My Startup Story: Singapore’s legal counsel on her first startup experience

Shulin Tay came to Revolut as a Senior Legal Counsel eager for her first startup experience. She had spent years in the military and in banking and finance multinational corporations (MNC) that had tons of power and bureaucracy behind them, and wanted to know what it felt like to be on the side of the FinTech underdogs. She had heard about Revolut and its ambitions to overhaul the financial industry, and its bold goals certainly piqued her interest. And so she leapt out from the safety of enduring firms and into Revolut’s Singapore team.

“I stand by the switch I made. The level of ownership, the pace at which ideas are generated and executed, the spirited people - here, I feel a real sense of contribution to any particular outcome and I really enjoy that.”

At Revolut, Shulin immediately picked up on the intrinsic differences between an MNC and a startup. For one, everyone had a seat at the table and nobody’s voice was too small; this wasn’t something she had very often seen in big boardrooms. Here, anyone could flag out anything they thought was attention-worthy and everyone listened. And second, the pace at which projects were being created and executed was refreshing and energising; there were internal processes in place but no unnecessary red tape to cross, which meant that changes and initiatives could be quickly deployed. To Shulin, this was a revolutionary experience that has since influenced her to perceive and act differently when navigating new projects. “There is a very high level of trust, respect and collaboration here, which I think makes for a healthy team culture. Everyone loves coming up with ideas and pushing the company forward, simply because we believe we can each make a difference.”

As our conversation came to a close, we asked if Shulin would recommend for others to join Revolut. “Not everyone. Revolut is a great place to work at only for those who are up for a challenge, looking for intellectual excitement and don’t mind getting their hands deep into the mud. We’re not a place where people come to relax or retire; if anything, we’re a place for people who are just getting started.”

Are you thinking about starting a new chapter in a startup like ours? We’re hiring in various locations, and we’d love for you to take a look at opportunities on our career site!