EXECUTION AND SCALEUP

The Mewlin’ project – Business Model Innovation

Coach:
Tran Xuan Linh
Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang
Project leader: Pham Ngoc Thuy Diem
Vice leader: Nguyen Dang Quynh Tram
Member:
Vo Trong Khoi
Nguyen Ngoc Nhu
Nguyen Dang Quynh Thu
Dong Kien Tai
Nguyen Khanh Linh
Nguyen Ngoc Kieu Trinh
Nguyen Vu Hong Ngan
Lai Truc Lam
Bui Minh Khang
Vu Thi Anh Thu
Nguyen Dang Ngoc Anh
Le Boi Thu
Nguyen Thi Xuan Huong
Chung Thuy Quynh
Nguyen Nhat Nguyen
Nguyen Phuc Thanh
Nguyen Minh Khang
Le Thien Phong
Ho Van Khanh Nguyen

About Mewlin’:
Mewlin’ is a social enterprise that aims to improve young people’s English communication skills, thereby helping them develop themselves and increase their opportunities to study and work.

Vision:

Offering practical English communication (EC) education to young adults nationwide through relaxing and healing activities.

Mission:

Reducing the prevalence of Vietnamese youth lacking proficiency in EC knowledge and skills by employing an innovative and unique educational approach.

Core Values: M-E-W

• Mindfulness: We want to become a place for you to both perfect your English communication skills and relax after a long tiring day.
• Edu-healing: We are willing to serve your interests, including your professional skills (English) and your mental life.
• Willingness: We understand and respect your present moment, whether in that moment you are trying to study, practice or are resting and relaxing.

10 minutes clip of Mewlin”s presentation:

Mewlin’ – Round 3 – Execution and Scaleup

Mewlin’ presentation file:

Mewlin’ – Round 3 – Presentation

Full version of podcast demo – Ep01:

Podcast demo – Ep01

Full version of workshop recap:

The recap of the YOU series events

Full version of mobile app’s prototype:

Mewlin’ Mobile app – Prototype

A. Social business description

A1. Social mantra one-liner

Our business mantra has remained unchanged since round 2. This approach continues to receive positive feedback, with 75.14% of key stakeholders affirming its positive impact on their work performance.

A2. Business model overview

Mewlin’ has a clear understanding of the needs and desires of our target customers. Users prioritize content that supports their self-development and recovery, seeking confidence and motivation in learning English communication (EC). Practical workshops and lectures also draw significant interest. Users appreciate the uniqueness of our curriculum and the ongoing support provided throughout their learning journey.
To meet these needs effectively, our strategy unfolds in two main ways:

• Organizing workshops where participants use English to exchange knowledge on self-development and healing.
• Developing the Edu-healing mobile application, offering practical lectures and activities such as listening to podcasts, journaling, and interacting with AI idols.

Our business model revolves around supporting young adults through these workshops and our Edu-healing English communication app, which features calming and healing content to enhance their self-esteem and prospects. Mewlin’ actively contributes to the community by providing free edu-healing apps, workshops, and scholarships, aiming particularly to uplift low-income students. About 40% of these students have seen improvements in their EC proficiency and self-confidence through our initiatives.

Mewlin’ captures value through production costs and expenditures, primarily through a subscription-based revenue model. Additional revenue streams include advertising, affiliate partnerships, sales of premium items, workshops, investments, and partner commissions. In 2030, total costs amounted to over 480,000 USD.

A3. Growth potential

The e-learning sector in Vietnam is rapidly growing with over 13% CAGR during 2024 – 2029, amid low English proficiency and a rising unemployment rate among those aged 18 to 24.

Applying the TAM SAM SOM model to Vietnam, approximately 10 million individuals aged 18-24 represent the Total Addressable Market (UN Data Portal Population Division, 2024). The Serviceable Addressable Market includes about 1.4 million unemployed or undereducated young people aged 18-24, with approximately 10% of SAM representing the Serviceable Obtainable Market (General Statistics Office of Vietnam, 2024).

Mewlin’s strategic roadmap for 2024–2030 is guided by Cash Flow Forecasts aligned with the Product Life Cycle (PLC) stages. Mewlin’ anticipates significant growth, reaching the break-even point and achieving substantial brand recognition at the end of 2028.

B. Resources and capabilities to execute

B1. Key capitals

For human capital, Mewlin’ develops strategic, core, and support HR processes, alongside a recruitment plan, and retains talent through the D.E.I. model.

At Mewlin’, we prioritize building strong team connections and creating a safe, friendly workplace that fosters self-development and confidence. Our team of over 20 members from 7 universities is led by a board of directors, supported by six coaches and mentors. Mewlin’ has 7 main departments: Business, Concept Art, UX/UI, IT, Social Media, Events & Marketing, and Production. Each is overseen by senior managers and specialists, ensuring effective collaboration and goal achievement.

We foster a supportive environment for our team to confidently showcase their talents and continuously develop their skills, ensuring significant contributions to our collective success.

For social capital, Mewlin’ mobilizes social resources systematically by developing project proposals that align with partner interests. We identify potential collaborators through platforms like LinkedIn and HR networks, send out tailored proposals, schedule meetings, and formalize partnerships through comprehensive agreements. This structured approach ensures that our collaborations are strategic, mutually beneficial, and effectively contribute to our mission and objectives.

