One Sneak Peek Into An Upcoming SEA Media Sensation

In Junior College, I studied both China Studies in Chinese and Translation in Chinese.

One of the comments that I often got would be, “Wow! So much Chinese! I could never.”

And indeed, throughout my education journey, most of my classmates and schoolmates found learning Chinese a chore. Many struggled to even write and read simple vocabulary.

So imagine my surprise when I found someone as passionate about the language as I am.

Meet Zhan Tiam! He’s the co-founder of local media company SEAmplified, and their main product is a weekly newsletter that explores Southeast Asian news and youth politics.

Zhan Tiam is an undergraduate majoring in Political Science and Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore.

He started SEAmplified after completing a startup internship in Jakarta, Indonesia.

He recalls, “The youths there do not know what was happening in Singapore, and vice versa. “

It was then and there that he decided that his advocacy efforts were not enough, leading him to start SEAmplified.

Speaking with Zhan Tiam taught me two things:

1. Test the Market. Pivot if necessary.

SEAmplified publishes its articles twice weekly. Their focus is currently on highlighting trailblazers - people who are taking action to make Southeast Asia a better community for everyone. They also dig deeper into the meaning of Joy, where they find out what makes SEA youths happy.

Initially, they covered political events in Southeast Asia and how they would affect employment opportunities for youths. However, the two co-founders soon realised that this gained no traction as youths were not only concerned about employment. They were also curious about other topics like pursuing happiness and climate change, thus motivating them to switch their focus.

2. Be open to new opportunities that align with your interests.

Before founding SEAmplified, Zhan Tiam was a member of local non-profit Young SEAkers. He joined the organisation not knowing what to expect, but did so mainly because he wanted to enter a community that was about politics and China, two topics that he was very passionate about.

He studied Chinese Studies and Education in polytechnic, and this led him to join Young SEAkers as a founding member of the school curriculum team, where he would design courses and go down to schools to teach youths about China and Southeast Asia.

Through Young SEAkers, he met many who were as passionate as him about Southeast Asian affairs, and he learnt about the various opportunities available in the region, thus leading him to start a newsletter that focused on featuring the many directions that youths could take in Southeast Asia.

When inquired about his end goal for the company, Zhan Tiam said, “We are still exploring the newsletter product. But eventually I want to create a podcast or video series. Our aim is to forge bonds across borders as a media powerhouse and do away with the “superiority” mindset of Singaporeans.”

Interested in finding out more about SEAmplified?

Here is Zhan Tiam’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tan-zhan-tiam/

And that is it for today’s One Sneak Peek Into.

Stay tuned for more insights from our interview series as we continue to explore the stories of trailblazers breaking barriers and redefining success.