About this video

• Video Title: Triết lý khởi nghiệp từ ao tôm - TS Nguyễn Thanh Mỹ, CT HĐQT Tập đoàn Mỹ Lan | Dive with Cát Thảo #2
• Channel: Vietnam Innovators Digest
• Speakers: Cát Thảo, TS Nguyễn Thanh Mỹ
• Duration: 58:53

Overview

This video features an interview with Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Mỹ, Chairman of Mỹ Lan Group, by Cát Thảo on the Vietnam Innovators Digest channel. Dr. Mỹ shares his entrepreneurial philosophy, drawing from his experiences in shrimp farming and his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a successful scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. The discussion covers his innovative approach to shrimp farming, his views on ethical business practices, leadership principles, personal philosophies on happiness and success, and reflections on his life and career.

Key takeaways

• From Humble Beginnings to Scientific Success: Dr. Mỹ shares his early life struggles, including poverty and discrimination, and how these experiences fueled his determination to pursue education, leading him to become a scientist with numerous patents and a successful career in international companies like IBM.
• Entrepreneurship at 60 with a Social Mission: At 60, Dr. Mỹ returned to Vietnam to establish Mỹ Lan Group, focusing on high-tech agriculture and creating jobs for his community, demonstrating that age is not a barrier to starting new ventures.
• "Ethical Shrimp" - Redefining Aquaculture: Dr. Mỹ developed an innovative shrimp farming model that prioritizes animal welfare, fair labor practices, and environmental sustainability, specifically by integrating mangrove trees to treat wastewater and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Leadership Through Empathy and Ethics: Dr. Mỹ emphasizes ethical business practices, fair treatment of employees, and contributing to the community as core principles of his leadership and business philosophy. He highlights the importance of personal hygiene as a foundational aspect of discipline and respect.
• Personal Philosophy of Happiness: Dr. Mỹ defines happiness as doing what you love, expressing creativity, and ensuring that those around you benefit from your actions, all while maintaining a strong connection to his roots in Trà Vinh.

During his visit to a shrimp farm, Dr. Mỹ observed practices that he deemed scientifically and ethically flawed. He saw the mistreatment of laborers, who worked 24-hour shifts without adequate rest or basic amenities like time to wash clothes. He also noted the severe environmental pollution caused by the farm's waste discharge. These observations of labor exploitation and environmental damage led him to develop his concept of "ethical shrimp," which aims to ensure better livelihoods for workers and environmental sustainability.

Here are some notable quotes from the transcript:

