Parents in Tech

My special guests are Daniel and Michelle.   Daniel and Michelle, co-founders of Nimbus Group, an office and home cleaning service provider. They share their experiences working together, building a business, and parenting their nine-year-old daughter. Daniel and Michelle discuss their previous attempts at working together and how they learned to separate their work and personal lives. They also talk about the importance of having clarity on roles and responsibilities and how they have divided their responsibilities to avoid conflict. As the business has grown, they have been able to improve their work-life balance and set boundaries to avoid work talk before 9 am. The couple also shares their approach to parenting, which centers on fostering their child's individuality and intrinsic motivation. They prioritize cultivating their daughter's love for learning and exploring diverse interests, rather than solely focusing on grades and academic success.   To get in touch with Daniel and Michelle, find them on LinkedIn:https://sg.linkedin.com/company/nimbus-for-work Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line. PARENTS IN TECH - MIXPANEL EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Guest: Daniel and Michelle Daniel and Michelle are co-founders of Nimbus Group, a provider of corporate and residential cleaning services. They discuss working together, establishing a business, and raising their nine-year-old daughter, Camellia. Working Together as a Couple Daniel and Michelle have been together for over five years, and they know that a successful relationship requires effort from both parties. They understand that working together as a couple is the key to making their relationship last. From communication to problem-solving, both Daniel and Michelle are willing to put in the necessary effort to ensure that their relationship is strong and healthy. They recognize that it takes two people to make a relationship work, so they strive to be understanding of each other’s needs and compromises when necessary. By working together as a couple, Daniel and Michelle hope to create an environment of mutual respect, trust, and love in their relationship. Separating Work and Personal Life Daniel and Michelle have been struggling to keep their work and personal lives separate. They both find it hard to switch off from work when they get home, which is taking a toll on their relationship. Fortunately, there are methods that can help them achieve a better balance between their professional and personal lives. These include setting boundaries around when they can talk about work, such as avoiding talking about work after dinner or during weekends. They can also try using tools such as time blocking to make sure they stick to their schedule and have dedicated time for both work and leisure activities. Integrating family and relationships  Family and relationships are complex, yet incredibly important aspects of...

Growing up with a liver transplant, training for the Ironman triathlon, and sharing what life is like as a stay-at-home dad in tech. I talked to Cliff Tam on how he decided to become a nurturing hands-on dad to spend more meaningful time with his family.   At a very young age, Cliff was diagnosed with cancer and went through a successful liver transplant. Despite growing up immuno-compromised, he went on to become an Ironman triathlete and gave up his career in tech and in Christian ministry to be present with his children.    Cliff, who was born and raised in Canada, is now based in Singapore. He enjoys each moment with his family. He is a father of two daughters, aged 3 and 5, and married to his beautiful wife, Rachel. He is clear with his priorities - making his kids feel loved and secured. Putting his daughters through homeschool allows him to have a closer bond with them. We also speak about how it is easier to complete the Ironman triathlon than it is to be a parent.    To get in touch with Cliff Tam, find him at clifftam.com.    Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

The importance of rest, how parenting requires high self-awareness and discipline, and being firm with setting rules. I talk to Nathaddeus Tan about his experience with paternity leave, managing his emotions around his children, and the parenting styles between him and his wife.   Nathaddeus is Regional Sales Manager at Zscaler. When I recorded this episode with Nat, he was a Territory Sales Manager at SalesForce for almost 5 years, and has consistently been one of the top performers in his team. At Salesforce, he was selected for the prestigious Salesforce Leadership Accelerate Programme designed to groom future leaders. Nat is father to two young children, aged 3 and 1   Nat talks to us about how he married his childhood sweetheart, and how being a father was always one of his aspirations. He shares the expected and unexpected which he encountered throughout the journey of fatherhood, and how he views “work-life balance”. For him, parenting has been a demanding but thoroughly enjoyable adventure, and taking breaks from work is how he creates time for himself and his family.    To get in touch with Nathaddeus, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaddeus/   Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

