The “steel rose” of FHM and the glory of the PM Contest
In 2022, Gen Z girl Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Duyên (FHM.CMS) boldly entered the PM Contest arena, bringing the passionate spirit of youth and the aspiration: “Since I am known in this world, I must make a name that echoes in mountains and rivers.” However, reality did not meet her expectations, and Duyên had to stop right at the qualifying round.
Joining FSOFT in 2021, Duyên started as a Dev Lead and became a Project Manager just a year later. With the life motto “Know Thyself” and “A life unexamined is not worth living,” this 1999-born girl decided to participate in the intellectual playground of PM Contest 2022 after just completing her first project as a PM. Contrary to Duyên’s expectations, her performance in the qualifying round did not truly convince the judges. Duyên and her teammates quietly walked away.
But that was not the end, but rather the beginning of a long “battle.” The steel rose of FHM continued to register for this intellectual arena in the following years, holding onto the belief: “This playground can be a measure of my professional skills.”
In the years that followed, each year Duyên advanced a little further: 2023 saw Duyên in the Face-Off round; in 2024, her name echoed in the Finals, and it was not until 2025 that the PM Contest crown finally came to Duyên and her teammates. It was a persistent journey, refusing to compromise in the face of “defeat.” But along with this victory, what did Duyên truly learn?
The first thing this Gen Z girl learned was the importance of having a strategy from the very start, right when analyzing the exam topic. Regarding the 2025 theme, Duyên evaluated it as a combination of experimental elements and AI. The exam required PMs to understand and proficiently apply AI solutions to mega projects (valued from 2-5M USD). Therefore, Duyên and her teammates delved into studying GenAI, management knowledge, and analyzing case studies.
Above all, the journey to PM Contest glory also trained this Gen Z girl in resilience and a deep heart for her profession. Each contest season was an opportunity for Duyên to connect, learn, and broaden her knowledge. Notably, 2025 was a year full of AI highlights. “The most precious thing PM Contest 2025 brought me is the AI First mindset—placing AI at the center of every task. This is the mindset I will pursue and professionally apply in project management,” Duyên said.
From a Dev Leader, Duyên has now become a PM with a series of prestigious awards: Top 100 FSOFT, Champion of PM Contest, and always in the Best Performance, Best Project rankings of FSU. It is the spirit of daring to step up and never fearing change that has driven Duyên to always seek to conquer greater heights in her career. Gen Z 1999 also shares: “In the era of AI, let it handle the dry tasks, while we must focus on the phases that need soul and emotion.”