• "Chú Mỹ Các thảo khỏe Dạ rất khỏe Chú Dạ" (Dr. Mỹ: Cát Thảo, are you well? Cát Thảo: Yes, very well, Uncle.) - This is an early exchange establishing a friendly tone.
• "Con mời chú ngồi" (Cát Thảo: Please, have a seat, Uncle.) - A polite invitation to begin the interview.
• "Tiến sĩ Nguyễn Thanh Mỹ là một nhà khoa học, doanh nhân và nhà từ thiện" (Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Mỹ is a scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.) - A concise introduction to Dr. Mỹ's multifaceted career.
• "Từ một người bồi bàn, phụ bếp, rửa chén, chúng Mỹ học lại từ đầu và trở thành một tiến sĩ khoa học năng lượng và vật liệu." (From a waiter, kitchen assistant, dishwasher, Mr. Mỹ learned from scratch and became a doctor of science in energy and materials.) - Highlighting his incredible journey of self-improvement and academic achievement.
• "Nhà khoa học của nông dân" (The scientist of the farmers.) - A description of how farmers affectionately refer to Dr. Mỹ, emphasizing his connection to the agricultural community.
• "Làm đúng cho cái đang bị sai là cái cái lý do để mình khởi nghiệp" (To fix what is wrong is the reason for us to start a business.) - Dr. Mỹ's philosophy on entrepreneurship, focusing on problem-solving.
• "Trong tất cả những lĩnh vực thì đạo đức là theo mình hiểu đúng đạo đức là cái đúng mà được tất cả mọi người đồng ý" (In all fields, ethics, as we understand it, is what is right and agreed upon by everyone.) - Dr. Mỹ's definition of ethical conduct.
• "Kinh doanh đạo đức là kinh doanh thì mình có lời, phải không? Phải có lời. Không có gì là nếu mà mình có lời thì great để nuôi tiếp tục cho nó bền vững. Nhưng mà mình phải tôn trọng nhân viên, mình phải không làm cho nhân viên quá sức." (Ethical business is business where you profit, right? You must profit. There's nothing wrong with making a profit, which is great for sustainable continuation. But we must respect employees, not overwork them.) - Elaborating on ethical business practices.
• "Nếu mà mình có lời thì great để nuôi tiếp tục cho nó bền vững. Nhưng mà mình phải mình phải tôn trọng nhân viên, mình phải không làm cho nhân viên quá sức. Thứ hai, nhân viên làm quá sức, phải không? Mình cũng phải cho cái cộng đồng xung quanh mình để họ được benefit." (If we have profit, it's great for sustainable continuation. But we must respect employees, not overwork them. Secondly, employees working too hard, right? We must also benefit the surrounding community.) - Further explanation of ethical business responsibilities.
• "Thay đổi thói quen chưa tốt thành thói quen tốt thì mình thay đổi con người đó rất là dễ." (Changing bad habits into good habits makes changing people very easy.) - Dr. Mỹ's perspective on the impact of instilling good habits, starting with hygiene.
• "Thật ra thì mình có thành công được hay không là cái đám người làm cho mình giúp mình thành công là chính họ." (In reality, whether we succeed or not is thanks to the people who work for us; they are the ones who help us succeed.) - Acknowledging the crucial role of employees in achieving success.
• "Tình trạng là cốt lỗi, tình trạng là hàng ngày, và tình trạng là chú căng thẳng." (The core state, the daily state, and the stressed state.) - Describing the three states analyzed by Lumina Spark for his personality.
• "Cái người muốn đi được tiền đó, họ có ham muốn họ rất là thấp." (A person who only wants money has very low desires.) - Dr. Mỹ's observation about people solely focused on financial gain.
• "Ước mơ trên cuộc đời anh là cái gì?" "Ngày nào đó anh về anh về lại quê anh, anh xây dựng hãng xưởng, tạo công ăn việc làm, giúp người dân quê hương anh có cái cuộc sống tốt hơn." ("What is your dream in life?" "One day I will return to my homeland, build factories, create jobs, and help the people of my homeland have a better life.") - The pivotal conversation with his wife that solidified his life's mission.
• "Hạnh phúc là làm những cái gì mình thích, làm những cái gì mà mình cần, cái sáng tạo của mình, được cái chung quanh mình người ta đều được benefit." (Happiness is doing what you like, doing what you need, expressing your creativity, and ensuring that those around you benefit.) - Dr. Mỹ's definition of happiness.
• "Mục đích của sự đau khổ là cái đau khổ đó nó làm một cái cầu nối để cho người khác sẽ không khổ như mình." (The purpose of suffering is that the suffering acts as a bridge so that others will not suffer as we did.) - A profound reflection on overcoming hardship.
• "If not you, then who?" (If not you, then who?) - A motivational question emphasizing personal responsibility.

Here are the key numerical statistics mentioned in the transcript:

