Product Hunt already exists. So why did I build Unikorn?

People ask me this a lot: Product Hunt already exists, so why build Unikorn?

Fair question. Product Hunt has been my daily reading for years, and it's where I learned what a good launch even looks like. Unikorn is not here to replace it. It exists because of a few things that are specific to where I live.

1. Language is a real barrier

Vietnam has a large pool of engineers who can build world-class software. Many of them write beautiful code, but freeze when they have to describe their product in English to a global audience. So they either launch quietly or never launch at all. On Unikorn, they can start in Vietnamese, with people who already understand their context. Once they've found their footing, going global becomes much easier.

2. Their first users are local

A study app for Vietnamese students, a tool for local e-commerce sellers, a Vietnamese language learning app: these products need feedback from people who live that problem daily. A global audience can tell you if the landing page looks good. Local users tell you whether the product actually fits their life.

3. Trust here is built face to face

This is the part I underestimated at first. In Vietnam, makers open up far more in a room than in a comment thread. We run regular in-person meetups where founders talk honestly about what broke, what they'd do differently, and where they're stuck. Those conversations are what turn a directory into a community, and they're hard to replicate online.

4. The road after launch is mostly empty

Launch day is a spike. What most makers here lack is what comes after: users who keep giving feedback, and investors who understand early-stage products in this market. Unikorn is built to sit in that gap, connecting makers with early adopters and, over time, with investors looking for promising teams in Southeast Asia.

Today Unikorn has 1,700+ products from Vietnamese makers. Small compared to what you see here, but each one has a person behind it who decided to build something instead of just talking about it.

So my honest answer: Product Hunt taught me what to build. Vietnam taught me why a local version was needed too.

If you're building something for a specific country or language community, I'd love to hear how you think about this. Do local platforms still matter, or does everything eventually consolidate globally?