Ascenda

Pros: For a Product Manager here, the work-life balance is pretty decent most of the time. You get some flexibility with your hours, and there's a good amount of annual leave. The hybrid model in the Singapore office helps a lot, too.
Cons: It's a growing tech company in the loyalty tech industry, so you can't always avoid crunch periods. Deadlines mean late nights sometimes, especially before a big product release. It's not always a consistent 40-hour week.
Advice to Management: Try to better manage project scope and allocate resources to avoid burnout during critical phases. More predictable schedules would be great for everyone.

Pros: It's a solid place if you're fresh out of school and want to learn about the FinTech loyalty solutions space. As an entry-level Software Engineer, you get exposed to a lot of different parts of the rewards platform. The hybrid work setup in Singapore was also pretty flexible.
Cons: Career growth is tough once you're past the junior phase. There aren't clear paths to move up to more senior technical roles or management. It felt like I hit a wall after a couple of years, despite being in the Singapore office.
Advice to Management: Leadership needs to build out clearer progression frameworks for mid-level and senior technical roles. It would really help with retaining talent if there were visible paths for career advancement beyond just staying a senior engineer forever.