I came here to build ambitious things with an incredibly talented Vietnamese team. I've always been driven. I like ideas, momentum, solving problems and making things happen.
Probably a little too much sometimes.
Most mornings, my head was already at work before I'd even made it upstairs.
Deadlines. Decisions. Staff. Software.
Things that worked yesterday and somehow didn't work today.
DA NANG / ORDINARY MORNINGS
02 / DOWNSTAIRS
AND DOWNSTAIRS WERE THE UNCLES.
A few older Vietnamese gentlemen around the coworking space. Calm. Sharp. Funny. Relaxed, but somehow aware of everything.
One particular uncle greeted me every morning.
My Vietnamese was terrible, but I wanted to show respect, so I tried. Properly tried.
I'd actually go home and practice.
"CHÀO CHÚ." AGAIN. "CHÀO CHÚ."
Most mornings: determination. Some mornings: a completely new language.
Some mornings I'd walk in thinking I'd finally nailed it.
Other mornings whatever came out of my mouth apparently belonged to a language nobody had heard before, and the uncles would crack up laughing.
So would I.
Then I'd try again tomorrow. I always tried.
And somewhere in those little morning exchanges, something started happening.
We didn't share much language.
But we shared humour.
Respect.
Familiarity.
A smile.
That was enough.
03 / THREE WORDS
SAME WORDS. EVERY DAY.
Every morning, the same uncle would also say another phrase to me.
Same words. Every day.
I had absolutely no idea what they meant.
But I liked the way he said them.
Warm.
Positive.
Like he was handing me something before I went upstairs.
So I did what most foreigners do when they understand absolutely nothing. Smile. Nod confidently. Carry on.
Then one morning, heading toward the lift with my mind already full of the day ahead, Uncle said it again.
This time I stopped.
"Uncle… what does that mean?"
He looked at me. And in the simplest English imaginable, said:
ONE ORDINARY MORNING IN DA NANG
"JONO… NEW DAY HAPPY."
Three words. No big philosophy.
No motivational speech.
Yesterday happened. Today is here.
Have another go.
04 / THE SMALL THINGS
I STARTED SEEING THOSE WORDS EVERYWHERE.
I walked into the lift and just stood there.
I'd come to Vietnam to build complicated things.
And this wonderful bloke downstairs had just given me something beautifully simple.
New day. Happy.
No big philosophy. Just three words. Yesterday happened. Today is here. Have another go. That moment stayed with me.
And the longer I lived in Da Nang, the more I began to see those words everywhere.
THE MARKET
Someone remembers your face.
THE CAFÉ
They start knowing your order.
THE MECHANIC
He becomes someone you trust.
THE LAUNDRY
A family doing good work.
THE WAVE
A familiar face across the road.
THE CHAIR
Sit anyway. Stay a little longer.
Standing on street corners, watching the city wake up over dense robusta coffee and the noise of early morning traffic, I realized something important.
A good life isn't always made up of the big moments.
It's woven from these tiny interactions. Respect. Mutual aid. Shared humor across a language gap.
NEW DAY HAPPY.
THOSE THREE WORDS BECAME MY MANTRA. BUT THEY DON'T BELONG TO ME.
For me, they came from Vietnam. From one uncle. From one ordinary morning. From a culture I'm still learning from every day.
05 / HOME
WHEN SOMEWHERE BECOMES HOME, THE QUESTION CHANGES.
Da Nang became my home. Not just a place I worked, but where my routines settled, my friendships grew, and our team became a family.
IT STOPS BEING ONLY: "WHAT CAN I GET FROM THIS PLACE?"
And becomes:
"WHAT CAN I GIVE BACK?"
We wanted to build something that supported the fabric of this city. A fleet to help people move, explore, and connect directly with local operators — the mechanics, the family-run laundries, the small coffee stands that give this coast its life.
WHAT NEW DAY HAPPY BECAME
PEOPLE ARE THE DESTINATION.
The fleet helps you move. The network helps you discover. The people are what you remember.
06 / THE TEAM
SOMETHING HAPPENED INSIDE OUR OWN TEAM TOO.
Our talented Vietnamese developers, designers, and operations staff embraced the philosophy completely. It wasn't just a tagline on a scooter frame; it became our culture.
BUILD SOMETHING GOOD. HELP SOMEONE. SUPPORT GOOD PEOPLE.
Not just a business. Not just scooters. A shared mindset. A reminder that yesterday does not get the final word, and today is another chance to build together.
07 / ANOTHER GO
MORNING STILL COMES.
Some days are brilliant. Some days are bloody hard. But morning still comes.
The sun rises. The local street stalls light their burners. The coffee starts brewing. And we get another go. Whatever yesterday looked like, today arrived anyway.
A NEW DAY
YOU CAN BEGIN AGAIN.
You do not need to have everything figured out. It's a new day. That is enough to start with.
YOU CAN TRY AGAIN.
YOU CAN CALL SOMEONE.
YOU CAN APOLOGISE.
YOU CAN START SOMETHING.
YOU CAN FINISH SOMETHING.
YOU CAN HELP SOMEBODY.
YOU CAN ASK FOR HELP.
YOU CAN TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME.
YOU CAN SIT DOWN FOR THE COFFEE.
YOU CAN LAUGH AT YOURSELF.
TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
THANK YOU, UNCLE. THANK YOU, DA NANG.
So Uncle, if you ever see what those words became, I hope you know this: You probably thought you were just saying good morning. You weren't.
You gave one Australian bloke three words he would carry with him. You gave us the beginning of a brand. More importantly, you gave us a way of looking at the day.
We'll try to do something good with what you gave us.
WELCOME TO NEW DAY HAPPY.
NEW DAY.
ANOTHER GO.
BOOK YOUR RIDE. EXPLORE DA NANG.
Start with Rent & Go. Find people and places worth knowing. Take the city at a better pace.
