Cover Entrepreneur and Doctor Anywhere founder Lim Wai Mun (pictured second from left), in conversation with Tatler Asia chief operating officer Parry Singh (left), at the Louis Vuitton Apartment
Entrepreneur and Doctor Anywhere founder Lim Wai Mun (pictured second from left), in conversation with Tatler Asia chief operating officer Parry Singh (left), at the Louis Vuitton Apartment
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The entrepreneur and Tatler Singapore June issue cover star sat down with Tatler Asia chief operating officer Parry Singh for a fireside chat at the Louis Vuitton Apartment in Ngee Ann City
“What is something that used to be important to you when you were younger, but doesn’t matter right now, [whether] in business or in life?” came the question from 2023 Gen.T honouree Felix Lee, the co-founder and chief executive officer of ADPList, a global mentorship network.
“Money,” replied Lim Wai Mun, the founder and CEO Doctor Anywhere, matter of factly.
We were at the tail end of a fireside chat, which is part of the Tatler House Dialogue series, with the entrepreneur and Tatler Singapore June issue cover star. The session, in conversation with Tatler Asia chief operating officer Parry Singh, was held at the Louis Vuitton Apartment in Ngee Ann City on June 26.
His answer came as a surprise to many in the audience, who like Lim were entrepreneurs and professionals in industries including healthcare, sustainability and education, and had just heard from him how his early years were not “the easiest journey for me”.
Above Joanne Ong, Lim Wai Mun
Above Ted Chen
Joanne Ong, Lim Wai Mun
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Lim, however, made good for himself, pursuing careers in finance and investments before launching Doctor Anywhere in 2017. Even so, “I realised that my lifestyle didn’t change,” he said. “When you have a higher earning power, but at the same time remain grounded, that’s when the value you see in money starts to diminish. These days, while [money] still matters, it’s no longer as precious as before.”
What is more important for him now: “How do we take things to the next level? And [be] a role model for someone else.” To understand this, we need to “decode the mind of an entrepreneur”—from his early influences and growing up years—something that Singh had done earlier in the conversation.
Don't miss: How I’m Making It: How Doctor Anywhere’s founder used his engineering background to start a health
Above Beatrice Teo
Above Suhina Singh
Beatrice Teo
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Lim’s mother passed away when he was 5 years old, while his father was incarcerated. His grandmother took care of him, so “money was really important for me growing up”. He described his first foray into entrepreneurship, by selling stickers as earrings to his schoolmates, and how he honed his survival instincts after he was almost taken advantage of by a much older man.
“That [experience] taught me that in life, if you read the situation wrongly, that difference can be life or death,” explained Lim, emphasising that what he learnt growing up, “are all very valuable skills in business and entrepreneurship”.
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Parry Singh
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Above Tatler House Dialogue: Lim Wai Mun on his journey about entrepreneurship and success
When talking about tech, Singh highlighted that there is no escaping from AI.
“Everyone should be afraid of AI,” Lim pointed out. “AI is still in its infancy but this baby is smart and can learn things at a tremendous speed; it can grow very quickly. So it’s not about the current state where we are at with AI, but how fast it can grow to replace our jobs.”
However, there are some sectors that AI will take a bit longer to disrupt, according to Lim, and healthcare is one of them. “Why? Because you can go straight to the internet for any kind of data, but there are two sectors that you have less information on, and one of them is healthcare. I think healthcare is something that you still need to work with healthcare partners to be able to get some of this data, but you will find that the sector will benefit from AI when it comes to efficiency."
Read more: Will AI help or hinder trust in science?
Parry Singh, Lim Wai Mun
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But how can we draw the line between productivity and efficiency, and diagnosis and intervention; when to use AI and when to use human beings?
“When in doubt, always use a human being,” Lim pointed out. “In healthcare, this is true, because we always say, ‘One mistake is a mistake too many’. When you give a wrong medication to someone, it can be a moment of life or death. Generally, AI is used to make the [healthcare] experience better, lower the costs, and [work] more efficiently.”
Ryan Foo, Dean Ho, Stephanie Tay, Ted Chen
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When it comes to the future of Doctor Anywhere, Lim shared that while he does not think that far ahead, as “if today I wanted to invest in a young company, the most important [thing] I want to see in the founder is [their] ability to pivot. [For me], I have a grand vision at the end of it, but I'm not super glued to that because I know that things can change. My job is to make sure that I go with the flow, while maintaining a form of what I want to build, and eventually lead a team of people to get there”.
So what does success mean to him?
“Success to me is really to be able to continue to do what I'm doing, hopefully, with a team of people who trust me, and I trust them as well,” the entrepreneur shared. “There will always be suffering in start-ups, but hopefully we’ll be able to find some fun in that pain and suffering. And eventually, at least for me, I can change how healthcare is being done in Singapore and the region. And that, to me, would perhaps be a milestone for success.”
Above The ready-to-wear collections at the Louis Vuitton Apartment
Above Louis Vuitton Laureate Platform Desert Boot
The ready-to-wear collections at the Louis Vuitton Apartment
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This is the first time that the Louis Vuitton Apartment has been transformed into a space for thought leadership since it opened in January. Singapore is the first in the region for the French luxury brand to debut its new Apartment concept, a retail space dedicated to its VICs, or very important clients.
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Photography: Max Chan
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As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
