Researcher. Engineer. Curious human.

Thinh Tran.

PhD student & software engineer

Exploring how civic technology communities build software, work together, and grow.

Explore my research

01 / A little background

From building products
to studying communities.

I’m a software engineer and PhD student at IMT Atlantique, France. After several years building web products and developer tools, I’m now researching how civic tech projects can develop sustainable, replicable ways of working.

My work connects software engineering with the people and communities behind it. Outside of research, I enjoy photography, traveling, and music.

A different lens: my photography

02 / Research & writing

Publications

02 papers

Recent work on civic technology and grassroots software ecosystems.

03 / The journey so far

Experience

Dec 2024 - Present

IMT Atlantique

PhD Student | Junior Researcher

Full-time | Brest, France

Conducting research on the topic of "Analysing Civic Tech project to design replicable process models allowing them to scale-up" under the supervision of Prof. Nicolas Jullien and Associate Professor Antti Knutas

Role highlights
  • Developing a framework to support the development of civic tech projects by applying software engineering principles.
  • Conducting interviews with stakeholders to understand the challenges and requirements of civic tech projects.
  • Collaborating with the research team to publish papers and present findings

Jul 2023 - Dec 2024

Hello Clever

Growth Support Engineer

Remote | Sydney, Australia

Provided adept technical support for Hello Clever's Payment API integration:

Role highlights
  • Assisted developers to understand the documentation, troubleshoot problems, and optimize their integrations.
  • Proficiently resolved software issues in complex environments.
  • Demonstrated strong communication and problem-solving skills
  • Contributed to a monthly revenue stream in the millions dollar.

Nov 2022 - Jul 2023

Sassybae

Software Engineer

Remote | Sydney, Australia

Developed the company website and backend service for the mobile application:

Role highlights
  • Constructed the company website using the latest modern stack, incorporating key modules like blogs, waitlist, and policy.
  • Implemented API cloud functions for tasks such as filtering inappropriate images and retrieving nearby products using geohash for the mobile application.
  • Attained a performance score of 98/100 for the desktop version and 91/100 for the mobile version through Google Lighthouse measurement.

Nov 2021 - Aug 2022

LINE Corp

Software Engineer

Full-time | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Worked on several projects including LINE Healthcare, LINE Telemedicine and LINE Global Search, which serve over 100 million users a day.

Role highlights
  • Revamped the internal CMS codebase using Typescript to enhance maintainability and efficiency
  • Developed innovative features and modules for internal content management systems.
  • Collaborated effectively with a multi-lingual team comprising Japanese product owners, Korean project managers, and Vietnamese backend team.
  • Actively contributed to the team's code review process, ensuring adherence to coding standards and best practices.

Jul 2019 - Oct 2021

Zalo (VNG Corp)

Associate Software Engineer

Full-time | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Spearheaded the development of management tools for Zalo's B2B products, generating millions of USD in annual revenue:

Role highlights
  • Transformed existing applications with modern design systems, fostering enhanced user experiences and cleaner code.
  • Pioneered the implementation of a microservices architecture using git submodules, enabling seamless integration and scalability.
  • Revamped the landing page using NextJs, achieving a significant performance boost (up to +130% Google Lighthouse measurement).
  • Assumed leadership responsibilities, managing a team of four frontend developers and assigning tasks as directed by the technical manager.

Let’s connect

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