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I was speaking to a business school class here in Singapore. I asked, “How many people would like to start their own company some day?” In a room of 50 people,

• gommm 15y ago
  I've spent some time in Malaysia (around Penang), and most of the chinese malaysian I knew wanted to start their own business and considered being an employee to be something almost shameful... I've never seen a community of people more entrepreneurial. I always assumed that it was the same in Singapore. The part about people living with their parents is completely true though...
  • hboon 15y ago
    No, generally Malaysians are definitely way more entrepreneurial than Singaporeans. Singapore has a much more stable environment and state-managed vibe. Over decades, this tends to encourage less entrepreneurial spirit in people here. This is changing recently, especially with the younger generation here though. But I'd still be surprise of that kind of response in a business school here.
• sivers 15y ago
  It was a class at SMU that was not about entrepreneurship - probably a management class. I didn't mean to say (& didn't say) that no Singaporeans are entrepreneurial. I could have just as likely been in an accountancy class in Zurich. It was just an example of a moment of realizing that not everyone thinks the same as the people I'm usually around.