Vu Nguyen is someone who can talk about a wide range of topics - from tech and start-up-related success stories, to cooking and opening up a restaurant, to finding one’s true calling, and photography. What he wants to share is, based on his personal experience, what it takes to build a successful life. In his own words, it isn’t about making the right decisions, being dedicated or being prepared. It has even less to do with intelligence.

Vu Nguyen is a designer, home cook, and tech entrepreneur. He has lived in many different places around the world. Vu was born in Vietnam, grew up in Bulgaria and lived in the US for 12 years before returning to Bulgaria to start his own startup. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina, he went to work as a business graphics editor for The New York Times, where he won multiple journalism awards. Fast forward seven years and three tech companies later, in 2013, Vu decided to return to Bulgaria with his family. Between 2013-2015, he started his own tech startup with his wife, received a design patent, became one of the finalists in MasterChef Bulgaria and opened a concept restaurant. He is currently the head of product at an Internet of things startup and runs The Bulgarian Way, a photography project that documents life in Bulgaria. In his free time, Vu enjoys snowboarding, taking photos of strangers, watching superhero movies with his son, and eating.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx