On And On

Please introduce yourself.
My name is Sufi, I’m 33 this year, and I’m currently working in the FinTech industry under the customer support operations department.

How did you get into FinTech?
So funny story, I was never a fan of finance or math to begin with. So when I landed one of my first jobs at YouTrip, I started to think that FinTech is actually quite interesting. It felt very different from the traditional banking world. The environment was young, vibrant, and had more of a start-up energy, which I really enjoyed. Unlike large multinational companies, there was a mix of people from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences, which made it dynamic and exciting. That experience really changed my perspective and sparked my interest in the FinTech industry.

How long have you been working in FinTech?
I’ve been working in FinTech for about 6-7 years. Before that, I was mostly in logistics companies like Honestbee and Deliveroo, working in customer support operations.

Do you see yourself in FinTech for a long time?
I’m currently on the hunt for a new job because I want to explore more opportunities. And honestly, whenever I’m browsing job listings, if a company isn’t related to the FinTech or finance industry, I tend to skip it. I naturally gravitate towards roles that are more aligned with what I’m doing now and where my interests lie.

Do you have a company of industry in mind that you’re keen to join?
To be honest, at this age, I’m quite open to any opportunities that come lah. I mean, it’s quite challenging for people to get jobs these days. So whatever comes, as long as it fits my criteria, I’ll probably take it lah.

We hope you’ll find the right fit soon then! Now, enough about work—what do you do in your free time?
I’m a bassist and I’m currently playing in band called stereoblu. I’ve been playing the bass for almost 18 years—since I was 15. But even with all this experience, it never feels like it’s enough. I’ve seen bands perform at the Esplanade and major music festivals, and I still feel like there’s so much more that I want to achieve. So far, my biggest milestone has been performing at IGNITE! Music Festival, but that’s just one step. Just like in a career where you’re always striving to grow and move forward, I feel the same way about music. It’s a constant journey of improvement and pushing myself to the next level.

We’ve spoken to a few of your bandmates and it seems like they see you as the leader. Can you tell us more about the band?
That’s what people say about me. I don’t self-declare myself as the band leader, but the band members see me as their leader. So I’m the bassist, and we have Gale as the singer, Franco on guitars, Alphaeus on drums and Yingqi on the keyboard. As for the band dynamics, I’m unfortunately the oldest while the rest are in their early 20s (laughs). We focus more on the indie pop genre, and we’re actually releasing our first single soon. We just had our album art photo shoot done last week and are in the midst of mixing and mastering our track called Goldfish Dreams.

Cool title! What’s the song about?
One fun fact about me is that I keep goldfish! Of course, I keep them as a personal hobby, but on the side, I also sell them online. Some of them I even groom and train for competitions and shows.

As for the song, the gist of it is actually about how you care for goldfish—grooming them, feeding them well, and preparing them for competitions. But if you ask the rest of the band, they might have a totally different interpretation of the song (laughs).

We’re looking forward to it! Finally, what are your hopes for the band?
I think to be part of major music festivals will be one of the greatest achievements. But currently, that’s not our priority because we’re focusing on making music and getting our name out there!