On managing finances and being tactical in leveraging free resources, protecting the romance in marriage, and involving himself with the family, Joshua Foo shares his Parent in Tech stories as a father to two girls and two boys, aged 19, 16, 15, and 11.   Joshua Foo is the Regional Director at Chainalysis. Prior to joining Chainalysis, he spent 18 years in the IT and cyber security space, managing infrastructure at security teams and the Singapore government before moving to the private sector as the Sales Director for FireEye, RSE, and Cardboard Black VMware.   In this episode, Joshua wisely reveals his personal experiences and rational observations to other Parents in Tech. He narrates their financial management in this expensive parenting culture, the importance of date nights every once in a while, and how to have a meaningful and intentional relationship with kids.   He also shares perceptive and enlightening parenting advice, especially for those who are struggling with, or are planning to have, 2 or more children in this technological-driven world.   To get in touch with Joshua Foo, find him on LinkedIn:https://sg.linkedin.com/in/joshua-foo-a49bb776

On explaining how tech works to kids with simple words and techniques, addressing favoritism with rationality, and balancing gender roles with his wife at home, Eric shares his Parent in Tech stories as a father to two boys, aged 6 and 3.   Eric Chan is the Lead Product Manager at Grab. Eric started his career as the Design Engineer at Dyson before working in product roles at Razer, Igloo Home, and Property Guru. He’s a passion explorer at night and recently started a video podcast, Your Grit Story, featuring the stories of founders, leaders, and change-makers who live by passion and perseverance.   In this episode, Eric narrates his parenting experiences, including his practical strategies and soft approaches as a father in tech, while emphasizing the importance of sharing the responsibility of household chores equally with his wife. He also shares insightful tips on how to be intentionally involved, not only with kids but also with one’s spouse.   To get in touch with Eric Chan, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ericchanjq https://sg.linkedin.com/company/yourgritstory

Having a newborn during quarantine, imposing a sleep training system for the kids and overcoming work slumps. In this episode on Parents in Tech, I speak with Yao Hong on parenting during quarantine.   Yao Hong Ch’ng is the Head of Engineering at January Capital. Previously, Yao Hong was one of the early employees at StashAway where he built the company’s flagship product from day zero. He managed product engineering launching in five different regions over four years and headed the business intelligence and data engineering efforts.    When asked about the one key lesson he learned as a parent in tech, Yao Hong Ch’ng emphasises the art of letting go, especially on the things we can’t control. There are no perfect parents in the world and not everything goes according to plan.  To get in touch with Yao Hong Ch’ng, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaohongchng/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Rejecting the status quo, drawing clearer boundaries, and finding the right balance in managing children’s relationship with technology. I talk to Shadab Taiyabi about how he and his wife adapted to COVID and created quality time, and shielded their kids from the perils of technology.    Shadab is the Head of FinTech and Innovation, APAC at Schroders. He is the President of the Singapore FinTech Association, a member of the Digital Innovation Committee at the Investment Management Association of Singapore, and the Head of Community at the FinTech Nation. Shadab is a father to two children: a daughter, age eight, and a son, age four.  In this episode, Shadab shares how he and his wife minimizes sibling rivalry even before their second child was born, ensures boundaries are set between work and home during the COVID situation, and finds the right balance in kids’ relationship with technology. To get in touch with Shadab, find him on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadab-taiyabi/   Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Diving into the deep end of family planning, finding the right parenting footing with your spouse, and applying the concepts of integration and setting boundaries, Sriram shares both his and his wife’s experiences with their two girls, aged two and a half and 9 months old.    Sriram is the Director for Sales Strategy and Operations at Salesforce. He leads a multi-faceted team spanning sales strategy, sales operations, and go-to-market strategy. Before Salesforce, he began his career at McKinsey before joining Dell as the Director of Global Operations Strategy and Digital Transformation, and finally Salesforce.   In this episode, Sriram shares his parenthood journey, and how he is supported by the people around him. He also talks about parenting mindsets as having more empathy and patience, and also describes parenting as a team activity rather than a ‘helping’ one.    He also shares personal anecdotes on his transition to fatherhood, particularly on learning how to compartmentalise, how to integrate both family life and work together, and how to set boundaries.    To get in touch with Sriram Ved, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sriram-ved/

