Daphne Ng is the co-founder & CEO at Dedoco, an API-first digital document and signing platform headquartered in Singapore.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I am the Co-Founder and CEO of Dedoco, which I established in early 2020 with my other co-founder/CTO Dr Ernie Teo.
Dedoco stands for ‘Decentralized Document Connector’ and we are a blockchain-based, digital document workflow platform with clients in the government, banking, professional services and real estate sectors.
Currently, we have offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. I have been in the technology space for 5 years now, and prior to that I was in corporate banking for 8 years.
2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
I am a morning person and my brain is most active in the mornings. Hence my one-down meetings with my team leaders and division heads are usually in the mornings.
The rest of the day is usually packed with business lunches and meetings, and my team has access to my calendar which is open for them to check and book my time.
I also try to do lunchtime yoga or pilates twice a week, as the studio is a walking distance from my Robinson Road office.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Dedoco was born during the COVID period in March last year and hence remote working was the default mode for our team in the beginning.
Hence we are very adept with a hybrid work model, where we allow our team members the flexibility to work remotely and/or do collaborative work in the office – whatever works best for them and their tasks. Similarly for me, I work on the go, wherever and whenever.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
To me, it’s about being balanced mentally, emotionally and physically. Work takes up 70% of our time and hence it’s important to do work that keeps us spirited, motivated and happy. I love the intensity and adrenaline of running a fast paced start-up: chasing deals, over-achieving, dreaming higher and always reaching for more.
But at the same time, I also love having fun and setting aside time for social activities with my friends over food, good whisky and great conversations. In short, I believe in having full control over your time and doing whatever makes you happy.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
Since COVID, I have been more consistent in my art endeavors, which is also an avenue for me to de-stress. Every weekend, I do acrylic and abstract painting, as I build up my collection of artwork for commissioning. My current two passions: Dedoco and Art.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
Ray Dalio is my current favourite.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
My two mobile phones, laptop (for my work), iPad (for my art sketches and Netflix), my cards (because I am always cashless), my bank and crypto apps, transport apps and google map (when I drive).
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Any successful list co CEO – because every story is different and will be interesting to read.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Do it on your own terms.
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