• 3 hours: The travel time from Trà Vinh to the current location.
• 7 hours: The old travel time from Trà Vinh, highlighting the improvement in transportation.
• 10 years: Mentioned in the context of speed doubling or reaction rates increasing.
• 20 years: The duration Dr. Mỹ lived and worked in Canada and the US before returning to Vietnam. Also, the duration of the "terac reson" patent.
• 1979: The year Dr. Mỹ emigrated to Canada.
• 2004: The year Dr. Mỹ returned to Vietnam and established Mỹ Lan Group.
• 60 years old: The age at which Dr. Mỹ started his latest entrepreneurial venture, Ryan Technology.
• 400+ patents: The number of patents Dr. Mỹ holds.
• 50,000 billion VND: The total revenue from the "terac reson" patent over 20 years.
• 62.5 billion VND: The amount donated by the Nguyễn Thanh Mỹ Foundation to medical and educational projects.
• 5-level game: The structure of the "Dive with Cát Thảo" game, with levels of openness.
• Level 1: The level Dr. Mỹ chose at the beginning of the game.
• Level 5: The mandatory level for the game at the end of the program.
• 200 hectares: The size of the shrimp farm he visited.
• 3rd or 4th largest: The ranking of the shrimp farm company in Vietnam.
• 10 billion USD: The target for Vietnam's brackish water shrimp export revenue by 2025, as per Prime Minister's Decision 79.
• 74 patents: The number of patents applied for the shrimp farming technology.
• 83 engineers: The number of engineers working with Dr. Mỹ at Cù Lao during the 6-month lockdown.
• 8 hours: The standard working day for employees in Dr. Mỹ's modern shrimp farm.
• 12 years old: The age when Cát Thảo's father inspired her to learn.
• 24 hours a day: The working hours observed for laborers at the traditional shrimp farm.
• 12 to 18 credits: The pre-university course credits required for adult entry into university.
• 1984: The year Dr. Mỹ enrolled in university.
• 2 years: The time it took Dr. Mỹ to complete his bachelor's degree, faster than the usual three years.
• 9-10 months: The time it took Dr. Mỹ to complete his Master's and PhD.
• 7 years: The total duration Dr. Mỹ spent studying from English language courses to his PhD.
• 4:00 AM: The early hour Dr. Mỹ used to wake up to count and sell bread.
• 20 bags: The number of bread bags he would sell daily.
• 2 bags: The number of bread bags he would save for his younger siblings.
• 48th birthday: The year Dr. Mỹ celebrated his 48th birthday (2003), when his wife reminded him of his dream.
• 1998-2002: The timeframe when Dr. Mỹ was working in the US and dreaming of returning to Vietnam.
• 100 years old: The age Dr. Mỹ hopes to live to, emphasizing making his life worthwhile.
• 24 hours: The number of hours in a day.

Here are the people mentioned in the transcript:

• TS Nguyễn Thanh Mỹ: The main interviewee and Chairman of Mỹ Lan Group.
• Cát Thảo: The interviewer and host of the program "Dive with Cát Thảo".
• Anh Quan: Owner of Minh Phu Group and referred to as the "King of Shrimp".
• Anh Son (FPT): Mentioned in relation to discussions about digital transformation in the shrimp industry.
• Ông chủ Thủy sản Sạch: The owner of Thủy sản Sạch in Trần Đề, Sóc Trăng, who showed Dr. Mỹ his shrimp farm.
• Cô Vũ Hạnh: The author who wrote about Dr. Mỹ, mentioning his book "Người ngoài khung".
• Ken and Bob: Dr. Mỹ's former bosses at Polychrome, who influenced his leadership style.
• Dr. Peter Papers: The CEO of Polychrome who initially hired Dr. Mỹ.
• Chị Thi: A friend of Dr. Mỹ's who helped him get the interview at Polychrome.
• Hayley: The secretary at Polychrome who photocopied Dr. Mỹ's proposal.
• Ông bố (Cát Thảo's father): Mentioned in Cát Thảo's childhood story about being bullied for not having branded shoes.
• Ông Bố (childhood story): Cát Thảo's father who encouraged her to study after witnessing his own struggles.
• Bà xã (Dr. Mỹ's wife): Mentioned as a key motivator and supporter throughout Dr. Mỹ's life, especially at the beginning of their relationship and his return to Vietnam.
• Mẹ chú (Dr. Mỹ's mother): Mentioned in the context of his childhood and her belief in the value of education.
• Gia đình bà xã chú: Dr. Mỹ's in-laws, who initially had conditions for him to marry their daughter.
• Bà cụ (wife's grandmother): Who agreed to the marriage after hearing Dr. Mỹ's long-term vision.
• Thầy (Dr. Mỹ's professor): Who guided Dr. Mỹ in his research and PhD.
• Chú Allen Fan: A mentor figure who significantly influenced Dr. Mỹ and whose legacy he continues.
• Những người trẻ Việt Nam: The young generation Dr. Mỹ aims to inspire with his entrepreneurial spirit.
• Ông giáo sư Do Thái: A Jewish professor who shared a philosophy about suffering.
• Hoàng Anh, Dũng, Khoa, Hào, Hiên, Phan Anh, Thu, Lộc: Individuals thanked at the end, likely part of the production team or audience.