You don't know why your startup idea should exist in this market.
Assumptions aren't data. And if you're building in Vietnam or Southeast Asia, you need more than just a good idea. You need proof that what you're solving matters, to people who are ready to pay. At Antler Vietnam, we work with founders to test early ideas fast. Based on our investment thesis and the playbook from hundreds of early-stage teams, here’s your tactical guide to validate ideas across Vietnam’s most exciting AI-driven sectors.
Step 1: Start with the problem, not the product
What specifically is broken? Where does the pain show up daily? Study forums, LinkedIn threads, Reddit complaints, or engage in long, curious conversations with people in the space. Go deeper on:
- What tools are used today? How does their current workflow look like
- What workarounds are in place?
- What triggers the problem?
- Why isn’t this solved yet? Is there a lack of tools, or are there deeper reasons why no one is solving this?
Example: If you want to build AI-agents for customs declaration, spend 2 weeks just talking to exporters, brokers, and freight forwarders. Don’t pitch. Understand their daily chaos.
Step 2: Get in front of your ICP
Find your ideal customers wherever they are. Be scrappy:
- DM buyers or suppliers on LinkedIn
- Join Zalo groups in your vertical
- Go to trade shows and manufacturing expos, or logistics networking events
- Offer coffee for a ride-along with field agents or operations staff
Your goal: 15–20 deep interviews in 2 weeks. Just talk. Don’t sell.
Pro tip: to land more conversations with your potential users, understand their emotional triggers. Are they motivated by monetary incentives, or flattery? Can you praise their work and ask nicely for their time, or strike logistic operators’ Zalo inbox with “Have you ever tried earning more by optimizing your logistic routes?”
Step 3: Ask better questions
Once you’ve got people talking, don’t pitch. Don’t ask what they think of your idea. Ask about them. Their tools. Their frustrations. Their workarounds.
Here are a few questions to start with:
- How are you currently solving this problem?
- What’s the hardest part about doing that?
- How many times does that happen per day or month?
- How much is it costing you (time, money, energy)?
- Have you paid for a solution before?
- What would make this a must-have for you?
Look for patterns. Ignore praise and encouragement. People lie about interest, they don’t lie about pain.
Step 4: Show them something, fast
Validation is behaviour. Not compliments.
- Put a Figma mockup in front of them
- Launch a landing page and blast it out
- Build a no-code prototype with AI wrappers
- Run $50 in paid ads to see if anyone clicks
Example: Building a freight orchestration platform? Show what booking or routing would look like on mobile. Don’t explain it. Let them feel it and watch their reactions.
Step 5: Ask for commitment
Proof > Praise. Ask them to:
- Join a waitlist
- Introduce you to another operator (early referral)
- Test your MVP and share feedback
- Sign a letter of intent
Until someone commits, it’s just interest.
Final Thought
Vietnam is no longer just a backend builder for global tech. It’s a launchpad. Whether you're building the next AI-native export layer or retrofitting manufacturing with LLMs, there’s never been a better time to validate, iterate, and scale from here.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
Ready to Validate and Build from Vietnam?
Antler gives you the best of both worlds: deep local expertise in Vietnam and a global network across six continents. As a founder in our Vietnam residency, you’ll be supported by a team rooted in the local ecosystem with the connections, insight, and hands-on experience to help you validate your idea quickly, navigate the market, and sharpen your edge.
From there, you’re plugged into Antler’s global platform: 1,500+ portfolio companies, a worldwide investor network, and local teams ready to help you scale across Southeast Asia and globally.
👉 Apply now: antler.co/apply
Or reach out directly: ha.phan@antler.co
ANTLER RESIDENCY —LAUNCH YOUR STARTUP
Antler backs the world's most driven founders, from day zero to greatness.
