March 8th is International Women’s Day - a crucial time to acknowledge the significant impact women make in the tech industry. But at Money Forward Vietnam (MFV), our approach to equality is deeply rooted in logic and merit. We believe that opportunities must be earned by proficiency and impact, not just to tick a diversity box.
Because we hold everyone to the same high standard of capability, we must also hold everyone to the same high standard of Mutual Respect.
We are a company of engineers. By nature, developers are highly logical. They communicate directly and concisely to solve complex system errors as fast as possible.
However, code doesn't have feelings - people do.
During our March Culture All-Hands, we highlighted a unique challenge MFV faces as we rapidly scale. We now have a large team of Forwardians representing diverse cultural backgrounds worldwide. In a hybrid working environment where most communication happens over digital chats or quick calls, blunt, direct colleague talk can easily get "lost in translation."
To keep this globally diverse team moving in the same direction, we realized it was time to embed the Culture more deeply into the communication protocol.
In the workshop, we walked the team through a very common workplace scenario: Two colleagues are having a casual conversation, and one makes a borderline joke. To the speaker, it is harmless. But to the recipient, it lands badly and feels more like a "sting."
When engineers encounter these awkward interpersonal moments, they need a logical framework to fix them. Here is the protocol we rolled out to ensure everyone is Safe to Speak and Safe to React:
For the Recipient (Signal Your Boundary): When a joke makes you uncomfortable, your reaction might be to stay silent or laugh it off to smooth things over. But in reality, silence is often misread as approval. You never have to fake a laugh here. Providing direct, honest feedback at that exact moment shows exactly where your boundary is, helping your colleague understand you better.
For the Speaker (The Mental Pause): Before making a joke, take a "quick mental pause" (The 3-Second Filter). If you aren't 100% sure it's safe, don't say it. If you do say it and notice the recipient is uncomfortable, stop immediately. Do not get defensive, and do not use excuses like, "It's just a joke" or "Don't be so sensitive." Dismissing their feelings focuses only on your intention, not their experience. The only correct protocol is to sincerely apologize.
Building complex AI and scaling FinTech systems requires brilliant minds, but keeping those minds healthy requires an architecture of empathy. We summarized MFV's standard into three simple steps:
THINK: Consider the impact before the punchline.
LISTEN: Acknowledge when a line is crossed.
RESPECT: Honor every "stop" instantly.
At MFV, our standard is: Fun, but always #Respect and #Professional. When engineers don't have to worry about workplace toxicity or crossed boundaries, they can focus 100% of their brainpower on building incredible SaaS platforms. This exact culture is why we are so proud to be accredited as one of the 🏆 Vietnam Best IT Companies 2026 (by ITviec).
We don't just build great systems. We build a safe place for brilliant minds to grow.
