We were lucky to catch up with HD Vo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have HD Vo with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic is deeply influenced by my dad. He commuted from Anaheim to Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Hills for 38 years—often an hour each way, sometimes stretching to three. I once attempted a similar commute for a year and it was horrible, but my dad always approached work with a smile. I once visited him at his office, which was a basement with no windows and a workbench as a desk. Despite that environment, he never missed a day, accumulated PTO most years and didn’t take time off, and always took on overtime, all without complaints.
His resilience stems from a challenging past. During the war in Vietnam, my dad saw the horrors of war. That experience transformed him; it was the lowest point of his life, and everything that followed felt like a bonus. He is incredibly grateful to have come to the U.S. and finds joy in work—he can’t believe he gets paid to do what he does. His willingness to take on more responsibilities, whether working weekends or overtime, reflects his gratitude and perspective on work.
This sense of pride in work has rubbed off on me and I take pride in doing simple tasks well. I still change the oil in my car because it’s therapeutic—I appreciate getting my hands dirty. I remember witnessing a man in Japan meticulously placing a sticker on a chair, aligning it perfectly; that attention to detail exemplifies pride in one’s work.
For me, work is enjoyable and interesting. It’s not just about the tasks; it’s a mindset. Responsibility towards others also plays a crucial role in maintaining a strong work ethic; think of single parents who juggle multiple jobs to support their families. A member of our InMapz team, based on his army training, always emphasized teamwork—when you have a responsibility to others, you don’t want to let them down. Every day feels like a fun discovery for me. I feel accountable to investors, employees, and customers.
When you combine all these elements, it naturally fosters a strong work ethic. Having role models like my parents has also greatly influenced my approach to work.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My journey began with my parents, who came from Vietnam. The early years of my life were filled with good memories; I spent a lot of time exploring my grandfather’s farm, playing games we invented with banana leaves and sticks. Growing up without technology sparked my creativity and sense of adventure.
However, life changed drastically after the war ended in 1975 and my family struggled to make a living. My mom started a food business, supplying ground coffee to local coffee shops. Every month, she would travel to Ho Chi Minh City to buy coffee beans, I would help her roast the beans at 2 a.m. and deliver them to cafés by 6 a.m.. My mom also made fermented vegetables, which we sold to make ends meet.
My family left Vietnam on a small fishing boat, not knowing our destination. Packed like sardines, we sailed on open waters, with fishermen as our captains—many of whom had never ventured much beyond our shores. My mom had given us a piece of jewelry to trade if we got separated. After a harrowing journey, we landed south of China and were directed to Hong Kong, which welcomed refugees at that time. We spent 7–8 months in a camp, where we made the best of our situation. We created games with cardboard and sold food in the local market, learning Cantonese along the way. My entrepreneurial spirit was born from necessity.
My dad eventually ended up in Ohio, where a Catholic church helped refugees like us; they gave my dad papers for the rest of the family. In December 1979, we arrived in Toledo, Ohio, and encountered snow for the first time. School was a challenge initially, they gave me books in history and social studies, and I just returned them because I could not read; but once we learned English, it became easier. We lived in Ohio for five years until we relocated to California, seeking warmer weather and family connections.
High school was manageable, and I went on to MIT, where I learned systematic thinking—an approach I still apply today. Elon Musk talks about the concept of thinking in first principles, I subscribe to that idea; I realized the potential of combining technology and entrepreneurship. After MIT, I joined a wireless pioneer startup named PCSI during its early days, focusing on wireless data communications. This experience deepened my appreciation for technology and its impact.
After four years of work, I pursued an MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business. There, I learned how sales, customer service, and operations intertwine, and I formed lifelong friendships. My goal was to understand entrepreneurship better, even as many classmates went into finance and marketing.
After business school I moved to Taiwan, and started a company with a friend, which didn’t succeed, but we managed to return all investors’ funds. I then joined former colleagues to start a VoIP business, targeting businesses in a market dominated by Cisco. This company went on to have a successful exit. My third startup came about because one time while with a group of 30 friends, we discovered how hard it was to keep everyone coordinated; I developed a group messaging idea and received a patent for this idea. However, the timing in 2008 was unfortunate, and despite the idea’s potential, we struggled to secure funding during one the worst economic crises.
Later, during my travels as CTO for a U.S. company, I kept getting lost in massive malls in Asia. This personal problem became the inspiration that led to the idea for InMapz to build indoor mapping technology. Initially aimed at consumers, we found better markets selling to business customers in facilities management and schools, helping them map and tag assets for safety and efficiency. We also created kiosks for wayfinding in hospitals, malls, and convention centers.
My journey has been shaped by resilience, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Each step has been about overcoming challenges and creating value. Entrepreneurship is a craft, much like playing music, creating arts, or sword making. I was born to be an entrepreneur.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First, I consider myself a lifelong learner. My grandfather, who left home at 12 from a poor background and never received a formal education, inspired this quality in me. Even in his 80s, he was always reading and eager to learn. He would tell “always keep learning.” I’ve adopted that mindset, constantly seeking knowledge from books and experts in various fields.
Second, I have a passion for invention and creativity. I find immense joy in the entrepreneurial process, as it allows me to express my creativity while solving real-world problems. It’s a fulfilling way to channel my ideas into tangible outcomes.
Third, I am a natural problem solver. In my family, I’m often the go-to person for resolving issues, whether they’re related to technology or everyday challenges. From fixing my mom’s computer to troubleshooting broken appliances, I enjoy figuring out solutions and helping others. This quality has been essential in my journey, enabling me to tackle obstacles with confidence and resourcefulness.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
At InMapz, we believe our work can create meaningful social impact, particularly in enhancing safety in schools. If we can help save even one life, we consider our company a success. We’re eager to collaborate with public safety organizations—such as police, fire departments, and medical teams—as well as school administrators, teachers, and parents. Engaging everyone and is crucial; the more they understand and utilize our solutions, the greater the potential to save lives. We’re still in the learning phase, with a few customers already deploying our products in schools, and we hope to expand our reach for a global impact.
Our mapping technology is specifically designed to improve emergency preparedness and response in educational environments. By providing real-time mapping and incident command management capabilities, we empower school staff and first responders to navigate campuses quickly and efficiently during critical situations. This capability allows for quicker evacuations, precise location identification for emergency
You can reach me at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inmapz.com/inmapz-protector/
- Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inmapz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inmapzapp
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/
- Twitter: https://x.com/inmapz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InMapz
Image Credits
HD Vo, CEO of InMapz
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