A chance meeting before a flight, and the trap of mistaking the funding round

As I write this, I am sitting at the airport waiting for my flight back to Hải Phòng. Delayed again. But instead of being annoyed, I am grateful for the pause, because it lets me put down what stayed with me after my recent business trip to Ho Chi Minh City.

Among the participants in HOPE's health-care retreat this time, I met a very special woman. She is Vietnamese, lives and works in Bali, Indonesia, and her work connects directly with the US market. She also works deeply in health and wellness. As someone in the field, exposed to the newest trends in Bali and the US, her standards are high. Yet after experiencing the whole program, she gave the HOPE team two words that moved me: "wholehearted dedication."

She told us she saw that dedication in every detail of what we do, and that this ecosystem was exactly what she had been looking for. To be recognized by someone in the field is, for me, a greater joy than revenue.

An opportunity from an unexpected connection

As we talked about our work, she mentioned that her husband is a professional angel investor. She invited us to Bali when the occasion arises, and said she believed there was a lot we could build together in international markets.

Settling down so as not to get carried away

The opportunity was right in front of me. But sitting in the departure lounge, once the excitement faded, I recalled the lessons of Mr. Hải H Nguyễn (Forbes Under 30 Asia 2017, Founder and Fundraising Coach at BeginGuru) on funding rounds. I asked myself: if this collaboration moves forward, where should I position HOPE?

Many founders nod the moment they see a sign of investment. That is the trap. Hải warned me carefully about confusing the incubator or pre-seed round with the angel round.

If I positioned HOPE wrongly, treating it as a brand-new project, I would easily accept a low valuation and give away too large a stake, around 20 to 30%, for capital that does not match it. That would be very dangerous. HOPE has more than two years of real operations, real traction, and dedication that customers have verified. If I sell equity cheaply now and am diluted too early, then by later rounds the founder will have little control left.

The lesson

Thanks to that knowledge of capital mechanics, I kept a cool head. I treasure this connection and the invitation to Bali. But before sitting at any negotiating table, I need the right frame of mind: HOPE raises capital as a company with real value, not as someone asking for money to test an idea.

That is entrepreneurship. An opportunity can come from a guest in Bali or from a sincere compliment. But to turn an opportunity into lasting good fortune, a founder needs the knowledge to protect the game. Thank you, delayed flight, for giving me time to reflect on this lesson.