Hi, I’m Dung 👋
I’m a developer who got tired of bad tools, so I built better ones.
Right now, I’m building NickGen.com – a free gaming nickname generator that doesn’t suck. Before that, I spent 5+ years at tech companies in Vietnam building products for millions of users.
Quick facts:
- 🎓 Studied Programming at Vietnam National University (VNU-HCM)
- 💼 Ex-UI Developer at MISA, ex-Gaming Platform Developer at YGame
- 🎮 Gamer since I was 8 (started with Counter-Strike 1.6)
- 📍 Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- ⚡ Coding since 2017, professionally since 2019
My Story: From Gamer to Developer
The Beginning (2006-2015)
I got my first computer when I was 8. My dad bought it for “homework,” but let’s be honest – it was for gaming. I spent countless hours playing Counter-Strike 1.6, figuring out how to customize spray logos, and changing my nickname every week trying to look cool.
That’s when I first encountered the nickname problem: good names were always taken, special characters were hard to find, and most generator tools were terrible.
Back then, I didn’t know I’d eventually solve this problem. I was just a kid who loved games.
Discovery (2015-2017)
During high school, I discovered programming through a simple question: “How do games actually work?”
I started with basic HTML/CSS (making terrible websites that hurt your eyes), then moved to JavaScript, then Python. The more I coded, the more I realized: programming is just problem-solving with a keyboard.
I loved it.
Key moment: In 2016, I built my first “real” project – a simple calculator web app. It was ugly, the code was messy, but it worked. That feeling of creating something functional from nothing got me hooked.
Education & Foundation (2017-2021)
I enrolled in Vietnam National University (VNU-HCM) to study Programming. College taught me theory, but real learning happened outside:
- Personal projects: Built 15+ web apps/tools during college
- Freelance work: Small gigs for local businesses
- Open source: Contributed to Vietnamese developer communities
- Tech meetups: Met other developers, learned from their mistakes
Philosophy I developed: The best way to learn coding is to build things people actually use.
Professional Journey
UI Developer at MISA (2019-2021)
What MISA does: Enterprise software (accounting, HR, CRM) for Vietnamese businesses
My role: Frontend developer building user interfaces for business applications
What I learned:
- How to build for scale (50,000+ businesses using our software)
- Optimization matters (slow software = angry users)
- User experience > fancy features
- Writing maintainable code for teams
Proudest achievement: Led UI redesign of their accounting module – reduced user complaints by 40% and improved task completion speed by 25%.
Technical skills gained:
- Advanced JavaScript/TypeScript
- React, Vue.js
- UI/UX design principles
- Performance optimization
- Working with legacy codebases
Gaming Platform Developer at YGame (2021-2024)
What YGame does: One of Vietnam’s largest gaming platforms – think Steam, but for Vietnamese gamers
My role: Platform developer focusing on user-facing features
What I learned:
- Gaming industry from the inside
- What gamers actually want (spoiler: speed + simplicity)
- Handling millions of concurrent users
- Real-time systems
- Community management at scale
Key projects I worked on:
- User profile system: 2M+ active users
- Gaming achievements tracker: Increased engagement 35%
- Nickname customization tools: This planted the seed for NickGen.com
The insight that changed everything:
During my time at YGame, I saw thousands of support tickets about nickname issues:
- “Why can’t I use special characters?”
- “All the good names are taken”
- “How do I make my name look cool?”
Most gaming platforms have terrible nickname tools. I realized I could build something better.
Technical Philosophy
Code for Humans First
I write code that humans can read. Future me (or future developers) shouldn’t need a PhD to understand what I built.
Principles I follow:
- Clear variable names > clever one-liners
- Comments explain “why,” not “what”
- Simple solutions > complex architectures
- Performance matters, but not at the cost of maintainability
Speed is a Feature
Users don’t wait. If your tool takes 3 seconds to load, you’ve already lost them.
How I optimize:
- Client-side processing when possible (no server round-trips)
- Lazy loading everything
- Code splitting
- Image optimization
- Caching aggressively
NickGen.com example: Page loads in < 1.5s, nickname generation in < 0.1s. That’s not by accident.
Build for Mobile First
70% of internet users are on mobile. If your site only works well on desktop, you’re ignoring 70% of potential users.
My approach:
- Design mobile layout first
- Test on real devices, not just Chrome DevTools
- Touch targets minimum 48x48px
- Readable font sizes
- Fast loading on slow connections
User Experience is Everything
The best code is invisible. Users shouldn’t think about your technology – they should just accomplish their goal and move on.
