Beyond Growth: Why Vietnam’s $6M Companies Hit the Wall

There’s a lot of noise around startup growth in Vietnam.
But here’s a quieter truth that few talk about:
Hitting $6 million in annual revenue is where many founders start to lose control.

This isn’t the scrappy phase anymore.
And yet — it’s not quite the enterprise phase either.
You’re stuck in the “danger zone.”

And it’s where many promising companies go sideways.

Why $6M Becomes the Ceiling

At this stage, you’ve built something real.
But you haven’t yet built it to last.

Your team may be loyal — but stretched.
Your processes are inconsistent — built around individuals, not systems.
You’re hiring middle managers — but not developing leaders.

What’s worse, you’re probably still involved in everything.

That’s because the $6M zone is a psychological trap.
It’s the first time you feel real momentum — and also real fear.
Letting go feels risky. Holding on feels suffocating.

The Leadership Shift That Must Happen

What founders need at this level isn’t another growth hack.
They need to make one of the hardest transitions in business:

From operator → to builder of leaders.

This requires:

• Letting go of control without losing direction

• Building a team that thinks, not just executes

• Replacing systems that were never meant to scale

• Trusting others to do the things you once couldn’t afford to delegate

It’s not glamorous. It’s not on the cover of Forbes.
But it’s what separates short-term wins from generational companies.

Why This Matters in Vietnam Now

Vietnam has no shortage of founders hitting their $5M–$10M stride.
The question is — how many of them will survive the next five years?

Our market is changing. Fast.
Labor costs are rising. Capital is tightening.
Customers are demanding more. Loyalty is fragile.

That means the companies that thrive won’t be the ones with the best products —but the ones with the best leaders, systems, and teams.

What’s Next

We need more spaces — not just for founders to celebrate wins — but to ask hard questions about scale, structure, and leadership transformation.

Because $6M shouldn’t be the ceiling.
It should be the launchpad.