He's Building a Time Capsule of Singapore's Greatest Minds | Keith Yap

What does it take to build a podcast that's designed to outlast you?

Keith Yap, host of The Front Row Podcast, grew his show to 15K subscribers in under a year - not by chasing trends, but by doing the opposite. His mission: create a living archive of Singapore's brightest minds on geopolitics, economics, and technology. A time capsule for the next generation of Singaporeans.

In this conversation, Keith reflects on how his role has evolved from nervous first-timer to confident interlocutor - someone who doesn't just ask questions, but challenges, supplements, and connects ideas across a growing catalog of diplomats, economists, historians, and technologists.

We also get into: how he landed his very first guest (Ambassador Chan Heng Chee), why he thinks Singapore is two degrees from anyone, his personal learning stack, and his bigger vision - making Singapore the intellectual capital of Southeast Asia.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Trailer & Opening

(01:29) The Front Row Podcast

(03:03) Getting High-Calibre Guests

(07:24) The Cringey Early Episodes

(09:37) How Keith's Role as a Podcaster Has Evolved

(12:11) What Makes a Conversation Deep and Meaningful

(14:34) Editing & Episode Fidelity