User:Zeph.ng.2019

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About Zeph

SMU email: zeph.ng.2019@sis.smu.edu.sg
Linkedin | GitHub | Facebook: | Zeph's LinkedIn | | Zeph's GitHub | | Zeph's Facebook
Academic Year: 2019
Degree: Information Systems, Major in Smart-City Management and Technology
Hobby: Working on side projects (pretty nerdy)

Why TSM?

• What motivates you to join TSM?

I love building things! Ever since I was 8, I wanted to be an inventor. My favourite toy back then was Legos because I could build anything I wanted. I then upgraded to cardboard boxes when I was 11 and now I build with code and dabble a little into CyberPhysical Systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi). But what good does an invention have when it serves no purpose or nobody uses it? I believe that technology's purpose is to, as cliche as it may sound, "make the world a better place". I would like to learn from successful startups and understand what enabled them to create the level of impact that they have!

What makes TSM so special to me is the ability to go overseas and learn from overseas startups! I believe that the exposure will broaden my perspectives and give me greater insights into the cultural differences and different methodologies/lens that entrepreneurs from other countries employ to tackle an issue. This TSM will be focusing on Australia which is a relatively close geographical neighbour of Singapore. So it is important to understand the culture and market when looking to expand a business overseas within the region. Therefore, I am very excited to be part of AY 2021/22 T1 TSM!

Starting a business

• What types of business interest you?

The two main aspects that really capture my interest are:

1. Impact - How the product of the business can have a positive effect on the community
2. Sustainability - How well the company is able to keep its business going over the years

I find purpose in creating products that can improve the lives of others, but as we know, it is not easy for social enterprises to scale due to the nature of the business. Therefore, I am really interested to know what it takes to create a company that can do good for society at scale and keep its business afloat for a long time.

A local startup that I am really interested in is Seedly, which aims to educate Singaporean youths on personal finance and create a community to help them on their journey.

But on a bigger scale, I am really interested in the developments of companies like Facebook (helping the unbanked with WhatsApp pay), SpaceX (providing internet access to those living in rural areas with the Starlink project), Tesla (making driving safer with autopilot).

• What plan do you have in starting a business?

1. FasterJobsSg - Quick matching for ad-hoc jobs on Telegram

Created after being approached during a hackathon in 2020, this is a Telegram Bot that allows quick matching of workers to ad-hoc job requests such as banquet staff, waiters, delivery drivers, etc. We currently have 5 SMEs in the F&B industry willing to try out our platform but due to COVID-19 have requested to put it on hold for now. We are currently building a webpage portal that syncs with the Telegram Bot to provide a form of GUI to users as well.

Past Experiences (optional)

• Work Experiences

• Site Reliability Engineer (Intern) at M-DAQ Global - May 2021 to Present
• Mobile Application Developer (Intern) at NACT Engineering - Jan 2021 - Apr 2021
• Software Development Consultant (Intern) at KPMG Singapore - Jul 2020 - Jan 2021

• Co-Curricular Activites

• President at SMU FinTech Club - Sep 2019 - Jan 2021

• Startup Experiences

• ZoomQueue LLP - Food Ordering Application

Created by my friend and I in 2017 after graduating from Singapore Polytechnic in Apr 2017. We felt that, despite the multiple food courts around campus, the lunch crowd was unbearable. As such, we decided to build a mobile application to allow students to order food and for store owners to see the orders. However, due to the low uptake by stall owners and inexperience on our end, we decided to discontinue the application when we enlisted into the army. Through the experience, I learned a lot and am more cognizant of the demands of an entrepreneur. Since then, I have been honing my skills to prepare myself for my entrepreneurial journey in the future.

What keeps you ticking?

• Solving problems

Whether it is fixing a bug or building a solution that meets someone's needs, the sense of satisfaction when you have finished building it is indescribable!

• "Making the world a better place"

It is a cliche but I am really interested in trying to solve issues in our community using IoT solutions. I am constantly trying to learn new skills and technologies to equip myself with the necessary skillsets to build such a solution. Hopefully one day I will be able to scale it up to really make the world a better place.