GovTech just launched FirstDate, a dating app only for public officers aged 21 to 35. I joked about it on LinkedIn. Then I found out it's basically been done before, in 1984.
In this video, I look at FirstDate the way a recruiter would: every scheme, every agency, every campaign the Singapore government has tried to get us married. What it did, how it ended, and whether this one is any different.
As an ex-headhunter of 10 years, my verdict: FirstDate is a great sourcing tool. But Singapore's marriage problem was never at sourcing. It's at the offer.
⏱ CHAPTERS
0:00 The press release they were too shy to send
2:53 What FirstDate actually is
6:01 42 years of government cupid
6:12 Era 1: The U-turn (1966–1987)
7:51 Era 2: The matchmaker state (1984–2009)
9:23 Era 3: The chequebook (2001–2023)
10:54 Era 4: The reset (2026)
11:42 Why the government keeps doing this
13:44 Will this time be different?
17:19 My verdict
20:22 Closing
💬 Single? Would you sign up for FirstDate? Married? How did you actually meet? Tell me in the comments. I read all of them.
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