For intellectual capital, we own four main assets: Self-designed publications (logo, mascot, poster, etc.), podcast series and flashcards, mobile app, and Facebook page.

In terms of manufactured capital, we categorize it into four key categories: Capital, Stakeholders, Manufactured Capital Commitment Support, and Evidence Examples. Stakeholders such as Greenwich University, Phuc Khang, and IMS play pivotal roles by providing essential resources such as access to the IT Innovation Lab for a decade and event spaces. Collaborations with PNJ, United International Pharma, and Merck further enhance our capabilities by ensuring skilled labor support during events. Moreover, our visual design and IT initiatives have received significant financial backing amounting to 7,000 USD, including tools from esteemed investors like Canva, Adobe, Microsoft, and ChatGPT. These investments and partnerships underscore our commitment to leveraging advanced technology and design expertise to strengthen our operational foundation and deliver exceptional value to our stakeholders.

For financial capital, Mewlin’ manages a total capital of approximately 7,772 USD from April to December 2024. Cash constitutes 22.55% of this amount, sourced from crowdfunding efforts and investments. The majority of our capital is in-kind support, comprising 40% in the form of venue and event space provisions, with expert support contributing three times less than event-related support. Other forms of assistance round out our capital structure, ensuring robust support across various operational needs.

B2. Business Traction

Participants responded positively to Workshop YOU#1: PAINTING YOUR MOOD, hosted by a lecturer and attended by 25 participants. Approximately 70% found it engaging and interesting, and about half expressed interest in future workshops, with 40% considering attending again. Additionally, roughly two-thirds indicated willingness to purchase a 70,000 VND ticket per workshop. However, activities related to English communication received less favorable feedback, with nearly 50% rating them positively. These insights help us better tailor future workshops and activities to meet participants’ preferences and expectations.

For Talk show YOU#2: KNOW YOURSELF TO SOAR HIGH, which included 6 speakers, a MC, a professional speaker, and 35 participants, with a goal to reach 50 attendees next time. Overall, the EC practice session and workshop evaluation indicated that nearly 80% of participants rated it as very good and highly interesting. Moreover, there is significant interest among participants to attend again, with about 75% considering it, and nearly 90% willing to purchase a workshop ticket priced at 70,000 VND.

Next, the online workshop “BECOME A BETTER SPEAKER,” led by an IELTS teacher, attracted nearly 30 participants, with Mewlin’ aiming to double attendance to 60 in the future. Feedback collected post-workshop revealed that two-thirds of participants found the workshop effective or very effective in enhancing their English communication (EC) skills. Conversely, about 7% disagreed, and 24% expressed neutral opinions. Nearly 80% of respondents found the workshop engaging, praised the quality of speakers, and believed it positively impacted their English learning journey. Overall, negative or neutral reviews accounted for only about 13%. Looking ahead, an estimated 70% of participants are likely to continue attending, 24% will consider it, and nearly 7% will not.

Podcasts and flashcards are particularly favored by our target customers, clearly represented in Mewlin’s production and evaluation process. Regarding podcasts and flashcard content, approximately 60% received positive reviews, 17% received negative reviews, and 23% were neutral. Almost 65% agreed to share or recommend the podcast to friends after listening, while 25% considered it, and approximately 10% did not.

Our mobile app created under expert advisory, received numerous positive feedback, with more than half of our target customers expressing a preference for the entire publication. Market research indicates significant potential for Mewlin’. Concept testing showed strong scores in usefulness and interest, with positive feedback on the podcast feature. With over 700 respondents rating practicality and usability highly, we are confident Mewlin meets a real market demand. 

Mewlin’ has developed a comprehensive risk management framework identifying both external and internal risks, along with their triggers, probabilities, and impact levels. This systematic approach allows us to prioritize risk management efforts effectively.

B3. Risk management

Our risk management strategy involves identifying root causes and implementing tailored solutions. For example, to address dominant competitors, we promote edu-healing content to create a new market, and for lack of capital, we seek potential stakeholder’s concerns & interests for a better approach.

We classify major risks based on Probability, Impact Degree, and Solution Feasibility. Our risk comparison chart prioritizes high-probability and high-impact risks such as market competition and lack of capital.

Mewlin’ employs the Operational Risk Management Framework to address operational risks, implementing robust solutions to strengthen organizational capacity and enhance efficiency.

C. ESG performance

C1. Overall impacts on the society and environment

For the Society aspect, Mewlin’ is dedicated to eliminating employment discrimination through the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles. We focus on transparent recruitment, fostering a DEI culture, and enhancing employee skills through tailored learning methods.

For the Environmental aspect, Mewlin’ keeps applying the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles, our strategy focuses on clear, two-way communication, and reducing digital carbon footprint.

C2. Governance structure

For the Governance structure, Mewlin’’s short- and long-term strategies/ and continuous improvement/ prioritize ethics, transparency, and accountability, fostering sustainable development/ and investor confidence.

D. Learning curve

We have learned valuable lessons about social capital through the case with Mr. Le Hoang Phong, the founder of Your-E. Moving forward, our approach emphasizes preparation, professionalism, and demonstrating kindness.

Our business has transformed in mindset, behavior, and strategy. We have shifted to a growth mindset, balanced task performance with relationship building, and expanded our business model/ to include diverse learning aids/ and deepen social impact through partnerships/ with experienced social enterprises.