Geekout — A deep dive into the world of GovTech
Hi, I’m Euan, and I’m here to tell you more about Geekout 2023. Here’s how the article normally works — I tell you about all the good food we had over the past week, the insightful talks we were given, the networking opportunities, and how GovTech has the friendliest and brightest staff which you can learn so much from (all of which are true, by the way).
But you know all that already.
Let’s do something different this time. I want to share about how this bootcamp changed the way I thought about using technology to solve problems in the real world. And once you see how the bootcamp has changed my perspective on these things, you’d probably want to sign up too.
I chose to pursue programming because I saw the way technology could be used to help impact the world for the better. Consequently, I’ve always wanted to be part of the startup space. To me, it was a surefire way I could ensure that the work I did could positively impact the lives of others. Afterall, a requirement for a startup to become successful would be for it to have solved a problem many individuals were facing. Fast and disruptive, I saw value in the way startups poked not only at existing problems, but existing solutions as well.
Government organisations seemed like the complete opposite to me. Big, bulky and bureaucratic, the “Gov” in “GovTech” made the whole organisation seem like a huge oxymoron — I couldn’t see how it could ever do well in a fast-paced environment like tech.
Attending Geekout proved me wrong. Throughout the camp, we attended workshops that gave us the privilege to take a closer look at the projects GovTech was working on. Technology like the video analytics system built by the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Division (DSAID) or the Digital Twin projects by the Smart City and Technology Division (SCTD) left quite the impression on me — not just because of how technically impressive it was, but you could quite directly see how the technology could help enable the government to better improve the lives of its citizens.
Rather than sticking out like a sore thumb, I’ve realised that the “Gov” in “GovTech” is precisely what makes the company so special. It plays an essential role in the design-thinking process that is used to create technological solutions, and it’s this process that helps ensure our nation’s resources are accurately channelled to the areas that can impact citizens’ lives the most.
This way of thinking was instilled into us during the 24-hour hackathon on the last day. The hackathon was as much of a policy-a-thon as it was a hackathon. Beyond the technical implementation of solutions, we were encouraged to go a step above and think about how our solution would be integrated into society and pitched to stakeholders — all very real problems faced when making a product for the real world. When receiving feedback on our projects, a particular GovTech staff put it best — for them, the technical portion of a solution is never the hard part. And that really left an impression on me.
As software engineers, we have a tendency to see technology as a panacea for all societal ills. When approaching a hackathon, my friends and I would think of a cool idea first, which we would then force-fit into the problem statement. We throw solutions at a problem we don’t understand fully and pray it sticks. But that’s not how things work in real life. In real life, you have to consider everything other than the technical parts of an idea as well. If you have an idea for a solution that hasn’t been implemented before, you have to first ask yourself why and consider the limitations before jumping headfirst into building a product. You have to consider the “Gov” in “GovTech”. After all, a good product is nothing without good distribution.
When you work in an organisation that creates products that will be used by the majority of citizens in a country, the margin for error is slim while the pressure to deliver is huge. GovTech, somehow or rather, has always managed to deliver, and Geekout shows you exactly why the organisation has been able to have as much success as it does today. Listening to expert software engineers talk about the in-depth thought-processes behind their creations, seeing the passion they have for their subject-matter, you are able to see firsthand a fraction of what it takes to launch a successful product.
Geekout left me feeling very inspired. Beyond the interesting and passionate people you meet, and the enthusiastic speakers that somehow or rather manage to keep you engaged about a topic you don’t even understand (Yu Pengfei, a Cybersecurity Engineer at GovTech’s Cyber Security Group, held a talk on cybersecurity that was really the highlight of all the workshops), Geekout left me inspired because it set a new standard for me on how to evaluate technological solutions in the future. Beyond the lines of code and space/time complexities (which are of course still important), the biggest part of what makes a solution special is everything that doesn’t involve code. And it’s clear that GovTech had that in mind when designing all their products.
Geekout 2023 was a wonderful experience that allowed me to fully dive deep into the world of tech. The people, the food, the speakers, the mentors, everything was so well organised and such a pleasant experience I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my June holidays. If you’re like me and hope to eventually one day create technology that can help improve the lives of citizens everywhere, do yourself a favour and sign up for Geekout.
I hope this is not the last time I step foot in a GovTech building, because the place has certainly made quite the impression on me.
Get notified of the next run of Geekout here: (go.gov.sg/GovTechTalentCommunity)
