Lean startup (Vietnamese style)

There is a man in front of my house selling coconut juice. His name is Anh 7.

He:

1. gets discounted lunch from the restaurant across the street (20K vs 25K)

2. uses the neighbor’s house to store his stuff at night

3. uses the public restroom for free (or in exchange of coconuts)

4. receives calls for free with the security guard’s phone next door

5. pays no rent or tax

6. spends no money on marketing (There is no need when Saigon heat is nearly 40°C and the streets are teeming w/ scooters)

 He buys them wholesale from his village of Ben Tre. They last for a long time unopened. And he sells the meat once the customer is done drinking the juice.

So how well does he do? According to him he sells around 200 coconuts a day or 20 per hour. At 8K each that is 1.6mil. Not bad for a day of work!