The flexibility that work-from-home offers, teaching computational thinking to kids at an early age, and the importance of family. I talk to Steven Tong on how he navigates through work, personal, and family life.    Steven Tong has more than two decades of experience in technology - starting from a solutions architect and IT consultant, to investor at SG Innovate and StartupBootcamp and now, leading innovation as Head of SAP.io Foundry in Singapore.  He is a genuine, warm, and welcoming person who is a father to a nine-year-old daughter and a husband to his entrepreneur-couples therapist wife.   Steven talks about the importance of finding a company that values work-life balance. His previous work experiences allowed him to work on a flexible schedule. This gave him the freedom to work around his own schedule and have time for family despite the hustle. As much as work is important, family must always come first. He also wants to teach his daughter the value of family and to empathize with others.   Steven also shares the early stages of her fatherhood journey. His daughter was born prematurely, and it was very challenging for him and his wife. Fast forward to now, he is starting to introduce his daughter to the world of tech. He teaches her coding for the benefit of computational thinking, which he believes is helpful in daily life. He shares, “When we teach our kids, we learn from them too.”   To get in touch with Steven Tong, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/steventong.    Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.  

Taking turns to parent and bond with their newborn, facing challenges with a calm and discerning mindset, and being aware of one’s self and the people around us.   Aditya is the Head of Growth and Partnerships for Southeast Asia and India at HubSpot. Before this, he led the international expansion of Practo, a B2B startup in India, and was the country manager for Singapore. He is passionate on topics including sales and marketing tech stacks, low no-code platforms, and farm-to-table initiatives. Recently, in August 2021, Aditya welcomed his daughter into the world, along with his wife, Priya.    In this episode, Aditya shares how moving to Singapore was a timely and good decision for his family in the wake of COVID-19. His parenting dynamic, his teamwork with his wife Priya are some of the valuable lessons he has learned as a parent in tech.   Listen in to know about his views on family bonding time, advice on how to help the wife during pregnancy, balancing time between work and his two girls, and raising a newborn.   To get in touch with Aditya, find him on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/toadityakumar/    Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Giving kids the freedom to choose what they want, the art of experimentation on parenting techniques and setting clear boundaries between work and life. I talk to Zi Xin on how to manage time and energy for work, family, and hobbies.    Born and bred in Singapore, Zi Xin enjoys using technology to solve problems. He loves and lives to eat, but hates to queue - leading him to co-found Appic Technologies while in university. Appic Technologies was acquired by Chope in 2014, and since then Zi Xin has worked in product management leadership roles.   Zi Xin is a father of a three-year-old boy, Arthur. In his free time, he loves to scout for food with his wife, which they both truly enjoy. Parenting for Zi Xin is a learning experience, and he shares how he is not afraid of taking risks because he can always improve and learn from it.  From sleep training to letting his kid decide what to wear, Zi Xin prefers to teach their son independence from a young age.   As a parent in tech, Zi Xin also tries to experiment around his approach towards parenting. He loves to try out ways to improve the status quo, and learn from what did not work out. His principles help him in his parenting which is evident in the way he teaches empathy and courage to his son.    To get in touch with Zi Xin, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/chongzixin   Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Getting to know his wife through a magazine, convincing a fussy eater child to eat her meal, and creating a schedule to manage working from home. I talk to Gaurav Jain about raising his family in Singapore, while making work-from-home work with two kids.   Gaurav Jain is the Director of Engineering at Autodesk. Throughout his career, he has also started several side projects such as an online social platform for creative professionals and edutech mobile apps and games. He met his wife while browsing a magazine of potential partners, which turned out to be one of the best decisions in his life. She later became the mother of his two kids, aged 11 and 6. The first was born in India while the second was born in Singapore - two blessings they never expected, but now relish.    Gaurav shares one of the challenges of raising kids - fussy eating. To address this, he researched a variety of parenting techniques and experimented through trial-and-error. He recounted how starving his elder child for a day in an attempt to make her hungry and eat did not pan out as planned.   As a parent in tech, he also talks about the benefits and challenges of working from home as the lines often get blurred. To create a sense of balance between the two under one roof, he creates a strict schedule of work time and family time.    To get in touch with Gaurav Jain, find him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravunc/   Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Aligning priorities on family, fitness and work, migrating from England to Singapore and breaking parenting stereotypes, especially around dads. I talk to Sammy Elazab on having a well-balanced work, personal, and family life.   In this episode, we speak to Sammy, Senior Sales Manager and Head of Online Sales Organisation - Southeast Asia at LinkedIn. Sammy and his wife moved to Singapore a decade ago with the intent of staying for 2 years, but fell in love with the sunny island and stayed on. He is on a mission to make the days of others better by helping them understand their inner strength. Earlier this year, he became an Associate Certified Coach by the ICF. Sammy is the father of 3 children all aged 5 and under.   Sammy shares that despite having three young kids at the peak of his career, it has never occurred to him that family and parenthood might set him back on his career ambitions. He is grateful to have his children grow up together with a small age gap, so they can connect and bond with each other better.    Sammy’s road to fitness also started during quarantine season, and since then, has built a regular fitness regime with the help of a personal trainer to keep him consistent and accountable. Despite the hustle at work, he makes sure that he spends time with family, and to make every moment with them count.   To get in touch with Sammy Elazab, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sammyelazab   Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Raising children in a digital age, having more patience as a dad and prioritizing family over work. I talk to Lennard Lim on loving and raising two kids, and how family goes beyond bloodlines..    Lennard is a Product Manager of Trust and Safety at TikTok. He has more than a decade of product management experience at Yahoo, Singtel, BBC and most recently, GovTech, and a strong believer in making use of analytics for strategy and design. Lennard is a father of two, a son aged 11 and a daughter of their own aged 2.5 years old.    Lennard is an engaged father who takes the effort to prepare breakfast for his children daily, despite having domestic help. He met his wife 14 years ago when they were both Product Managers at Yahoo! so we also talk about how the tech landscape has radically changed since then. As a parent in tech, Lennard shares with us a picture of his kids’ relationship with social media and also discusses how parenthood helps him be more patient and consider challenges from different perspectives. .    To connect with Lennard, you may find him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lennard-lim-2b339920/   Don’t forget to head over to parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of Parents in Tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

The journey of raising a child with special needs, overcoming the anxieties of being a first-time dad in a difficult situation, and learning how to show more support for one’s spouse. In this special episode, I speak with Jonathan Seow about the challenges and lessons he learned as a father of two.   Jonathan is the Chief Financial Officer at Moleac and a board member at Down Syndrome Association of Singapore. Jonathan has an illustrious career starting as CIMB before rising the ranks in the biopharmaceutical space. He's also an active advocate and supporter for families with children diagnosed with Down Syndrome.   Jonathan’s eldest son Nathan was diagnosed when he was still in his mother’s womb. Despite the medical advice and snide remarks by the gynecologist, who said that their kid would turn out to be “gross”, Jonathan and his wife decided to keep Nathan. Now, he's in a loving home environment with the help of a better gynecologist and a community that helps them learn how to become better at parenting children with down syndrome. My conversation with Jonathan was inspiring and I hope it is for you too.  The Down Syndrome Association of Singapore (DSA) is also hosting the Mystique Charity Gala Dinner on Saturday, 24 September 2022. This event will mark DSA’s first in-person event since 2019, which aims to raise $300,000 to continue the association’s mission to serve persons with Down syndrome and their families with quality programs and services. Support this cause with a donation of any amount, or purchasing a seat / table for Mystique here: https://give.asia/campaign/dsa-mystique-xvi-charity-dinner Donations will be eligible for a tax deduction of 250% To get in touch with Jonathan Seow, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-seow/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Finding the right balance between career and family, building relationships with your children and spouse, and teaching children the value of discipline, patience, and humility. I talk to Praveen about his experiences as a dad with two boys aged two and five. Praveen Velu is Strategic Partnerships Lead at Meta. Praveen started his career in financial broadcast journalism during the Global Financial Crisis with companies including CNBC and Yahoo. He then led network development at The Walt Disney Company in APAC, before co-founding Evie.AI, an AI personal assistant that schedules meetings. This is one of the must-have tools I myself use in my day job as a venture capitalist. Praveen’s management philosophy begins and ends with people, and he is a father of two boys aged 2 and 5. Praveen shares several anecdotes and helpful insights to fellow parents in tech. He talks about implementing discipline in his children’s lives, while adopting a more inclusive, more open approach compared to the parenting he experienced in their childhood. He also shares how weekends are dedicated to quality family time, and how he is grateful to have a strong support system from his family and his neighbors in the estate he and his family stay in. To get in touch with Praveen, find him on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveenvelu/

Moving with a young family and living in different parts of the world, being an optimist at work as well as in parenting, and the fungibility of skills as a parent and an angel investor. I talk to Jachin Cheng on his take on parenting and investing.   Jachin Cheng is a Senior Product Manager at Google Pay and Google AI. He was born and raised in the US before joining Google in 2007. His 15-year career with them has brought him across Israel, the UK, Switzerland, and finally Singapore. His globe-trotting career, along with his wife and three children, aged 10, 7, and 3 has shaped his views on parenting. Jachin is also an angel investor.   Working in different countries means getting to experience diverse cultures. Jachin points out how the differences in parenting styles were an eye-opener and inspiration on how to parent as a first time father. A nomadic lifestyle started to get challenging with 3 children, so the decision to plant roots in Singapore helped.    One of the lessons Jachin applies both at work and at home is optimism. He relishes seeing the good in people and in ideas, then working hard to make it happen.   To get in touch with Jachin Cheng find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/jachin   Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Preparing for unexpected fatherhood was the beginning of Eric’s parenthood journey, as the career-oriented product manager shares how he had to pivot from a mindset focused on himself, to the life of an actively involved husband and father. Eric talks about how he balances his zeal for career growth with a passion for parenting and supporting his wife. He highlights the importance of setting boundaries to create time for his family, share the workload, and instill good behavior in his growing daughter. In doing this, Eric encourages other dads to take small steps towards being an engaged parent.    Eric is the Director of Product Management at Ninja Van, with over a decade of experience in Product Management. Born and raised in Malaysia, he is an active parent of a 5-year old girl and he believes in using technology to enable people to do great things.  Although having a kid was unexpected, Eric is grateful for his daughter who has been a blessing and brought a new perspective.    Sharing the strategies he used to adapt to family life, Eric notes the challenges as well as tools from work to interact better at home and vice versa. The value of patience was one of these as Eric discusses the “terrible 2s” and his views on punishment. In all of this, rest is critical; "The first advice I would give to new parents is first to give yourself a break, you don't have to get everything 100% right the first time”. Setting boundaries is another tool he uses to foster balance at work and at home. Lastly, Eric advises parents to keep up with technology trends to protect their families.  To get in touch with Eric, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericwhy/  Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Encouraging kids, especially with twins, to think critically, using a routine to allocate time between work and family, and finding meaning. I talk to Mark about banned words in their house (“can’t”), achieving work-life balance, and spending quality time with family.   Mark Leadercramer is the Head of Enterprise Sales and Cryptocurrency for Stripe in Southeast Asia. Mark started his career in media and advertising before spending a decade building and leading Mintel, a market intelligence firm in Asia Pacific. Mark is passionate about coaching and building high-performing teams and is a father of three: the twins Harrison and Emily, age six, and a newborn named Sophia.   In this episode, Mark talks to us about his move from London to Australia. He then met his wife Justine on his first night out in Sydney. At the time of our recording, their 10-year anniversary was coming up. The couple welcomed kids the same time Mark got a new job, and he talks about the challenges he and Justine went through, and how they conquered them together.   From the importance of family values, tackling pregnancy, splitting the work between him and his wife, and the importance of communicating with his family, Mark shares the wisdom he has gained as a parent in tech.   To get in touch with Mark, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-leadercramer-25899b15/?originalSubdomain=sg    Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Creating a space that encourages deep work for you and your peers, energy management as an introvert, and embracing adversity as a parent. I talk to Samuel Hall as he shares the wisdom and enlightenment he has collated over the years as a high-performing parent.   Samuel Hall is the CEO of Rainmaking Asia Pacific Venture Studio. Samuel was born and raised in the UK and started his career as a lawyer before moving to Singapore and building his career across multiple startups and new ventures. In 2016, he found that the Rainmaking APAC venture studio had also launched startup bootcamp, a startup accelerator across Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Samuel has two daughters, aged three and one.    As a present dad to his two daughters, prioritizing his time for family time and work time is vital. Samuel has allocated time for his deep work where he concentrates on his tasks at work and finds time to really think and get inspired. When it’s his wife’s time to do her deep work, it‘s his time to take care of his daughters. This has been a system for their family at home and being cognizant to each other’s time and space for deep work is essential.    Samuel is admittedly an introvert disguised as an extrovert, so after numerous hours of dealing with teams and other individuals for work, it can get draining for him. Energy management has played a role in helping him allocate energy for both work and his family to ensure that he has enough for both.    As a parent in tech, you will go through many changes and challenges in your life. You will face a number of adversities but you can acknowledge that there is a sense of winning in losing. You learn from your losses and this will help you in your path towards success. Embracing adversity must be a constant thing in life as it shows that we are progressing and moving forward.    To get in touch with Samuel Hall, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sam-a-hall   Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.