Nguyễn Trung Dũng

"Vietnam's Spice King" — started at 50 after 3 failures, built a natural spice empire

Notable Quotes

“If you want to get rich fast, don't start a business — only 5% of startups worldwide succeed.”
Source: Báo Pháp Luật

“Let Vietnam be the world's kitchen... Dh Foods aspires to be the spice corner in that kitchen.”
Source: CafeBiz

“It's not about revenue — it's about consumer trust.”
Source: Báo Đầu tư

“For me, enjoying every day at work, having stable cash flow, paying salaries and bills on time — what more could you ask for?”
Source: CafeF

Advice

Don't invest in fixed assets when starting

Outsource production, warehousing, logistics. Focus capital on product, marketing, and sales.

Persist on quality, don't race on price

Consumers deserve clean, natural, safe products — that's the only sustainable competitive advantage.

You can start at any age

At 50, you're less aggressive, less greedy for quick money, more patient — willing to go slow to go far.

Key Highlights

✓3 startup failures before age 50
✓Fully bootstrapped from 1.2B VND — never borrowed from a bank
✓50%/year growth for 6 consecutive years, exporting to 20+ countries
✓Won "High-Quality Vietnamese Goods" award 2 years running (2023-2024)

Biography

Nguyễn Trung Dũng (b. 1963) left Vietnam for Poland in 1989. Over 30 years in Europe, he launched 3 ventures — all failed. In 2010, nearing 50, he returned nearly broke. In October 2012, with 1.2 billion VND, he founded Dh Foods — 100% natural spices, zero synthetic additives. After initial losses, the company achieved ~50% annual growth for 6 straight years. Now 100+ products across all major supermarkets, exporting to USA, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Australia.