decisions I made.

I’ve learned that get-rich-quick schemes thrive because we’re impatient by nature; we want to prove ourselves quickly. We are controlled by our ego and false self. But the reality is, true generational success is built on a strong foundation, and that foundation doesn’t come overnight.

I think of every mistake as a brick in the construction of my long-term success. The more bricks I gather, the bigger and stronger the house I could build.

3. Compassion: Leadership is About People, Not Just Strategy

It’s easy to focus on numbers, growth, and efficiency, but at the core of every company is people. And people don’t just need leaders who are smart or strategic, they need leaders who care.

I’ve learned that compassion in business isn’t just about being kind; it’s about being present, understanding, and creating an environment where people feel valued. It means:

• Recognizing burnout and stepping in. A great leader isn’t the one who pushes the hardest but the one who knows when to slow down so the team can sustain the long run.

• Understanding that employees have lives outside of work. People bring their whole selves to work: their moods, their struggles, their families, their aspirations. Be aware and respecting that makes a difference.

• Supporting colleagues and partners not just when things are great, but when they’re struggling. The real test of leadership isn’t how you treat people at their best, but how you show up for them at their worst.

• Holding space for others in their growth journey. Not everyone moves at the same pace, and sometimes, what people need most isn’t pressure but patience and space alone.

Compassion is not equate to being soft, it means leading with humanity. The best company cultures aren’t built on perks or policies, they’re built on how well people treat each other.

And here’s something I’ve discovered: People may forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Think about it, why do some people leave an impression on you for life, even if you only met them once? It’s not always their name, title, or achievements that stay with you; it’s the feeling they left behind. Whether good or bad, feelings don’t fade easily.

As leaders, we don’t just shape businesses; we shape experiences. How we make people feel today defines how they show up tomorrow at work, in life, and in every interaction they carry forward.

4. Consistency: The Unsexy Key to Long-Term Success

Success is about showing up every single day, even when it’s hard, even when it’s boring.

• Consistency builds trust whether with employees, customers, or investors. People don’t just trust what you say; they trust what you repeatedly do.

• Consistency is like compound interest: small, daily actions accumulate over time. You won’t see results by measuring in days or even weeks, sometimes, it could takes years for the impact to fully materialize.

• Consistency is what separates real entrepreneurs from those just chasing the next big thing. The ones who last aren’t necessarily the smartest or the most talented, but the ones who keep showing up, improving, and executing.

• Consistency does not mean doing the same thing over and over again. In today’s world, it means constantly learning, adapting, and having a system for your team to gain and retain knowledge at the speed of AI.

I’ve seen brilliant startups with innovative ideas fail because they lacked consistency. And I’ve seen companies with ordinary ideas quietly thrive for years, steadily improving and refining their execution until one day, they’re an “overnight success” that took a decade to build.

Consistency is probably the hardest part of entrepreneurship because it’s required every day, in every meeting, in every decision. Without the right balance, first-time founders often burn out by trying to do too much too fast.

The last 2-3 years of blindly venturing into energy, IoT, and deeptech hardware have taught me that consistency is even more crucial in research-heavy industries. Unlike SaaS, where you can iterate quickly and get feedback in weeks, deeptech often requires years, even decades, before results are recognized.

I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. But I’m grateful I learned it early because in the long game, it’s not the one who moves the fastest that wins, but the one who can keep moving the longest.

Final Thoughts: Defining Your Own Journey

To distill everything I’ve learned from this ongoing wild entrepreneurial journey (also called Life) into a few key lessons, it would be this:

• Startups aren’t just about products; they’re about people. The right team, culture, and leadership matter far more than the initial idea. Products evolve, but people are the foundation of everything.
• Success isn’t just about big wins; it’s about daily execution. Those who win aren’t the ones who had the best idea but the ones who kept pushing forward, day after day, iteration after iteration.
• Growth isn’t just about scaling; it’s about learning. If you’re not constantly learning, you’re stagnating. Every challenge, every failure, and every unexpected pivot is an opportunity to level up.

If you’re building a company, a career, or even just trying to figure out your next step, I encourage you to ask yourself:

‣ What does success truly mean to you?

‣ What kind of work makes you happy daily?

‣ What are the values (your own “Cs”) that guide your decisions?

If you can get that answer right, the rest will naturally fall into place.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, how are you doing in your journey?