The 13-year-old CEO who went viral, who spent the whole summer playing video games, now has internship offers from 6 companies.

Gaining attention for becoming the Chief Growth Officer at a tech startup at just 13 years old, few would have guessed that Nguyen Nam Long was once a game-obsessed boy who spent his summers playing and sleeping until he discovered his passion for programming.

VietNamNet•14/06/2025

My journey of self-learning, programming every summer, and my first teachers were my dad.

Nguyen Nam Long is currently a 7th-grade student at Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School (Ho Chi Minh City). Having started interacting with technology at the age of 6, his family proactively created opportunities for him to become familiar with computers from an early age.

Instead of diving into social media like many of his peers, Long chose YouTube as a companion, where he naturally sought knowledge and learned programming skills.

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Behind the journey of learning and playing of this 13-year-old young CEO is the quiet but unwavering support of his family. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Without extra classes or exam preparation, Long spends most of his free time tinkering with programming, from writing small games to conducting highly practical scientific research.

While his peers were busy with extra classes, debates, or crowded summer activities, Long quietly chose a different path: sitting at his computer, learning from English videos , and experimenting with programming ideas under the quiet guidance of his father, Long's first and most patient teacher.

My parents didn't force me to take extra classes or chase after high grades. I had plenty of free time to play games, playing to my heart's content until I got bored. Then I discovered programming on my own, as something truly captivating. - Nguyen Nam Long

“My parents didn’t force me to take extra classes or chase after grades. I had plenty of free time to play games, to the point of boredom. Then I discovered programming on my own, as something truly captivating,” Long recounted.

According to Nam Nguyen, Long's father, instead of imposing a strict study plan or setting high expectations for grades, he chose to raise his son with patience and trust. He allowed Long to discover his passions and strengths, and quietly created the conditions for him to pursue those paths.

For seven years, Long not only maintained his excellent academic record but also accumulated a deep understanding of technology, developed fluent foreign language skills, and, most importantly, honed his ability to effectively communicate knowledge.

"Besides my time in class, I use my remaining time to play games, write code, and develop my skills. And most importantly, I do what I truly love," Long said.

Every summer, this 7th-grade student chooses a new path to explore himself. While last summer was spent diligently writing games and working on scientific research projects, this year, Long chose a more practical path, becoming a member of the executive team at a software company.

"Little Boss" - 13-year-old and his dream of spreading programming knowledge to young children.

This summer is more special than ever for Long as he has just officially taken on the position of Director of Growth at Opla CRM, a startup developing gamification applications for customer management, based in Ho Chi Minh City.

In this role, Long was responsible for coordinating with the sales, engineering, and product teams to develop a growth strategy. His KPI was very specific: to attract 1,000 international users to test the software within 100 days.

Actually, this is an opportunity my father suggested, but to be accepted, I still have to prove that I have enough knowledge, skills, and time to do the job well. - Nguyen Nam Long

“Besides the time I dedicate to scientific research, I decided to work full-time four days a week. Actually, this was an opportunity my father suggested, but to be accepted, I still had to prove that I had enough knowledge, skills, and time to do the job well,” Long shared.

Despite being only 13 years old, Long didn't encounter many obstacles working with older colleagues, as he had been accustomed to communicating in a professional environment since childhood.

Notably, Long doesn't use Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok—platforms familiar to Gen Alpha—but instead chooses LinkedIn as his sole channel for building his personal brand and networking professionally. Long's early posts, written entirely in English, quickly attracted attention from the international startup and technology community.

Currently, Long is responsible for coordinating with the sales, engineering, and product teams to develop a growth strategy with the KPI of 1,000 international users in 100 days. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

According to Long, Generation Alpha, like himself, has many advantages: early access to technology, quick learning, and excellent mastery of digital tools. However, there are also quite a few limitations, especially in social communication experience and time management skills, areas that Long is gradually learning to improve himself.

Interestingly, Long doesn't set specific goals for the distant future. He doesn't map out what his future will be like. This flexibility actually makes Long more open to new opportunities and willing to take risks when he sees something worth trying.

Outside of work, Long remains a true boy after each workday, with his passion for table tennis and collecting Pokemon trading cards.

Revealing his future plans to Vietnamnet, Long said he is currently working on a project to build basic programming classes taught by himself, with the desire to share knowledge, inspire, and help his peers, especially those who don't have the means to attend extra classes, to have more opportunities to access technology early.

At the age of 13, when many of his peers were still struggling to find their interests and define themselves, Nguyen Nam Long chose to balance studying, playing, and working.

Long doesn't put pressure on himself to succeed early, but with the foundation he has accumulated, he is ready to absorb all knowledge and practical experience to develop comprehensively in his own way.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/giam-doc-13-tuoi-dang-gay-sot-cay-game-ca-he-gio-duoc-6-cong-ty-moi-dau-quan-2410626.html