
DXP-003: Marc Mendoza and Dave Kim
11/12/19 • 72 min
Bag Manufacturing in Vietnam
Design Exchange Podcast Episode 3 is our first episode with two guests while drinking Korean soju. Dave Kim has been working at Korean owned bag factories in Vietnam for more than 15 years. Marc Mendoza is a product designer from Silicon Valley who relocated to Vietnam to start Post Carry, a brand catering to cyclists.
Marc's Links: https://postcarry.co/ Instagram: @postcarryco
Thomas's Links: https://sefu.jp/ Instagram: @sefustyle
This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iUoHJVbqolw
Table of Contents:
- 00:38 - Intro Banter
- 02:46 - Marc made over 100 bags for friends, why he moved to Vietnam
- 06:17 - 15 years ago Saigon street coffee was better and people were friendlier
- 09:58 - Taking taxis vs driving in Saigon
- 11:14 - Korean Noodles
- 12:25 - Dave's job: bring design to reality, and bag production at a factory.
- 19:30 - Tech Packs and Design Documentation - How detailed does it need to be?
- 25:41 - Advice for New Product Designers
- 31:06 - Dave's Dream for 1 Million Dollars
- 33:08 - Feeling Good through Customer Feedback
- 36:20 - Climbing in Vietnam
- 38:55 - Vietnam is a "Woman Country"
- 40:31 - One of the benefits of being a foreigner is anonymity
- 42:33 - Cheap Smoothies and a Growing Economy drew Thomas to Vietnam
- 47:51 - The Number One Thing Thomas Doesn't Like About Vietnam.
- 51:39 - Driving a Motorbike in Vietnam
- 57:23 - Marc rode his bicycle 80km to the factory.
- 01:00:40 - Marc Wants to be in Vietnam
- 01:01:39 - Thomas lost meaning after separation from his son and seeks calmness and connection with his son in Japan.
- 01:04:08 - Columbus Ohio is becoming more attractive to Thomas.
- 01:06:49 - Silicon Valley vs Vietnam according to Marc Mendoza
- 01:08:09 - Our Favorite Viet Foods
Hashtags:
#bag #design #manufacturing #madeinvietnam #vietnam #saigon #podcast #designexchange #dxp #postcarry #sefu
Sponsors:
This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!
This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!
Bag Manufacturing in Vietnam
Design Exchange Podcast Episode 3 is our first episode with two guests while drinking Korean soju. Dave Kim has been working at Korean owned bag factories in Vietnam for more than 15 years. Marc Mendoza is a product designer from Silicon Valley who relocated to Vietnam to start Post Carry, a brand catering to cyclists.
Marc's Links: https://postcarry.co/ Instagram: @postcarryco
Thomas's Links: https://sefu.jp/ Instagram: @sefustyle
This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iUoHJVbqolw
Table of Contents:
- 00:38 - Intro Banter
- 02:46 - Marc made over 100 bags for friends, why he moved to Vietnam
- 06:17 - 15 years ago Saigon street coffee was better and people were friendlier
- 09:58 - Taking taxis vs driving in Saigon
- 11:14 - Korean Noodles
- 12:25 - Dave's job: bring design to reality, and bag production at a factory.
- 19:30 - Tech Packs and Design Documentation - How detailed does it need to be?
- 25:41 - Advice for New Product Designers
- 31:06 - Dave's Dream for 1 Million Dollars
- 33:08 - Feeling Good through Customer Feedback
- 36:20 - Climbing in Vietnam
- 38:55 - Vietnam is a "Woman Country"
- 40:31 - One of the benefits of being a foreigner is anonymity
- 42:33 - Cheap Smoothies and a Growing Economy drew Thomas to Vietnam
- 47:51 - The Number One Thing Thomas Doesn't Like About Vietnam.
- 51:39 - Driving a Motorbike in Vietnam
- 57:23 - Marc rode his bicycle 80km to the factory.
- 01:00:40 - Marc Wants to be in Vietnam
- 01:01:39 - Thomas lost meaning after separation from his son and seeks calmness and connection with his son in Japan.
- 01:04:08 - Columbus Ohio is becoming more attractive to Thomas.
- 01:06:49 - Silicon Valley vs Vietnam according to Marc Mendoza
- 01:08:09 - Our Favorite Viet Foods
Hashtags:
#bag #design #manufacturing #madeinvietnam #vietnam #saigon #podcast #designexchange #dxp #postcarry #sefu
Sponsors:
This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!
This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!
Previous Episode

DXP-002: James Seebacher
Making a Beach Bar in Vietnam
For episode 2 we head to Blush Beach to catch up with James Seebacher, former managing partner for three of the coolest night clubs in Vietnam. What does it take to run a beach bar? Let's find out!
James's Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestseebacher/ Blush links: https://www.facebook.com/BlushBeach/ Instagram: @Blushbeach
This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/akcTG5jnyWE
Table of Contents:
- 00:25 - Playful Intro Banter
- 01:58 - Personal Branding - Big Fish in Small Pond
- 02:53 - Branding Blush Beach
- 07:16 - Contrasting Columbus Ohio, Las Vegas, HCMC, and Danang
- 10:37 - Vietnamese Pronunciation
- 14:19 - Design and Maintenance of a Beach Club
- 18:17 - Give people what they want!
- 20:20 - Vietnam Leasure Market
- 25:28 - Who is the DX Audience?
- 27:38 - Jame's leadership style
- 29:02 - Blush Investment
- 33:31 - Blush Music Selection / Volume
- 34:42 - The Health Impact of Nightlife
- 35:09 - Outro
Hashtags:
#blushbeach #vietnam #hospitality #nightlife #beach #beachclub #beechbar #designexchange #podcast #lush #blush #hoian #danang
Sponsors:
This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!
This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!
Next Episode

DXP-004: Andrea Taviani
Making Artisanal Gelato in Vietnam
Andrea Taviani is the founder and head ice cream experimentalist at SAPORI D’ITALIA. Let's talk to him about life in Vietnam and making gelato that really satisfies!
Andrea's Links: https://www.facebook.com/saporiditaliavietnam/ Instagram: @sapori__ditalia @aot81 Thomas's Links: https://dxsaigon.com IG/TW: @dxSaigon
This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/sK6U8Cqf9cw
Table of Contents:
- 00:38 - Intro / Un Espresso
- 02:46 - Starting a Business in Vietnam
- 05:37 - Sourcing Ingredients
- 07:23 - Creating "Dolce Far Niente"
- 10:06 - Foreign Food Prices
- 12:03 - Doing Things The Old Fashioned Way
- 15:01 - Vietnamese Ingredients in Ice Cream
- 20:26 - Andrea's Cultural Background
- 22:40 - The Most Challenging Thing So Far (construction)
- 25:20 - Cultural Differences
- 32:28 - Driving in Vietnam
- 39:27 - Foreign Ghettos and Assimilation
- 41:52 - Eating Local
- 43:14 - Ice Cream Reactions: Thomas and Saigonese
- 45:05 - Language Barrier and Learning Vietnamese
- 51:55 - Customer Satisfaction in Italian
- 01:05:10 - Goodbyes and Such
Hashtags:
#foodie #gelato #icecream #vietnam #saigon #italian #dolcefarniente #podcast #designexchange #dxp
Sponsors:
This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!
This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!
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