Singapore’s birth rate has been falling for years. Policies have been introduced, incentives have been increased, and yet the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) continues to decline to worryingly low levels.But behind the numbers, there are still individuals and couples who choose to have children.In this episode, we speak with millennial dads at different stages of fatherhood. From those preparing for it to those already raising one or more children. Through their experiences, we explore a more human side of the issue: how people think about having kids, what readiness really means, and why some still decide to move forward even when they do not feel 100% ready.This is an attempt to explore and understand the challenges behind one of the most important life decisions, and what that might reveal about Singapore’s broader fertility challenge.Whether you are considering having children, already a parent, or simply trying to make sense of Singapore’s low TFR, this conversation offers a grounded perspective from those living through it.Topics covered:- Feeling “ready” to have kids, or deciding to go for it anyway - How fatherhood changes priorities and identity - Why some stop at one or two children - The gap between ideal family size and reality - Personal decisions within a low TFR environmentFeaturing Guests:Mark — father of one Ronald — father of two 🎙️ Hosted by Alastair & Guo Feng🎧 Also Consider This, a podcast for analytical, clearer thinking about life in Singapore, and how we can improve it.Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alsoconsiderthis.podcast

Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR) has fallen to historic lows, raising urgent questions about the country’s future. Despite decades of policies, incentives, and support schemes, birth rates remain stubbornly low — so what’s really going on?

In this episode of Also Consider This, we break down the deeper drivers behind Singapore’s declining birth rate. Is it the cost of raising children, workplace pressures, and childcare constraints — or is there a larger cultural shift where marriage and parenthood are no longer seen as essential?

We examine whether government incentives like baby bonuses and parental support are enough, or if the real issue lies in changing mindsets, priorities, and social norms. Drawing from historical policy signals, recent data, and international comparisons, this episode explores why TFR isn’t recovering — and what it might take to change that.

Topics covered:

• Why Singapore’s TFR remains below replacement levels

• Policy vs culture: what’s actually driving low birth rates

• Workplace pressures, childcare gaps, and cost concerns

• The shift from “starting a family” to delaying parenthood

• Why incentives alone may not be enough

• What other countries have done differently

🎙️ Hosted by Alastair & Guo Feng🎧 Also Consider This, a podcast for analytical, clearer thinking bout life in Singapore, and how we can improve it.

“What does ‘we-first’ actually mean in Singapore?”

The phrase sounds right, but people hear very different things. Some think it’s civic responsibility. Others think it’s exclusionary. And in the absence of a shared definition, competitive instincts fill the gap.

In this episode, we unpack the confusion around “we-first”, why debates about inclusion may be premature, and how sinkie-pwn-sinkie behaviour persists when norms are unclear.

🎙️ Hosted by Alastair & Guo Feng🎧 Also Consider This, a podcast for analytical, clearer thinking about life in Singapore, and how we can improve it.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alsoconsiderthis.podcastChapters00:00 – Introduction: What is a "We-First" Society?15:39 – How far are we from a we-first society? Are we really a sinkie-pwn-sinkie society?28:44 – How can we build a society we want, we-first or otherwise?42:36 – TIL: Why do your new shoes bite your heels?46:57 – TIL: Sony has stopped making blank blu-ray discs

Why has school food in Singapore become so controversial? The backlash over school canteens points to deeper questions than taste or price.

In this episode, we look at recent reactions to centrally prepared meals and hybrid canteen models, and why school food has become such an emotionally charged issue. We move beyond complaints about quality to ask a more fundamental question: what are school canteens actually for?

🎙️ Hosted by Alastair & Guo Feng
🎧 Also Consider This, a podcast for analytical, clearer thinking about life in Singapore, and how we can improve it.

Picture Credit for Minna Sundberg. Purchase a copy of the image on a poster here: https://hivemill.com/products/stand-still-stay-silent-language-family-tree-poster

Chapters00:00 – Introduction01:50 – Part 1: The problems with Singapore school canteens today12:38 – Part 2: What is the purpose of Singapore school canteens?52:51 – Part 3: What is our recommendation for school canteens?56:48 – TIL: Why do doors have sub-panels on them?01:00:04 – TIL: The roots of the Hungarian language

There is more football than ever before, yet many fans are watching less of it.

In this episode, Alastair and Guo Feng reflect on how packed calendars, expanding tournaments, and modern life have reshaped the way fans engage with football. Rather than blaming fatigue or apathy, they explore why being selective has become a reasonable, even necessary, response.

This conversation is about attention, meaning, trade-offs, and why loving football does not always mean watching every match.

