Maybe this is what a sprint feels like – you give your everything, days, nights and free time all towards one specific goal – jab, jab, jab. You run your best 100m, but ... you didn't get first. Didn't get picked. You were not enough.

That's how I'm feeling right now. Rejection sucks, it unleashes a giant cloud of “what went wrong?”, “I thought it was good”, “What did I miss?”, “Am I really that bad?”, “Was I too full of myself?” thoughts that impairs visions on day 1, but it eventually subsides as a the days go by.

It's been three days since I got rejected from AI Singapore for their Apprenticeship Programme. When I attended the briefing about two months back it felt like something achievable – they were looking to build AI talent in Singapore and you didn't need to be of computer science background nor of any particular age to get selected. I really thought that it was a way for me to build my portfolio and credibility in this competitive sector, and have always had a dream of helping Singapore build her AI competency in a global landscape. I was suddenly brought back to my twenties, when after graduating NUS with a degree in Real Estate, I dreamt about helping shape Singapore's urban landscape by joining the URA. I was rejected then.

Although life presented me with many nice surprises and opportunities after, now 20 plus years later, that “dream unfulfilled” still resides in the back of my mind. I thought that now this time I could try again, this time with AI instead of Real Estate. But maybe life keeps pointing me somewhere better.

Today is Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 11:35am. I'll just grieve over my self-doubt for a few more minutes, then start thinking about different options. I'm deathly focused on committing the next chapter of my life to figuring AI (machine learning, large language models) out, because I believe this is truly the next wave in tech, just like how the age of Internet and digital marketing transformed businesses in the 2000s.

My purpose is not to be housed in a datacentre (like I envisioned), but to get out there to help businesses understand this new transformation. This will be my new focus.

Let's continue building.

#Rejection #Apprenticeship #AISingapore #AIAP #CareerPivot

Can a solo-builder contribute to Singapore’s national AI mission? I’m pursuing an AI Singapore apprenticeship to help transform our local talent into a global export.

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I recently had a realization while watching Dispatches from Elsewhere: staying quiet is a form of selfishness. In the show, Fredwynn tells Peter that by not sharing his perspective, he’s withholding something valuable from the group. That hit home. For too long, I’ve been a quiet solo-builder, but as I pursue an apprenticeship with AI Singapore (AISG), I’ve realized that my mission, and the knowledge I gain, belongs to the community.

Singapore has no natural resources; we only have our people. I believe AI is our unique opportunity to transcend our physical limits and export local talent to the world. To get there, I’m attacking this from three angles: building real-world solutions, earning technical certifications, and finally, refusing to be 'selfish' by sharing every step of this journey in public.

• First I will just solo-build, or team-build (I don't have many friends to start with actually), help my friends solve their issues, learning and building at the same time.
• Secondly, I will build my credibility by getting certifications, skills and knowledge
• And third, I will resolve to share more about my journey, because I recently realized that if I don't share, I'm being selfish with my knowledge. So ... I will share more, here on my blog, and also look out for upcoming videos on YouTube.

If I don't get the apprenticeship I will still keep building.

Thanks for reading.

#reflection #ai #apprenticeship #AISingapore #AISG #SingaporeTech #SoloBuilder #AIGovernance #SmartNation #CareerPivot #LearningInPublic