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Views of SWE in SG
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Derrick Ko has written a commentary on the state of software engineering in Singapore in 2016, which is a well-researched and balanced summary that is much more current than the information found on this page.

The initial version of this page is left below for historical interest.


The state of software engineering in Singapore has improved in recent years, with a growing tech startup scene bolstering the local talent pool, and startups like GDS and ESTL within government. Still, to understand the obstacles that stand in our way, it is useful to read about the state of software engineering (and talent) in Singapore over the past few years.

Read Daryl Yeo's answer to Is the engineering field a dead-end career in Singapore? Why? on Quora<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.quora.com/widgets/content"></script>

Derrick Ko's articles

  • Anything But Engineering, 31 May 2012
    • How Singaporean culture marginalises software engineering
      • Perception: engineers are perceived as commodities that can be outsourced, with a lack of appreciation for good engineering.
      • Opportunities: lack of engineering-centric and engineering-driven organisations.
  • The necessary evils of fixing Singapore’s engineering talent shortage - TechInAsia, 3 Oct 2013
    • Engineering looked down upon in terms of career progression (v.s. manager roles)
    • Cultural view of engineering as a profession is low, in contrast to doctors and lawyers
    • Proposed ideas to cope with talent shortage:
      • Import: encourage top-tier tech companies to start engineering centres in Singapore
        • accepting that this will require an influx of foreign talent at the beginning to provide the required experience and get the centres off the ground
        • but will yield dividends in the long-term by:
          • providing opportunities for Singaporeans in Silicon Valley to come home,
          • training our local students via internships, and
          • seeding the next generation of startups (average tenure at tech companies is low, with employees often leaving after 2-3 years to join another company or start their own)
        • Politically hard to digest due to immigration politics
      • Export: encourage Singaporean graduates to go overseas, level up in Silicon Valley and return with experience
        • Value of a company culture driven by engineering, where the entire chain of managers up to the CEO are software engineers and make decisions based on their technical expertise
        • "could learn more in a year than you would in five had you stayed back home"

Bas Vodde

Lim Yew Jin's articles

  • Why be an expert in Singapore? - lack of prospects for CS PhD graduates in Singapore. 13 Dec 2007.

  • Technical jobs in Singapore. 12 Jan 2008.

  • Great software is made in a technocracy - the need for a engineering-driven decision making culture. 26 Feb 2012.

    Managerial skills are highly valued in Singapore, and permeates throughout most sectors, even the IT sector. I believe this can be partially attributed to the top-down management style of all Singapore government organizations. (And remember, government jobs in Singapore are well-paying and -respected relative to many other countries.) For example, the CEO of the main government scientific research agency is an ex-armed forces chief, the CEO of the main IT regulatory and advisory agency is headed by an ex-navy chief, and the CEO of the media development agency held senior positions in the Singapore Police Force, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Manpower.

    These individuals, while clearly having been trained with high level executive skills, do not necessarily have the technical background or expertise in the organization that they lead.

  • Why you don't learn how to write programs in university - on how software engineering is not taught in schools, but in companies: hence the importance of CS internships. 27 Oct 2009.

  • In Challenging Times, the Tide Changes. 12 Apr 2009.

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