Singapore’s economic success has historically been anchored in its human capital and strategic geographic location. However, to lead the digital revolution, the nation must now strongly emphasise innovation. Every business in the global economy relies on software to drive innovation, and the effectiveness of that software relies on app developers — an increasingly scarce resource in Singapore today.
A recent survey by Amazon Web Services and Gallup found that Singapore’s technology sector faces a shortage of skilled workers. In 2020, only a little over 2,800 students graduated from local universities with degrees in IT. The gap between job opportunities and the number of graduates poses roadblocks to Singapore’s digital ambitions.
Solving Singapore’s tech talent shortage will not happen overnight, so finding new ways to overcome this challenge as a nation is crucial. Prioritising app developer experience by providing the best environment to work to their full potential (and removing barriers and making the process as smooth as possible) holds strong promise for Singapore’s digital future. But what exactly does an optimal app developer experience entail?
Developer challenges
Singapore’s developers need to be empowered if we want to drive the country’s digital economy forward. But to do this, we must get to grips with the top challenges developers face.
A GitHub study highlights that app developers want to be measured on how they resolve incidents beyond just the number they resolved. Traditional metrics emphasise output quantity and efficiency, while developers emphasise code quality and collaboration.
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Learning new skills (43%) and designing solutions to novel problems (36%) ranked as having the most positive impact on developer workdays. However, app developers spend most of their time waiting for builds and tests (31%) and writing code (30%). Getting feedback from end users ranked second in positively impacting the workday (39%), but app developers find feedback gets siloed by intermediaries rather than getting to their teams directly.
Like any profession — technical, creative or a combination of both — app developers seek more productivity, fulfilment and success in their role beyond just clocking a nine to five routine. This is where AI comes in as a game changer.
Change the game
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Going by the numbers, app developers are deeply ingrained into Singapore’s digital ecosystem. Based on our estimates, around 850,000 app developers in Singapore are actively building software on GitHub and app developers and organisations in the country collectively own over three million code repositories.
While these app developers continue to drive crucial progress for the country, we cannot keep bootstrapping them with more work and expecting them to slog harder in the pursuit of innovation – they will burn out and then no one wins. Instead, providing them with the tools and environment that empower creativity, eliminate monotony, and contribute to their overall happiness is crucial.
The successful adoption of open-source and AI in an organisation indicates its progressive nature and willingness to support and inspire developers. This is exactly what top app developers look for in a role, and they often choose to work for organisations that prioritise these principles.
The emergence of generative AI also represents a profound shift in software development, supercharging developer productivity and igniting creativity within their ranks. App developers can keep their creative engines running by harnessing AI tools to tackle the grind of repetitive tasks. This means they can devote more time and energy to the big picture instead of constantly juggling different environments or diving into complex coding research.
With AI handling the everyday struggle, app developers can redirect their creativity towards strategic and impactful work: building innovations that will shape our future. Our research shows that AI enables app developers to write code over 55% faster, and nearly 90% of app developers report completing tasks more quickly. AI also helps them stay in the flow, concentrate on more gratifying tasks, and conserve mental energy.
Create secure code seamlessly
Creating an exceptional developer experience must extend beyond features that minimise workflow disruptions. It should also embed a sense of security throughout the entire process. Identifying vulnerabilities is typically a challenging and time-consuming task for developers.
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Interestingly, most vulnerabilities (up to 83%) stem from human error rather than malicious intent. Implementing tools that automatically scan code before deployment is a crucial defence, preventing errors from creeping into production code. These tools have proven instrumental in helping app developers address 50% more vulnerable packages in 2022 compared to 2021. This heightened security ripples across the supply chain, granting developers greater peace of mind.
App developers are not necessarily security experts — nor should they have to be. Therefore, it’s crucial to simplify the process and make it easier for them to create secure code seamlessly.
Empowering developers with innersource
Whether it is a passion project or crunching crucial code for global giants, app developers thrive when they are part of a community of like-minded individuals. An innersource strategy allows them to effectively create an open-source community within their organisation, allowing them to benefit from the practices that have helped the open-source community thrive. By encouraging transparent collaboration, they can create better software faster.
Today, app developers do more than write and ship code. They are expected to navigate several tools, environments, and technologies, including the new frontier of generative AI. To ensure Singapore maintains its leading position on the global tech stage — despite the scarcity of tech talent — fostering a thriving developer community is crucial.
A positive app developer experience cultivates creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving, empowering app developers to excel in creating cutting-edge solutions. Prioritising the app developer experience is not just a competitive edge but a strategic necessity for Singapore’s continued growth and innovation.
Pierluigi Cau is the regional director of Field Services for Apac at GitHub
