‘Learn fast, scale fast’ – startups open a wealth of opportunity for new tech talent

There is a well-documented hunger for tech talent in Singapore. The city-state has seen many major tech companies establish offices on its shores, and startups are the rising stars of its business scene, having raised more than US$11 billion of investment capital in 2021.

Photo credit: cegoh / Pixabay

Though big tech corporations have a ton of resources at their disposal, many of them suffer from the same problems as their non-tech counterparts. Staffing skews big, and they often move slower, thanks to the many processes and rules at play.

For employees, it’s easy to feel lost and isolated from the company’s greater vision, which is why many are skipping “traditional” careers for a more adventurous foray into the startup scene.

Goodbye, corporate life

For Rene Tan, the head of pre-sales for smart city infrastructure at Envision Digital – a provider of sustainability software – joining the startup gave him an opportunity to explore new and emerging technologies at a larger scale.

In 2015, he left a job at Malaysian satellite television company Astro for telecommunications firm Singtel to pursue bigger opportunities and a role in the island state’s developing tech economy, focused on emerging technology such as the internet of things (IoT). Soon after, he joined Envision, lured by the firm’s track record as the biggest renewable energy platform in the world that uses artificial intelligence of things (AIoT).

Rene Tan, head of pre-sales for smart city infrastructure at Envision Digital / Photo credit: Envision Digital

“I was in awe because at Singtel, we were still figuring out where we were going with IoT – Envision was already there,” he says.

Tan was attracted to Envision’s technological capabilities and active commitment to the global climate change agenda, but the biggest draw was the firm’s “clarity in direction” when it came to its solutions’ specific domain at the intersection of AIoT and sustainability.

“Oftentimes in technology, the company is just meant to be a broad platform that allows for various domains and industries to come in,” he says. “However, this means you end up being a master of none. Envision has this specific connection to sustainability, which gives it focus and helps to drive its growth.”

Coming in from the outside

For Han Jiamin, the team lead of ecommerce logistics community platform Parcel Monitor, startups provided an opportunity for her to make a pivot from a staid professional career into an exciting role in tech. Parcel Monitor is a unit under package-tracking startup Parcel Perform.

Armed with a law degree, Han worked for a year and a half at a major law firm in Singapore. However, she soon found that she was more drawn to tech’s forward-looking perspective, and she made the leap into the industry by joining AI solutions provider Taiger as its seventh employee.

“I started in sales, but, being in a startup, I also did marketing, events, and was also co-legal counsel,” she recalls.

Han Jiamin, team lead of Parcel Monitor, Parcel Perform / Photo credit: Parcel Perform

After Taiger, Han worked with integration-as-a-service provider Dell Boomi to get experience with working in a big organization. However, she found that the highly-specialized corporate culture didn’t suit her.

“You lose that connection with technology, which is what drew me to the tech space from the start,” she muses. “I have to be excited about a company’s value proposition and the problem it’s trying to solve in order to join, and I wanted to be part of that development process.”

Soon after, Han joined Parcel Perform, and she shares that she was drawn to the startup because of its clear value proposition of improving the logistics experience, as well as its status as an early-stage startup. For her, the company’s nascent stage meant there were more opportunities to grow, learn, and contribute.

“The company is young and growing fast, so there will be plenty of opportunities for you to make an impact,” she says. “A year in a startup can give you so much more knowledge and experience compared to the same amount of time in a specialized role in a large organization.”

Wearing many hats

Despite its reputation as a “sexy industry,” as Han puts it, there is no doubt that startup life is grueling. Both Tan and Han say that their forays into startup culture were characterized by heavy workloads and the need to play multiple roles.

Tan doesn’t just work on presales solution marketing for Envision, but also product innovation, go-to-market strategization, and project implementation. Similarly, at Parcel Perform, Han not only acts as the team lead for Parcel Monitor as she is also involved in product development, content, marketing, and partnership strategy.

While wearing many hats in a business is tiring, Han sees this as an opportunity to learn more about a startup and develop quickly.

Han with her colleagues at Parcel Perform in 2020, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic / Photo credit: Parcel Perform

“I didn’t have any formal education or experience in product management, but this also made my learning process a lot more focused and productive,” she says. “I learned based on what I needed to apply immediately.”

Tan echoes Han’s views, saying that working across functions has given him a lot of opportunities to grow, though there are some drawbacks to running a tight ship with few resources.

“You can’t have an individual step out or you disrupt the entire process,” he says. “A lot of us had to pick up the slack, and I personally learned a lot from plugging holes everywhere.”

“Fail fast, learn fast, scale fast”

Despite their different routes, both Han and Tan point to similar benefits from working at startups. For one, startups are better at making speedy decisions and pivoting from failed endeavors, unlike large corporations that prize perfect planning over all.

“The benefit of startups is that decisions are made fast, then we iterate and move on,” Tan says.

Tan with his colleagues at InnovFest Unbound / Photo credit: Envision Digital

“What I’ve learned is that if it’s not successful right from the start, it’s okay,” Han shares. “Fail fast, learn fast – but also scale fast.”

Han also points to the fact that startups offer individuals the flexibility to define their own career paths and professional growth. Parcel Perform opened the door for her to gain the product management experience she lacked, and in doing so, it empowered her to define what her role would be.

As a result of that belief and support, Han was able to launch Parcel Monitor within months of joining.

Tan says that the benefits of his startup experience have been the shift away from a hierarchical corporate culture – where processes often trump people – and the opportunity to experiment with cutting-edge technology. He’s had the opportunity to develop new and innovative solutions for many organizations, including multinational corporations and the Singapore government.

A path of many options

Both Tan and Han stress the importance of ensuring that a person’s values and vision align with those of a startup they plan to join.

“Startup life is not easy,” says Han. “There’s going to be a lot of uncertainties and undefined processes, but if you’re able to appreciate where the company is going, it will help you navigate those initial uncertainties.”

For Tan, Envision’s commitment to tackling climate change was key to his decision to join, but that might not be the same for others. In his view, an employee needs to first assess the risks of each industry as well as the qualities and leadership of a startup.

“You can make an assessment based on the resumes of the leaders, but I think it’s also very important to note how purpose-driven the leadership is when working toward its goals,” he says.

Han advises aspiring startup workers to reach out to people in the space or company before applying to make sure goals and visions are aligned.

“I think the best way to understand a startup’s culture and how it works is really through the people inside,” she says. “When you talk to people in the industry, you understand what they need, what you’re missing, and it might be your gateway to your next job as well.”

The Infocomm Media Development Authority develops and regulates the converging infocomm and media sectors in a holistic way, creating a dynamic sector filled with opportunities for growth through an emphasis on talent, research, innovation, and enterprise.

Startups such as Parcel Perform and Envision Digital offer tech talent avenues to explore new horizons and make a difference. Explore career opportunities with Parcel Perform and Envision Digital.

This content was produced by Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.