2223T2 Silicon Valley/Participant Information/Ng Pin Jie
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About Ng Pin Jie
SMU email: pinjie.ng.2021@scis.smu.edu.sg
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngpinjie/
Academic Year: Year (AY 2022-23)
Degree: B.Sc Information Systems
Why Virtual TSM?
- What motivates you to join TSM?
It's a lifelong dream to visit Silicon Valley. Being a student of technology and an owner of an edTech start-up, I longed to be exposed to Silicon Valley's technological & entrepreneurial culture after hearing from friends who were lucky enough to experience such culture at Silicon Valley. Interacting and learning more about the technology start-up culture will be an eye-opening experience irreplicable anywhere else as I'll be able to learn more about SV's Growth Mindset that transcends many start-ups in the area. I hope to be a part of this programme as exposure to one of the world's best start-up environments could potentially enable me to break out of my existing mindset towards how the moving parts in businesses interact with one another that could be translated into practice. I too wish for this experience to further hone my intuition on providing customers with a better experience and value, and also, to be a better student of technology.
In addition, I'm a massive fan of travelling and interacting with foreign cultures. The best experience I have had so far is travelling and interacting with more distinct and unique cultures from what I'm usually exposed to (the more significant the difference, the better XD). During my recent trip to Seoul in Jan 2022, I had the opportunity to meet people from South Africa, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and, of course, South Koreans. The interactions I had with them were exhilarating, as they made me aware of things I would never have experienced, such as the need to be attentive to unique social customs that people in Singapore wouldn't bat an eye for. These interactions led me to appreciate the difference in societal and cultural norms, allowing me to be more sensitive to such distinctions. This experience has also encouraged me to think more deeply about what motivates people from different cultures and how to recognise when we are empowered or limited by societal norms. I'm an enthusiast of such insightful experiences, and the thought of expanding my limited knowledge of different cultures by going to Silicon Valley makes me pumped up 😤😤😤
I also hope to make friends with the SV locals and expats, take away insights that could transcend and uplift my current knowledge of technology, and improve the start-up I'm currently working on. I desire to broaden my horizons and discover new things and being a part of IS405: Technopreneurship Study Mission (Non-Asia) - Silicon Valley will enable me to fulfil this aspiration.
Starting a business
- What types of business interest you?
I’m most keen in the technology education industry with scalable products that can provide value to people’s daily lives. Businesses that develop technology products that can change the existing way that things work excites me as well. An example will be YouTube, where it provides its audience value and also allows its audience to create value to serve others. These businesses are not only about generating revenue for their shareholders, but also enable their users in a partnership to provide value for everyone.
- What plans do you have in starting a business?
I am a current owner of a start-up which was founded in May 2021 with a current headcount of 11 members. The name of the start-up is CodeIT Academy, where we aspire to help keen learners of technology to overcome the learning curve and to provide them with a roadmap to leverage the power of technology. We plan to expand our coverage to provide more technology courses, with strategic partnerships in place to develop Cyber Security courses to cater to a more niche group of students.
Past Experiences (optional)
Startup:
Work:
CCA: