My Experience As A Developer So Far

The Lookback

As I took a stroll down the memory lane on how I have developed my software programming skills, the difference has been stark indeed. Back in those days, languages such as Assembly, basic C, to slightly more complex languages such as Java and Matlab, are the prime languages learnt. However, currently, namely Ruby, via Ruby on Rails and Javascript, via EmberJS are my main stack. Choice of programming languages has been largely driven by the framework that goes along with it.

Although choice of languages has took a surprising turn, but one thing remains, the desire to continue to tinker with things. Ever since my project days in university of successfully creating both MP3 player and Voice Command-Controlled Robot, with Bluetooth capability (best part, I still keep most of the code), I continue to put faith in my capability in learning software development although I do not graduate as a software engineering student.

The Goal

As I think through about it, the goal has always been to hone my software development skills and use it for the betterment of society (especially on items which I am truly passionate about). Although I work in the finance industry, the true goal would be to marry both finance and technology together in order to improve society’s welfare.

A lot of people would term this as per the buzz word used nowadays, fintech. For me, the real fintech are those that really helped to improve lives worldwide from individual or even business' perspective (think Stripe, TransferWise, etc.).

I have always been very interested in capital and general financial markets. I believe individuals should have the necessary information in order to make informed investment decisions. Largely, these investments would come in the form of listed securities such as equities (and in certain cases, retail bond markets or ETFs). Simultaneously, they should be able to track their portfolio of investments across various markets, seamlessly.

The Journey

Which brings me to where I am currently. From managing Wordpress sites to developing a platform with listed company’s financial statement (instead of relying on PDF annual reports), the journey has been extraordinary. Product-market fit has always been challenging as I learnt from my previous project.

The desire to create a solution which has market fit, coupled with long-term benefits to society, and going hand-in-hand with one’s own interest is always challenging. However, that is a challenge that I would be more than happy to undertake.

I am currently working on developing a solution to track equity investments across Malaysia and Singapore and I could not wait to use it and share it with the larger retail investors in the market. To all that share the same excitement, stay tuned!