SynCEO #7: Trust, Growth, & the Product Mindset: A Look Inside MFV from People Team

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With the Lunar New Year behind us and the tech industry evolving faster than ever, we sat down for a special edition of Sync CEO—the series that dives deep into the core potential of our workplace. Today, we are joined by the Talent Acquisition cum HRBP Manager of Money Forward Vietnam (MFV), with over 15 years of experience in the Vietnamese tech market. We discussed the shift from "coders" to "product builders," how MFV breaks traditional corporate stereotypes, and what it truly means to grow from the inside out.

Emma: MFV is fundamentally a product company delivering solutions to the Japanese market. Because of this, having strong user insight and domain knowledge is crucial. When you speak with potential candidates, how do you explain our expectations around "product mindset"?

Guest: To me, technically speaking, it means making the shift from asking "how" to asking "why."

At MFV, having a product mindset is about owning the problem of the user, not just writing the code to fix it. We generally don't want people who just blindly follow a ticket. We want people who genuinely care about whether the life of the user is getting better. If you understand the user's pain points, you elevate yourself from a coder to a true builder.

Put differently, the product is our ultimate focus. But we also care deeply about business operations—like time, cost, and operational efficiency. A true product builder considers all of these factors.

Emma: That ties directly into the concept of "ownership." When discussing ownership, candidates often bring up worries about micromanagement and strict hierarchies, which are common stereotypes associated with Japanese companies. How do you address those concerns?

Guest: It's a very practical question, and we do receive it often! Luckily, my experience at MFV has been full of fun and teamwork—with absolutely no micromanagement.

Instead of micromanaging, we spend our time explaining the background. We explain why a task needs to be done, clear up expectations in advance, and then we tackle it together. This prevents confusion, especially for our team members. We don't demand massive wins right out of the gate; we focus on achieving small wins together. We aren't afraid to fail because we know we can recover quickly.

Emma:  That’s a great point. Sharing the context instead of just giving commands is the difference between true leadership and micromanagement.

Guest: Exactly. Furthermore, our Six Values empower us to focus on output, not hours. One of the values that has inspired me from day one is Respect.

Respect is the key culture that glues both our engineering and people teams together. We trust ourselves, and we trust each other. So, rather than top-down management, we foster an environment of self-leadership and proactive ownership.

Emma:  Respect is incredibly important, especially in our multicultural environment with members from Vietnam, Japan, India, and beyond. Diverse perspectives are natural, and respect allows us to standardise our goals together. Speaking of goals, how do you view MFV’s approach to learning? Do we have a strong "Growth Culture"?

Guest: We absolutely do. From my observation, both Money Forward Group and MFV value people as the absolute key assets of the organization. I always remember the saying: "We grow when our employees grow." Every six months, leadership shares our strategy, goals, and slogans. This isn't just a routine corporate activity; it comes from the heart. We aim higher every day, and it doesn't stop at words. It translates into daily action across departments, through our GGI (Goal Setting), and down to the individual level. We link our personal goals with the company's goals—this is what we call the "MFV Life Forward."

Emma:  It sounds like growth here is highly self-driven, rather than mandatory.

Guest: Yes, we grow by our own choice, and we grow from the inside out. External Learning & Development programs are great, but self-awareness is the crucial ingredient. We invest heavily in creating a wonderful working environment that makes people want to come to the office every day with that "inside-out" energy. That is what helps us grow sustainably as a global company.

Emma:  As long as the company is growing, opportunities expand for all of us. Looking ahead, while many things will change in the tech industry, our commitment to delivering value to our users will remain constant. Do you have any final words for our readers and prospective candidates?

Guest: If you are looking for a product company where you are trusted, where you have ownership, and where your voice is valued just as much as the code you write, please join us. Reach out, and let's keep building the future together!