Sieu Huynh is a talented data engineer in her early twenties at DataXight who is making an impact on global projects through her strong technical abilities and communication. In this interview, Sieu will uncover how she began data engineering, her advice for fellow Vietnamese engineers, and how DataXight has been a great place for her to build her career.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO DATA ENGINEERING?

Initially I didn’t plan to go in that direction. During my college studies I started working as a Business Analyst intern. I learned a lot but quickly realized it wasn’t something I truly enjoyed. During this time I didn’t think I was capable of being a data engineer or even someone who could write code. 

Sometime later, a senior coworker encouraged me to explore roles closer to my technical background, so I gave data engineering a try. With the guidance of a senior coworker I started learning and gradually became more confident in my work. Over time, I realized I genuinely enjoyed data engineering especially when I saw the systems I built being used to deliver real impact. That was when work stopped feeling like just a job and began to feel truly meaningful to me.

WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR CAREER, DID YOU IMAGINE YOU’D BE COLLABORATING ON PROJECTS THAT IMPACT PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD?

Honestly, when I first started my career, I didn’t imagine that my work would have a global impact. My main focus was gaining experience and developing my technical skills as a data engineer. That perspective gradually changed when I joined DataXight and started working on bioinformatics and life sciences projects. Through these projects, I began to see how data engineering could support scientific research and real-world decision-making. 

One project at DataXight that stood out to me as having global impact was the Google project which involved migrating a data system from Cloud Life Sciences to Google Cloud Batch. Before the migration could even begin, our team had to dive deep into debugging and fixing a critical data pipeline so the customer’s system could function reliably again. During this time, I had the opportunity to collaborate closely with senior teammates to solve challenges and problem statements raised by the Google team. Additionally our CEO, Tuan Nguyen, set forth the importance of this project as a contributor to positive global change. Through that experience and Tuan’s effect, I realized our work helped enable healthcare systems to operate again and support people at critical times. That’s when it clicked for me – data systems can directly support research and decisions that impact global health. This shift in perspective has been incredibly motivating and meaningful in my career.

IN YOUR VIEW, WHY IS VIETNAM BECOMING A KEY DESTINATION FOR GLOBAL TECH TALENT, AND HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PLAY OUT IN YOUR OWN CAREER?

I think Vietnam’s rise as a tech hub comes from a mix of strong technical fundamentals and a very agile learning mindset. Vietnamese engineers don’t just have solid skills, they are fast learners and adapt quickly to ever changing and complex tech stacks. As remote work becomes more common, communication gaps are shrinking, and Vietnam is increasingly seen as a strategic partner rather than simply an outsourcing destination.

I didn’t clearly see the potential early in my career. The growth and global impact of Vietnam’s tech talent wasn’t obvious to me when I worked primarily on domestic projects. That changed after I joined a cross-border team at DataXight. Being part of a group that works with international stakeholders made the difference very clear. I see how Vietnamese engineers took on ownership, contributed to systems designs, and solved complex problems at a global level when given the right environment and trust. That experience helped me better understand both the growth and the long-term potential of Vietnam as a global tech hub. 

Cloud platforms are a real game-changer for data engineers in Vietnam because it has fundamentally changed our ability to have ownership. It lets teams spin up infrastructure fast, scale on demand, and handle configurations without the usual headaches. This makes experimenting way faster and keeps systems adaptable as workloads grow. Because of this, I see a huge opening for data engineers in Vietnam to move beyond just executing tasks and start taking real ownership, like designing architectures or thinking about reliability and cost. Engineers who embrace cloud-native thinking and really understand how systems behave in production are going to be the ones driving the most impact, even on a global scale.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ENGINEERS IN VIETNAM WHO ARE CONSIDERING JOINING THE BIOINFORMATICS AND LIFE SCIENCES INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE MOTIVATED BY MAKING AN IMPACT ON GLOBAL HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY?

If I could share one thought, it would be to remain open to the Bioinformatics and Life Sciences industries. These are areas engineers might not naturally gravitate to at first, but it offers a unique opportunity to apply technical skills to problems that truly matter. Without a deep background in biology, engineers still contribute meaningfully by building reliable data systems that support research, healthcare, and long-term impact. For those who care about using technology for something bigger than just technical challenges, this space is worth paying attention to.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH TOUGH TECHNICAL CHALLENGES, AND WHAT ROLE DO COLLABORATION TOOLS PLAY IN YOUR PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS, AND WHAT NEW TOOLS (LIKE AI, CLOUD PLATFORMS, ETC) PLAY IN YOUR PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS? 