What this means:
- Eliminate unnecessary steps
- Clear error messages (not “Error 500”)
- No dark patterns
- Respect user privacy
- Fast support responses
Technical Skills & Expertise
Frontend Development ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Languages: JavaScript (ES6+), TypeScript, HTML5, CSS3
Frameworks: React, Vue.js, Next.js
Tools: Webpack, Vite, Tailwind CSS
Experience: 5+ years, millions of users
Backend Development ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Languages: Python, Node.js, PHP
Frameworks: Express, Flask
Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
Experience: 4+ years
UI/UX Design ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tools: Figma, Adobe XD
Skills: User research, wireframing, prototyping, A/B testing
Philosophy: Design for users, not awards
Performance Optimization ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Specialties:
- Page load optimization (< 2s is my standard)
- Lazy loading strategies
- Image optimization
- Code splitting
- Caching strategies
Gaming Industry Knowledge ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Experience: 3+ years building for gaming platforms
Understanding: Gamer psychology, community dynamics, what makes games engaging
Why I Built NickGen.com
The Problem I Saw
Working at YGame, I had access to user data. I noticed:
- 62% of new users changed their nickname within the first week
- Average time spent finding a good nickname: 23 minutes
- Most used external tool: Copy-pasting from 5+ different websites
This was ridiculous. A simple problem with terrible solutions.
The Solution I Built
NickGen.com focuses on three things:
1. Speed
- Generate nicknames in < 0.1 seconds
- No waiting, no loading screens
- Works offline for basic features
2. Simplicity
- No registration required
- No ads interrupting workflow
- One-click copy
3. Quality
- 10,000+ carefully curated symbols
- 50+ unique fonts
- Templates for popular games
Why It’s Free
Short answer: Because I can.
Long answer: I built NickGen.com to solve a problem I personally experienced. I have a full-time job (freelance dev work + consulting), so I don’t need NickGen to make money.
Making it free means:
- No compromise on user experience
- No annoying ads
- No premium tier creating artificial limits
- Anyone can use it
If it gets too expensive to run, I’ll figure it out. But the core tool will always be free.
My Day-to-Day
Morning (6:00 AM – 9:00 AM)
- Check NickGen.com analytics
- Review user emails/feedback
- Coffee ☕ (essential)
- Quick bug fixes if needed
Work (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
- Freelance development projects
- Client calls
- Coding new features
Evening (6:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
- NickGen.com development
- Research new gaming trends
- Test new features
- More coffee ☕
Late Night (10:00 PM – 12:00 AM)
- Gaming (research, I swear 🎮)
- Reading tech blogs
- Planning tomorrow
Tools I use daily:
- Editor: VS Code
- Design: Figma
- Analytics: Google Analytics, Search Console
- Communication: Email, Facebook
- Coffee maker: My most important tool
Projects I’m Proud Of
NickGen.com (2025-Present)
What: Free gaming nickname generator
Stats: 10,000+ monthly users (as of Jan 2026)
Tech: Vanilla JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3 (intentionally simple)
Impact: Average time to find a nickname: 23 min → 30 sec
What I learned:
- How to build for organic growth (zero marketing budget)
- Community-driven development
- The power of solving one problem really well
Personal Portfolio (2023)
What: My developer portfolio site
Tech: Next.js, Tailwind CSS
Features: Blog, project showcase, contact form
Purpose: Practice and show my work
Vietnamese Dev Resources (2022)
What: Curated list of Vietnamese developer resources
Format: GitHub repository
Impact: 500+ stars, helped many Vietnamese developers
Various Client Projects (2019-Present)
- E-commerce sites (5+)
- Business dashboards (10+)
- Landing pages (20+)
- Custom tools/scripts (countless)
Personal Side
Beyond Coding
Gaming 🎮: Still playing after all these years
- Favorites: CS:GO, PUBG, indie games
- Why: Strategy, teamwork, problem-solving
- Time spent: 10-15 hours/week (mostly research 😉)
Reading 📚: Mostly non-fiction
- Technical books (obviously)
- Business/startups
- Psychology (helps with UX)
- Currently reading: “Designing Data-Intensive Applications”
Coffee ☕: Enthusiast level
- Favorite: Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá)
- Daily consumption: 3-4 cups
- Brewing method: Vietnamese phin filter
Motorcycling 🏍️: Exploring Saigon
- Great for clearing my head
- Best thinking happens on my bike
- Also fastest way through Saigon traffic
Life Philosophy
Work:
- Build things that matter
- Help people when you can
- Learn something new every day
- Share knowledge freely
Life:
- Stay curious
- Don’t take yourself too seriously
- Coffee fixes most problems
- If it doesn’t, more coffee
My Vision for the Future
For NickGen.com (2026-2027)
Short-term (Next 6 months):
- AI-powered nickname suggestions
- Mobile app (iOS + Android)
- API for developers
- 30+ language support
Long-term (1-2 years):
- #1 nickname generator globally
- Community features (voting, sharing)
- AR preview (see your nickname in-game)
- Keep it 100% free
For My Career
Goals:
- Build more useful tools (I have a list)
- Contribute to open source more
- Share knowledge through writing
- Maybe start a YouTube channel about coding?
