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Our guest for Episode 11 is Oscar Jesionek, co-founder and CEO of Vietnam-based Fonos, an audiobook and audio content app. Fonos is partnering with the largest publishers across the country to bring best-selling international titles across all genres to life.
Besides exclusively carrying over 100 best-selling books, this widely talked about app has also recently entered a new partnership with Vietcetera. Through this collaboration, avid Vietcetera readers can now listen to Vietcetera articles anytime, anywhere!
In this episode, Oscar speaks on the resurgence of audiobooks and podcasts in the past 10 years, with huge growth numbers from all pockets of the world. It's difficult to not mention convenience when answering the question “Why Audiobooks?”. Whether you're washing dishes after dinner or doing your mile sprint at the gym, you can easily fit audio content into your schedule.
Besides discussing the monumental changes in content streaming, Oscar also shares the common trends he’s seen among app users. In the Fonos world, non-fiction, entrepreneurial, career development, and self-help books have been especially sought-after. His theory is that the younger Vietnamese audience today has developed an increasingly eager appetite for knowledge and a robust willingness to invest in learning. As Hao Tran puts it, the new generation is beginning to “unlock unrealized value" for innovation.
But getting Vietnamese people to pay for content was a challenge Oscar had to address when he introduced Fonos. This means that his team has to constantly develop exclusive and original content and innovative app features for quality user experience. Tech-savvy Vietnamese are discerning, and Oscar knows they need to get their money’s worth.
Fonos is bringing the best-selling titles from both national and international authors. From newly released fiction novels to classics and non-fiction books, Fonos has everything you need and in between.