When I’m stuck on a hard problem, I usually just slice it up and verify the basics first to avoid over-engineering. And for me, a big part of that process is actually collaboration. I usually try to write things down early. For example what I understand, what I’m unsure about, and the assumptions I’m making. Sharing this with the team through docs or code reviews like Github to pull requests where inline comments and discussions help clarify the problem way faster. It’s honestly a lifesaver because someone else can usually point out a blind spot I might have missed on my own. 

I also use AI quite regularly as part of my debugging and problem-solving process. I often walk through the logic I’ve already implemented with AI, using it to sanity-check assumptions, spot edge cases, or suggest alternative approaches, which helps me move faster in the early stages. That said, I don’t expect AI to fully understand the original context or all the constraints the way a human does, so I always validate its suggestions against the real system and requirements. That’s why, for me, AI works best as an accelerator, it helps me move faster and explore options, while the final reasoning and decisions still come from my own understanding. Similarly, cloud platforms play an important role in how I approach problems. They allow me to build infrastructure quickly, experiment with confidence, and scale systems in a flexible way. Being able to easily adjust resources, permissions, or configurations makes it much easier to respond when systems need to grow or change.

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU’VE LEARNED FROM YOUR TEAMMATES THAT SURPRISED YOU OR CHANGED THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT WORK?

Earlier in my career I believed being a strong data engineer primarily meant writing good code and having solid technical skills. My perspective started to shift during my interview at DataXight. During the interview, Director of Solution Architecture & UX, Tri Le, asked me what I thought was most important to becoming a senior engineer. I answered based on my initial belief. He shared with me that soft skills are just as important as technical skills at a senior level. Those words stuck with me ever since. When I joined the team, I observed DataXight’s senior engineers and it became evident that Tri’s statement was true. During my tenure, I gradually recognized the importance of clear communication and thorough documentation. Some of my teammates showed me that well-explained ideas and shared context can be just as valuable as writing good code, especially when working across different time zones and disciplines.

WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU HAVE LEARNED IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my career is that growth doesn’t come from trying to do everything alone. Earlier in my career, I often felt the need to solve problems by myself to prove my technical ability. Over time, I realized that asking questions early, sharing context, and working closely with teammates is actually more effective. It saves time, reduces rework, and allows me to focus on higher-impact tasks instead of getting stuck solving everything on my own. This shift in mindset helped me work more efficiently and grow in a more sustainable way.

YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE CROSS-FUNCTIONAL OPERATIONS TEAM. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE AND ABOUT DATAXIGHT?

Being part of the Operations team gave me a broader view of how DataXight operates beyond my day-to-day role. Through this experience, I gained more insight into how decisions are made and how employee feedback is handled. What stood out to me most was seeing how seriously leadership takes employee concerns. I could see the effort put into listening, discussing, and finding ways to address real issues. It showed me that DataXight genuinely cares about its people, not just in principle, but through concrete actions. This experience also made me more aware of my own responsibility as an employee. Being involved in these discussions encouraged me to think more carefully about how I communicate feedback, consider different perspectives, and contribute more thoughtfully to improving the workplace.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE AN EVENT AT DATAXIGHT THAT HAD A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU–WHETHER THAT WAS A HACKATHON, TEAM TRIP, OR OUTING–AND HOW HAS IT INFLUENCED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON TEAMWORK, INNOVATION OR OUTLOOK ON WORK?

I can’t really point to one specific event that stands out, because for me, the biggest impact at DataXight comes from the day-to-day environment rather than a single moment. The company’s culture shows up clearly through everyday interactions, collaboration, and how people work together. Simple things make a real difference for me: open discussions during daily work, constructive feedback in reviews, and the ability to have one on one conversations with leadership when needed. Being able to speak comfortably with Tuan and openly share thoughts or concerns really changed how I view teamwork and leadership. These daily experiences shaped my perspective on teamwork and innovation more than any one-off event. They made me realize that consistent communication, trust, and support in everyday work matter far more than short-term highlights, and that sustainable collaboration is what truly drives long-term innovation and a healthy team culture.