Singapore is frequently expected to be a "fine city" or a good place to conduct business. However, in reality, the interpersonal aspect of doing business in Singapore is much more important than expected. Personally, I have been really impressed with how much the "makan" culture is used when making complex cross-border engineering decisions. Some of my most productive meetings have taken place in a busy hawker centre over coffee instead of in a boardroom! There is a real communal warmth in Singapore that balances out the pressure of working in a fast-paced global corporation. Many people do not realize that the way to achieve efficiency in Singapore is through reducing friction and exerting discipline. When we talk about velocity when scaling global teams, this is also evident in how quickly you can go from Changi International Airport to an important business meeting (less than one hour). Singapore is not a sterile financial centre; it is a very highly connected launching pad for Southeast Asia and is beneficial for people who can find their way around Singapore's unique hybrid of Asian values and Western corporate structure. Learning how to navigate a new culture usually involves a period of adjustment where we learn that our first impressions were not correct. The key to doing well in a place like Singapore is to understand the pace of the city and make a concentrated effort to develop the personal relationships that ultimately drive the bottom line.
What surprised me most about Singapore was how efficiently regulations are applied in practice. Many outsiders expect red tape to slow everything down, but in reality, the system is predictable and transparent, making business and daily life smoother than anticipated. I wish more people understood that the strict rules aren't just about control; they create clarity and reliability that benefit both companies and individuals navigating complex industries.