1H2026 MVP: A story of an Accelerator evolve to PdM

When I first found out I was awarded the 6-Month MVP Award at Money Forward Vietnam (MFV), honestly... I was so surprised! I didn't expect it at all. But it also made me really happy knowing that everyone is recognizing the contributions from our product management team, it means a lot.

I’ve been with MFV for four years now (as of August 2026). I originally joined as a Middle Accelerator on the SI team. Through all the great opportunities and trust I received here, I moved over to Payroll and eventually grew into my current role as an PdM.

Looking back, stepping up into this role wasn't about having all the answers, it was about facing high-stakes challenges head-on and building a structured Product Mindset.

1. Control Complex Projects with Past Lessons 

When I took over a high-stakes project, my very first thought was: “Okay, I kind of know what to do this time”, since I had worked on a similar project the year before.

I started by working really closely with our dev team to make sure we were fully aligned on all use cases right from the beginning. Having that upfront clarity gave us confidence in the new logic we're implementing.

2. "AI Hallucination Is Not an Option": Why We Verify at the Source

My Lead PdM once told me something that really stuck with me:

“The Japanese Payroll system is very complicated, not everything is written clearly on paper. That’s why we must provide a product that our users can trust”.

I carry that advice with me every day. In this project, I realized the clear limitations of AI when working in high-stakes domains. Our product deals directly with law and money, and in those areas, hallucination is simply not an option.

When official documentations are vague or high-level, we can't just rely on AI-generated analysis to answer customer inquiries, because users will demand legal evidence if our logic doesn't meet their expectations. So for the riskiest use cases, my Lead PdM and I decided to call the Japan tax office directly to get official answers and use those as our evidence base.

That step made a huge difference! It gave us total confidence in both the logic we were building and how we would approach users when inquiries came in. To maintain our product’s reliability, I’ll keep trying my best to back up every decision with data and legal validation, not just assumptions.

3. "No Concern Is Too Minor": Quality & Alignment Across Teams

I have learnt that we have to validate and ensure law comprehension before making decisions, and our impact analysis must be thorough.

So during one of our team sync-ups, I held a sharing session emphasizing how important it is to guarantee release quality. I encouraged our dev members to speak up about their concerns, even the smallest ones, during implementation.

I really believe that no concern is too minor when it comes to a product that touches people’s salaries. On my end, I also started raising my concerns more proactively within the PdM team so we stay aligned on risky parts early and prevent logic gaps from slipping through the spec.

4. Staying Grounded Through MFV's Culture

People often ask me how I stayed calm and kept multiple teams aligned when everything was moving so fast. For me, it comes down to three values at MFV:

• Respect: New members bring a valuable perspective because they naturally point out pain points or weird behaviors we’ve gotten used to. I make sure to explain the background of why things are the way they are while genuinely listening to their feedback. When people feel heard, they feel safe to keep speaking up.
• Professional: New members don't know the system or business logic deeply yet, so it takes real effort from the PdM side to guide them through that tough onboarding period. I take that seriously so no one feels lost.
• Fun: When people feel comfortable, they open up more. When everyone feels safe speaking their mind, every discussion becomes more valuable.

If you bring a strong commitment to quality and a desire to learn, MFV will always give you the trust and space to grow.

👉 Want to solve complex product puzzles and grow your career alongside a supportive team?

Check out our open roles at Money Forward Vietnam today!