В 16 лет Ян Кум и его мать бежали из Украины в США, почти не имея денег. Они жили на пособие, она работала няней, а он мыл полы в супермаркетах, самостоятельно обучаясь компьютерному программированию по старым библиотечным книгам.

Они были настолько бедны, что не могли позволить себе международные телефонные звонки.

Двадцать лет спустя он подписал сделку на 19 миллиардов долларов о продаже WhatsApp Facebook в том же офисе социального обеспечения, где он когда-то стоял в очереди за талонами на питание.

Но его история – это больше, чем просто сказка о том, как из грязи в князи.

Это доказательство того, что возможно в экосистеме, которая воспитывает мастерство; Система, которая предлагает открытое образование, использует метод проб и ошибок, поощряет творчество и дает возможности каждому, кто достаточно смел, чтобы выйти из своей зоны комфорта.

Но напрашивается вопрос: почему так много умных, трудолюбивых, хорошо образованных людей проводят свою жизнь, запертые в цикле работы, потребления и ожидания зарплаты, никогда не осмеливаясь создавать ценность для себя или других?

США стали центром для предпринимателей не только из-за своих экономических масштабов, но и потому, что их система образования поощряла любопытство и эксперименты.

С самого раннего возраста студентов учили создавать реальные проекты. Такие инициативы, как Junior Achievement и инвестиционные клубы старших классов, помогли молодым людям понять финансы и воспитать мышление основателя.

Израиль, несмотря на население менее 10 миллионов человек, может похвастаться одной из самых высоких плотностей стартапов в мире. Отчасти это связано с обязательной военной службой, где молодежь учится лидерству, стойкости и принятию решений под давлением, что является критически важными чертами для предпринимательства.

Сингапур, несмотря на бедность ресурсов, стал экономическим локомотивом, инвестируя значительные средства в образование в области предпринимательства.

Учащиеся изучают «Инновации и предпринимательство» с начальной школы и поощряются к разработке бизнес-планов. Правительственные инициативы, такие как JTC Launchpad, обеспечивают инфраструктуру для вынашивания новых идей.

Estonia, a small Baltic nation, gave the world Skype. Children there learn programming from a young age and grow up with a tech-first mindset.

What these countries share is an educational philosophy, one that prepares citizens not just to apply for jobs, but to create them.

In Vietnam, universities like Fulbright, UEH, and RMIT have introduced courses in personal finance, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Some localities are piloting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education and practical learning in high schools.

These are positive steps, but remain fragmented; there's still no cohesive strategy connecting high school to university or macro-level policies to classroom curriculums.

More critically, a deeply rooted "stability" mindset still dominates: Families and schools often prioritize safety and predictability, making young people afraid to take risks. Fear of failure, financial insecurity and the idea that "education is only for employment" suppress the potential of would-be entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, essential skills like budgeting, building a business model and raising capital are rarely taught in classrooms.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Vietnam had over 3,800 startups in 2023, but only 10% received funding. The main reasons? Poor pitching skills, weak business models and limited experience with fundraising. 

But these are not innate flaws; they are symptoms of a gap in early education and exposure.

Of course, not everyone needs to start a company. A thriving economy depends on great employees, engineers, operators, managers who are creative, confident and mission-driven.

But whether someone becomes a founder or a team member, they need to be equipped with the mindset of ownership: knowing their worth, managing their money, making choices proactively, and daring to take the initiative.

To unlock this potential, Vietnam must reform its education system.

This means integrating courses like "entrepreneurship and personal finance" into general curriculums.

Schools should host practical challenges such as writing business plans and contests like Startup Wheel, or create opportunities for students to intern at local startups like Tiki, Haravan, or Axie Infinity. Vietnamese youth can create global impacts when given the right tools. 

The government should also consider setting up startup investment funds for students, modeled after Singapore's JTC Launchpad, to provide early-stage capital and mentorship.

To truly empower youths, society must also reframe its perception of failure.

Inspirational content, such as talk shows with creators like Nguyen Ha Dong of Flappy Bird, can help young people understand that failure is not shameful and in fact is necessary in any creative journey.

A country cannot thrive if its youth are limited to wage labor. But it also cannot prosper without skilled, passionate workers. The key is balance, and a healthy, sustainable economy needs both.

Education must lead the way, but not by forcing young people to choose between being an employee or an entrepreneur, but by giving them the confidence, skills and mindset to own their choices and chart their own paths.

* Динь Хонг Ки — бизнесмен

Vietnamese consumers spend $16B on online shopping, among highest in Southeast Asia

Vietnamese consumers spent an estimated US$16 billion on online purchases via platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop in 2024, placing the country among the top three e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia.

The newly released Southeast Asia E-commerce 3.0 report by Momentum Works shows that the region's total gross merchandise value (GMV) across e-commerce platforms reached $128.4 billion in 2024, up 12% year-on-year. On average, the region processed 43.6 million online orders per day, approaching the scale of the US market.

Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop accounted for more than 90% of total order volume, with Vietnam being one of the top five markets in the region alongside Thailand ($23.5 billion), Malaysia ($11.5 billion), the Philippines ($16 billion) and Singapore ($4.9 billion). Thailand and Malaysia led in growth, posting 22% and 20% increases respectively.

Indonesia remains the region’s largest e-commerce market, with $56.5 billion in GMV and a 44% market share. However, its growth slowed to just 5% due to ongoing platform mergers.

In Vietnam, the e-commerce landscape is dominated by three major platforms. Shopee holds the largest market share, commanding 65% of GMV, or around $10.4 billion, followed by TikTok Shop at 28% ($4.5 billion), Lazada at 6% ($1 billion) and Tiki at 1% ($200 million).

Beyond major platforms, other digital commerce channels such as brand websites, multi-brand retailers, social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp contributed an additional 16.8 billion USD to the region’s total e-commerce value.

The report also noted a resurgence of Chinese consumer brands in Southeast Asia. These brands are returning with upgraded products and more localized strategies to capture key market segments.

Momentum Works forecasts that Southeast Asia’s e-commerce sector could generate an additional $131 billion in transaction value by 2030 if businesses effectively adopt artificial intelligence across sales, operations, logistics and customer service.

eVnExpress