Chapters

Chapters00:00 – Intro: More football in 202601:10 – Expanded World Cup explained03:00 – Is there too much football?05:30 – Club vs international overload12:45 – Time zones and watching from Asia14:00 – Being selective as a fan22:30 – More matches, same stakes23:48 – Money talks in football27:14 – TIL: Why it’s called “Kapchai”30:03 – TIL: How to pronounce “Budapest”

Food articles are supposed to add clarity. Instead, many now prioritise outrage, punchy headlines, and simplified narratives that spark anger but explain very little.

In this episode of Also Consider This, we examine recent food and hawker-related coverage and ask what we lose when articles are written to provoke reaction rather than provide depth. We discuss how shallow framing fuels public anger, why hawkers and F&B operators often bear the cost of these narratives, and how conversations about food prices and closures become distorted along the way.

This is not a defence of bad food, nor an attack on criticism. It is a critique of how food stories are framed, and why anger-driven coverage ultimately prevents more honest discussions about sustainability, costs, quality, and choice in the food ecosystem.

If you care about food culture, media responsibility, and having better conversations beyond headlines, this episode is for you.

🎙️ Hosted by Alastair & Guo Feng
🎧 Also Consider This — the podcast where we value nuance, perspective, and knowledge… so we can all be Also Clever Thinkers.

⏱ Chapters00:02:13 — ST Life Article on “Disappearing Singaporean Diner”00:04:11 — STOMP Yong Tau Foo Article Summary00:07:55 — Consider This: What Drives Media Profitability?00:10:28 — Our Beef With the STOMP YTF Article (Too Headline-Heavy)00:12:46 — Doxxing the STOMP Writer Is Not Right00:13:56 — We Understand the Anger00:14:53 — The “Secret War” in Hawker Culture: Cheap vs Quality00:21:04 — There Is Space for Different Hawker Price Points00:23:26 — If It’s Too Expensive for You, Just Move On00:24:26 — The Market Is the Market: Consumers Vote With Their Wallets00:29:18 — Parting Shot 1: Journalists Need to Dive Deeper00:30:35 — Parting Shot 2: SPH Has Not Done Proper Investigative Journalism for Years00:32:02 — Are Newspapers Crap Because of Short Attention Spans?00:33:18 — Today I Learnt: Was Nike Fined by the NBA for Air Jordans?00:35:47 — Today I Learnt: Creatine Is Also a Brain Supplement

What in 2025 really changed about how we think?

In the final episode of Also Consider This for 2025, we step away from external topics and spend time reflecting inward. Using six structured reflection questions adapted from a Mel Robbins podcast, we look back on the year and use it as a grounding point to think about how we want to approach 2026.

We talk candidly about burnout, mental health, career uncertainty, creativity, experimentation, and what it meant to finally start this podcast after years of talking about it. We also unpack what we learnt about process, failure, iteration, and why reflection matters more than setting surface-level resolutions.

This episode is designed to be experienced alongside us. As you listen, you’re invited to pause, reflect, and answer the same six questions for yourself, using our conversation as a reference point rather than a template.

We got these questions from this episode of the Mel Robbins podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeD8tpOCyIY

🎙️ Hosted by Alastair & Guo Feng
🎧 Also Consider This — the podcast where we value nuance, perspective, and knowledge… so we can all be Also Clever Thinkers.

Was Singapore really built by one man, or have we simplified a much bigger story about the people who shaped the nation?

Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy looms large in Singapore’s national story, and rightly so. But over time, the way we remember history can become simplified, turning a collective effort into a single name.

In this episode, we ask whether Singapore has lionised LKY too much, and why that lionisation exists in the first place. We explore how focusing on one figure can provide clarity, identity, and continuity, but also how it can unintentionally obscure the wider team that made Singapore what it is today.

We then turn our attention to the first-generation leaders who worked alongside LKY, many of whom younger Singaporeans may not know or remember. From economic development and defence, to housing, foreign policy, education, and social institutions, we revisit their contributions and why they mattered.

This conversation is not about diminishing one man’s legacy. It is about recognising that Singapore was built by a team, and by its people, and that remembering the full story matters if we want a more grounded understanding of our past.

In a system where complaints often lead to results, the incentive to complain becomes hard to resist.

Why complaining works in Singapore, and why that’s a problem.

From MRT breakdowns to scheduled maintenance shutdowns, complaints about public services in Singapore often lead to quick responses and visible action. That effectiveness raises an uncomfortable question: if complaining works so well, have we become too reliant on it?

Why do sports in public spaces keep sparking complaints, and what does it say about how we coexist in a dense city?

Pickleball complaints have sparked heated reactions in Singapore, but they are part of a much bigger pattern.

In this episode, we use pickleball as a starting point to explore why sports like football, basketball, and cycling keep running into conflict in public spaces. We unpack the frustrations around noise, safety, space, and inconvenience, and ask whether these tensions reflect intolerance, poor design, or the realities of dense urban living.

Rather than choosing sides, we look for nuance and possible ways forward, and ask what coexistence in shared spaces should really look like.