AI, Community, and Big Wins: Singapore Build Club is Charging Ahead 💡

Saanvi

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:00:36 GMT

<p>Singapore’s Build Club chapter is off to an electrifying start, thanks to City Leads Eugene, Ryan, and Jay. In just one event, they’ve created a space where AI enthusiasts, builders, and innovators come together to learn, collaborate, and create.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg" width="1456" height="965" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":965,"width":1456,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":1313018,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":false,"topImage":true,"internalRedirect":"https://buildclub.substack.com/i/173678841?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gmyg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F138d4fab-715e-46bc-90c6-953946adeaac_3089x2048.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h2>From Zero to One 🚀</h2><p>Eugene, an ex-product manager, was drawn to Build Club because it’s all about building from zero to one.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{"url":"https://buildclub.substack.com/subscribe?","text":"Subscribe","language":"en"}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Build Club Wrapped! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email…" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><blockquote><p>“Build Club represents exactly that, both from the founding of the Singapore chapter itself and getting emboldened with the tools to build something from just natural languages and prompts with AI tools. We’re just one event in and the energy couldn’t be more electric!”</p></blockquote><p>He credits his success to his co-leads and partners in “AI crime,” Jay and Ryan.</p><h2>Proudest Moments 🌟</h2><p>Ryan recalls a highlight that sums up the energy in Singapore:</p><blockquote><p>“When our speaker came up to the front and said, ‘This is the most energizing event I've been to in a while!’, that was huge for us.”</p></blockquote><h2>Overcoming Challenges ⚡</h2><p>Jay highlights the challenge of standing out in a crowded AI space:</p><blockquote><p>“We spoke to builders to understand what they actually wanted and developed a community thesis and value proposition. It gave us ideas that resonated and made planning easier.”</p></blockquote><h2>Creating Experiences That Connect ✨</h2><p>Ryan emphasizes that engagement is intentional:</p><blockquote><p>“It’s about the right people, the right problem, and the right constraints. This ensures people engage deeply instead of just showing up.”</p></blockquote><h2>Partnerships That Matter 🤝</h2><p>From the very beginning, Singapore’s Build Club approached sponsorships differently — focusing on partnerships rather than traditional advertising.</p><blockquote><p>“We ask, ‘What problem are you trying to solve that a room full of the right people could actually help with?’ Sponsors become participants, and everyone wins,” says Ryan.</p></blockquote><p>For the launch event, the team brought together an incredible lineup of partners who share Build Club’s vision of empowering builders. Airwallex co-hosted the night, connecting directly with the builders shaping the next wave of AI-powered products. Other partners included Square Peg, Manus, HubSpot for Startups, SWITCH by Enterprise Singapore, Notion, AWS, and e27.</p><p>Through their relationships, persistence, and a shared belief in the community’s mission, Eugene, Ryan, and Jay were able to secure all these partners for the very first event, setting a high bar for Singapore’s Build Club and creating a strong foundation for future growth.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg" width="1456" height="1092" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":1092,"width":1456,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":1636206,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":"https://buildclub.substack.com/i/173678841?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8jLz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3f89b60-d5bb-4c2a-94da-33d6f9274696_4032x3024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h2>What’s Next 🚀</h2><p>Looking ahead, the Singapore team is moving beyond monthly demos and hackathons.</p><blockquote><p>“We’re focusing on functional topics that feed into larger projects, culminating in a big demo showcase at the end of the year. Builders get real, sustained growth through the community,” says Jay.</p></blockquote><h2>Advice from the City Leads 💬</h2><p>Eugene’s advice is simple:</p><blockquote><p>“Be someone who genuinely wants to show up for the journey of Build Club, no matter your technical skill level. Empower people across all stages of AI competency, and be a bit kiasu so we can be the best chapter!”</p></blockquote><p>With Eugene, Ryan, and Jay leading the charge, Singapore’s Build Club isn’t just about AI, it’s about people, community, and curiosity. And from the very first event, the energy shows the future is bright.</p><p>👉 Connect with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/teo/">Eugene</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanthoo/">Ryan</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayteoyc/">Jay</a> on LinkedIn and keep an eye out for more Singapore events <a href="https://luma.com/buildercommunityanz">here</a>!</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{"url":"https://buildclub.substack.com/subscribe?","text":"Subscribe","language":"en"}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Build Club Wrapped! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email…" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>