Singaporean Entrepreneurs

I actually disagree with this oft-repeated observation about Singaporeans working / or having started a business abroad, that they don’t want to work with other Singaporeans.

I think its a blatant misconception. What is more true is the fact that the population of Singaporean entrepreneurs is VERY SMALL, especially compared to the countries mentioned.

In other words, it’s not that Singaporeans don’t want to work with their fellow countrymen- it’s that there are no other Singaporeans to work with in the first place.

Being in China 3-4 months of the year and always meeting with various entrepreneurs: Taiwanese, Hongkongers, Singaporeans, Americans, Locals … it’s clear that business is business no matter the country of origin. No successful enterprise picks or does not pick someone to partner with based on where they come from. If there is an opportunity that makes sense, you grab it.

What I will agree with is that others have been better than Singaporeans at gathering a group of entrepreneurs that can fill the whole value/supply chain to move to China together and meet the needs there. The advantages are obvious: more financial strength, complete solutions without having to individually invest too much, trust and support and a larger customer base to share with one another.

But again, part of the reason for that failure to move as a complete unit for Singaporeans is due to the fact that there are too few Singaporeans who are willing to go to China in the first place. We lose out on sheer number alone. It’s not a preference. It’s, to me, a completely statistical impossibility to compare against other countries and come out at par or ahead.