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Winston Wei

Senior Development Manager (APAC) at Shopify

Winston Wei is currently the Engineering Lead at Shopify in Singapore, focusing on enhancing commerce worldwide. He is the Founder of Jolly Good Code, a software consultancy in Singapore specializing in Agile practices, Ruby, and Ruby on Rails. Winston is heavily involved in software development, advocating for Test-Driven-Development and Continuous Integration. As an active member in the tech community, he organizes the RedDotRubyConf and the Singapore Ruby Group, coordinating monthly meetups and Rails Girls events. Prior to Jolly Good Code, Winston worked as a Senior Engineer at Pivotal Labs SG, contributing to projects like Viki.com and Friendster.com. His expertise lies in Product Strategy, Agile Project Management, Software Engineering with Ruby on Rails, and Training. Winston holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the National University of Singapore.

Highlights

May 31 · linkedin

Today, I turned off my Shopify laptop for the last time.

The past 5 years have been amaaaazing! I learned a lot and had so much fun. I'm incredibly lucky to have joined this rocket ship 5 years ago. Thank you, Christian Blais, Monika Piotrowicz, Charlie Elliott for bringing me on board. And Dale Neufeld, your early mentorship truly helped shaped my journey too. This experience has definitely changed my life.

There were ups and downs along this journey, but I am really grateful to have had a team of wonderful people (prod, ux and devs) to brave the storms with. To my awesome developers, past and present: You all made this journey fantastic, and I always felt that we could overcome any challenge together. Leaving was tough because of you all, but I know you’ll achieve greater things!

A special thanks to Sophie Roberts, Tim Mead, David Wurtz, Daniel Debow for giving us the opportunity to work on impactful and super-exciting projects. Your leadership and advice have been invaluable over the past ~2 years, and your trust in our ability to deliver from APAC is something I deeply appreciate. It's truly been an honour to be a part of your team.

Thank you to all the folks I have ever had the chance to work with at Shopify! Wish you all the best and I hope our paths will cross again!

These 5 years have been truly special. I’m sad to leave, but my heart is full. ❤️

Here’s to the next adventure!

#shopify #farewell

The picture is that of a farewell card (more like a booklet!) that consists of heartfelt notes from people I have worked with at Shopify in the last 5 years. The best graduation report card I could ask for..

May 8 · linkedin

I constantly remind myself to follow a simple philosophy: "Always Ask."

What’s the worst that can happen? At most, you will get a "No." But the upside? You might just get a "Yes" — and exactly what you want!

You're the only one who knows what you want. No one else can read your mind. You have agency over your life — don't forget to exercise it.

My kids practice this everyday: “Can we watch TV? Can we order McDonald's?” They mostly hear “No,” but when it's just Dad around, I might just say "Ok"! 😂

How can you apply this philosophy in your life now?

  • Ask the cai fan auntie for more vegetables.
  • Ask the bank to waive the credit card annual fees.
  • Ask your boss for a project switch, a raise, or even a promotion.
  • Ask your network for help when you need it.

Don’t let your ego or fear of rejection hold you back.

If you get a “No”, just move on, and ask the next question! 😄

Winston Wei
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Location

Singapore