Let's Talk, Singapore!

We’re talking about the phenomenon known as BookTok, and how social media is giving publishing a real boost. Yu may have seen this in Kinokuniya or other bookstores that now have some shelves dedicated to social media recs! Audrey and Dan chat about our last reads and how we get our reviews.   Presented by Audrey Siek & Dan Koh Produced by Audrey Siek Edited by Trisha Yeong Photo and music credit: Pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Agnes AI has become one of Asia’s fastest-growing AI platforms, built right here in Singapore. The Breakfast Show sits down withBruce Yang, Founder & CEO of SapiensAI, to unpack how the company scaled to two million users in three months, what this says about Singapore’s AI adoption, and the lessons entrepreneurs can learn about building tech that truly adds value.

Even with inflation, higher rates, and talk of a spending slowdown, consumers are still tapping away, and Visa’s numbers prove it. With quarterly revenue up 12 percent and cross-border transactions climbing 12 percent, Visa remains one of the clearest reflections of how the world spends. Dan Koh and Audrey Siek find out what these results reveal about consumer confidence, digital payments, and the quiet power of a company that moves nearly half the world’s money.

The Fed has begun cutting again, but without the comfort investors expected. Jerome Powell’s message was clear: the path to lower rates will be “data-dependent,” not automatic. Meanwhile, stocks remain at all-time highs, gold continues to glitter, and yields are refusing to budge. Dan Koh speaks with Ben Emons, Chief Investment Officer at Fed Watch Advisors, about what the Fed’s shift in tone really means, how the end of quantitative tightening could reshape liquidity, and whether markets are due for a healthy pullback after months of record highs.

Stocks surged to new records as the artificial intelligence frenzy showed no signs of cooling. Nvidia led the charge with a 5% jump and fresh announcements at its GTC conference, including a billion-dollar stake in Nokia to accelerate AI ambitions. Microsoft and Apple each crossed the $4 trillion mark, while investors braced for the Fed’s rate decision. But beneath the market euphoria, concerns are mounting over the wave of AI-driven layoffs reshaping the workforce. Josh Gilbert, Market Analyst at eToro discusses how Wall Street’s AI winners are fueling record valuations and what that means for jobs and the broader economy.  

In two years, Singapore-based OMS Energy Technologies went from a management buyout to a Nasdaq listing, posting more than US $200 million in revenue and securing long-term contracts with Saudi Aramco and Petronas. At the centre of that transformation is How Meng Hock, a CEO who staked his own money to save jobs and rebuild culture before taking the company global. The Breakfast Show invites How Meng Hock, CEO of OMS Energy Technologies, to talk about leading with empathy, building credibility in global markets, and how he turned a quiet industrial brand into an international success story.

Smartphones made it famous, but servers may define its future. Qualcomm is stepping into the AI-chip arena with its new AI200 and AI250 accelerators, designed to challenge NVIDIA’s dominance with smarter, more efficient designs. Dan Koh and Ryan Huang explore what makes these chips different, what’s at stake for investors, and whether Qualcomm’s AI pivot can truly pay off.

Are you one of those people who can’t resist a good cashback deal? You know, you’re shopping online, and then you see that magic phrase: “Get 5% cashback!” It’s that little dopamine hit that makes you go, “Eh, it’s okay, I’m getting something back.” But is cashback a smart financial move… or are we just tricking ourselves into spending more?   Presented by Audrey Siek & Ryan Huang  Produced by Audrey Siek Edited by Trisha Yeong Photo and music credit: Pixabay & its talented community of contributors —-

Leaders are often expected to stay composed under pressure, make quick decisions, and guide others through uncertainty. Yet behind that sense of control lies a growing conversation about how those in senior roles manage their own mental and emotional well-being.  As therapy and executive coaching become more common tools for reflection and growth, how are leaders using them to build resilience and clarity? And what does it take to create workplaces where those conversations can happen more openly? Dr. Jonathan Marshall, Executive Coach and Psychologist, Marshall Consulting, joins us to discuss the evolving relationship between leadership, self-awareness, and mental well-being and how understanding the difference between therapy and coaching can help leaders decide which form of support best fits their needs.

Easing U.S.-China tensions are fueling a record-setting rally across major indexes. With the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow all hitting fresh highs, chipmakers and Big Tech led the charge in a week of a packed earnings to come. However, beneath the market euphoria, headlines of layoffs and trade uncertainty hint at deeper questions about growth. Christine Short, Vice President of Research, Wall Street Horizon unpacks the market mood, the potential trade deal framework, and what investors should watch as the Fed gears up for its next rate cut decision. Produced/presented: Ryan Huang Image: Geralt via Pixabay