{"podcast":{"title":"The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen","slug":"the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen-3688574","podcast_index_feed_id":3688574,"rss_url":"https://feeds.redcircle.com/ea765854-819f-48a6-b479-0772f4fbe53b","website_url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen","image_url":"https://media.redcircle.com/images/2022/5/7/5/304c1d3b-f2cf-45be-9418-65bfbfda266a_e0d6ad_the_vietnamese_-_spotify_cover_art7trx2.jpg","author":"thevietnamesepodcast","episode_count":528,"summary":"Being part of a culture of almost 100 million Vietnamese people living in the world today has its pain and challenges, but it comes with plenty of history, privileges and honors. Join Kenneth Nguyen as he spotlights Vietnamese excellence from around the world. Each episode explores the creative process of individuals shaping the diversity of what it means to be Vietnamese--as a local, born and raised, or as a third culture kid, and even the divisions that separate us politically and culturally. This show can take multiple directions, but what it will do is show Vietnamese from a transpacific lens, in all its facets and complexities.","last_synced_at":"2026-08-02T12:17:32.621954+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen-3688574"},"episode":{"title":"516 - Why a Tech VP Used A Spreadsheet To Find Love? - Olapolala","slug":"516-why-a-tech-vp-used-a-spreadsheet-to-find-love-olapolala","published_at":"2026-07-28T12:30:50+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen-3688574/516-why-a-tech-vp-used-a-spreadsheet-to-find-love-olapolala","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen-3688574","url":"https://thevietnamesepodcast.com","audio_url":"https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/3f9e158e-51cc-4418-90a7-ba91f01374d5/stream.mp3","summary":"In this episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, host Kenneth Nguyen sits down with Ola (Ola Polala)—a former AR/VR tech director, multi-hyphenate content creator, and master systemizer. Ola shares her transition from the high-stress corporate world of immersive technology to becoming a prominent content creator in both English and Vietnamese. She opens up about the weight of immigrant family expectations, achieving rapid career success before turning 30, and the life-changing question from her now-husband that forced her to confront burnout and redefine true happiness. Ola breaks down the viral framework behind her 46-date spreadsheet—a systematic, 146-question approach to dating that mapped out non-negotiable core values, eliminated games, and used board games like Settlers of Catan to test generosity under pressure. She also reveals how she systematically relearned \"adult Vietnamese\" to connect deeper with her parents and audience, embraced the mantra of \"reps over research\" to beat perfectionism, and found cross-cultural alignment across the Vietnamese and Sicilian diasporas. Inside the Episode Escaping the Shinkansen: Finishing school early, grinding for 15 years in tech, and walking away from a VP promotion to prioritize mental health and creative freedom. The 146-Question Dating Algorithm: How quantifying core values (weighing diligence over raw ambition) and controlling date variables brought total authenticity to modern dating. The Board Game Stress-Test: Why playing games like Settlers of Catan with friends and family reveals a partner's true character and generosity faster than a standard dinner date. Reclaiming \"Adult Vietnamese\": Hiring specialized tutors to discuss trauma, law, and psychology, transforming childhood fluency into mature cultural expression. Reps…","meta_description":"In this episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, host Kenneth Nguyen sits down with Ola (Ola Polala)—a former AR/VR tech director, multi-hyphenate content creat…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3365,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen-3688574/episodes/516-why-a-tech-vp-used-a-spreadsheet-to-find-love-olapolala/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen-3688574/516-why-a-tech-vp-used-a-spreadsheet-to-find-love-olapolala.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}