How a Startup Built Its AI Team in Just 30 Days With Talent JDI

Founded in 2022, our client is an AI startup pioneering enterprise-scale solutions using customizable large language models (LLMs). Their platform empowers companies to deploy secure, domain-specific AI copilots, tailored to internal data and workflows.

As demand for their product accelerated, so did the need to expand the AI engineering team. But hiring in Singapore posed a challenge—costs were high, and recruitment cycles were slow. The team began exploring regional options, and Vietnam quickly emerged as a strong alternative.

Found A Goldmine Of Talent, But No Hiring Compass

When the startup looked to Vietnam, they found everything they were missing: a rich talent pool of AI-skilled engineers, cost-effective hiring, and a rapidly growing tech ecosystem.

But abundance came with its own complexity. With no prior experience in offshore hiring, the team quickly realized that finding talent wasn’t the hard part — it was knowing how to find the right talent, fast, and build a team that could execute from day one.

And to do so, they’ll have to deal with several roadblocks:

Without a local presence or established hiring network in Vietnam, the risk of mis-hires and delays loomed large. What they needed wasn’t just candidates, it was a talent strategy tailored to the Vietnamese market.

That’s when they made the call and brought Talent JDI on board.

The Hiring Solution: Secure AI Talent In Record Time

From the first conversation, it was clear the startup wasn’t just looking to fill roles—they were looking for a long-term hiring partner. They needed help building an AI team that could scale with them, and possibly grow into a larger presence in Vietnam down the line.

Instead of giving them a one-size-fits-all solution, we took time to understand what they really needed: the right technical skills, a strong culture fit, and a cost structure that made sense. We then built a custom hiring plan based on those goals.

One key factor behind the trust in our recruitment cycle was our commitment to quality. All candidates presented by Talent JDI undergo rigorous reference checks, minimizing background risk and ensuring only well-vetted talent joins the team.

Setting The Stage For Sustainable Growth With Talent JDI

The partnership with Talent JDI didn’t stop at hiring. While we helped the AI startup secure top-tier engineering talent quickly and with confidence, our role extended far beyond recruitment. From the beginning, they made it clear—they wanted a long-term, reliable setup in Vietnam, not just a few remote hires.

That meant helping them build not just a team, but an operation.

We took on the day-to-day responsibilities that come with managing a distributed team: HR support, payroll, labor law compliance, and navigating Vietnam’s evolving tax and legal environment. We’ve become their on-the-ground partner, handling the operational heavy lifting so they can stay focused on building their product.

It’s not just about filling roles. It’s about making sure their Vietnam team runs smoothly, scales efficiently, and stays aligned with their long-term vision.

Key Results:

Without the hassle of setting up a legal entity, the startup could easily ramp headcount up or down, minus the operational overhead.

With strong early traction and a growing customer base, the company is already planning for what comes next. To support new product lines and scale development capacity, they’ve entered discussions with Talent JDI to set up a full-scale remote tech team in Vietnam. It’s a strategic move—not just to access world-class engineering talent, but to build a long-term, cost-effective presence in a fast-growing regional hub.

Talent JDI will support the expansion end-to-end, from recruitment and onboarding to HR, payroll, and compliance, removing the operational load so the company can stay focused on innovation.

Planning to hire AI talent beyond your local market—or already set on Vietnam as your next tech hub? Reach out for a free consultation from Talent JDI.