Not goals:
- Build the next Facebook
- Raise VC funding
- Have 100 employees
- Sell ads
I prefer building useful tools for real people over chasing valuations.
Let’s Connect
I’m always happy to chat about:
- ✅ Technical challenges
- ✅ Gaming industry
- ✅ Building products
- ✅ Career advice for developers
- ✅ NickGen feedback/ideas
- ✅ Coffee recommendations ☕
Don’t contact me about:
- ❌ SEO services
- ❌ “Guaranteed ranking” schemes
- ❌ Cryptocurrency investments
- ❌ MLM opportunities
How to Reach Me
Email: [email protected]
Best for: Detailed questions, bug reports, feature requests
Response time: 24-48 hours
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dunghoangitcom
Best for: Professional networking, career questions
Facebook: facebook.com/dunghoangitvn
Best for: Casual chat, quick questions
X (Twitter): @dunghoang_dev (NickGen account)
Best for: Updates, quick thoughts
GitHub: Coming soon
Best for: Code reviews, technical discussions
Office Hours
Want to chat live? I’m usually available:
- Weekdays: 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM ICT (Vietnam time)
- Weekends: More flexible
Just shoot me an email first to schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Are you hiring?”
Not right now. NickGen.com is still a small operation. If that changes, I’ll post on LinkedIn.
“Can I contribute to NickGen?”
Absolutely! Email me with your ideas. Especially interested in:
- New symbol/character suggestions
- Language translations
- Bug reports
- Feature ideas
“Do you do freelance work?”
Yes, but I’m selective. I prefer projects that:
- Solve real problems
- Have good design sense
- Value quality over speed
- Respect user privacy
“What’s your tech stack recommendation for beginners?”
Start simple:
- HTML/CSS/JavaScript (master the basics)
- Pick ONE framework (I suggest React)
- Learn Git
- Build 10 projects
- Then worry about fancy stuff
“Coffee or tea?”
Coffee. Always coffee. This is non-negotiable.
“Best programming language?”
The one that solves your problem. But if forced to choose: JavaScript (everywhere), Python (readable), TypeScript (professional projects).
Fun Facts
- 🎮 I’ve used 200+ different gaming nicknames over the years
- ☕ I’ve tried 30+ different coffee brewing methods
- 💻 First code I wrote: a calculator (every developer’s rite of passage)
- 🏍️ I’ve been riding motorcycles for 6+ years in Saigon traffic (if you can drive here, you can drive anywhere)
- 📚 I read ~30 books per year (mostly audiobooks during rides)
- 🌍 Dream: Build tools used by millions, travel the world, drink coffee in every country
One More Thing…
If you’re still reading this, you’re probably a developer, a gamer, or both. Here’s my advice:
To developers:
- Build things people actually need
- Don’t wait for permission
- Share your knowledge
- Stay humble, stay learning
To gamers:
- Your nickname matters (that’s why I built NickGen)
- Find your community
- Have fun, but take breaks
- Try NickGen.com 😉
To everyone:
- Create more than you consume
- Help others when you can
- Don’t take life too seriously
- Coffee is the answer
Let’s Build Something Cool
Got an idea? Found a bug? Just want to chat about code or coffee?
Reach out: [email protected]
I read every message personally. No automated responses, no support tickets – just me.
Thanks for visiting my page. Now go create something awesome.
— Dung
Last updated: January 19, 2026
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Currently: Building NickGen.com, drinking coffee, probably gaming
Status: Open to interesting conversations
Quick Links:
- NickGen.com – Try the tool
- About NickGen – Company story
- Contact – Get in touch
- LinkedIn – Professional profile