From managing Gucci in Moscow to interviewing Singapore’s most surprising expats, Max Chernov, a Singapore-based content creator, tells The Independent SG (TISG) how the city is “not overly controlled,” bucking a popular view of the city-state.
He shares how how a side project, a Youtube channel, evolved into his main job, and dives into how hundreds of interviews have shaped his views on Singapore’s reputation, diversity, and economic mood.
Chernov didn’t build his YouTube career chasing virality but with a highly structured approach. He elaborates: “We formed a team and, for the last three years, every Monday we hold a meeting to analyse what worked and what didn’t in the previous week’s videos.”
“We analyse analytics and patterns consistently. Many people treat this as a side hustle. Side hustles can work, but it’s much harder,” he adds.
He credits the routine as one of the major reasons his Singapore-focused interview channel evolved from experiment to full-time work. And a major reason why it’s distinct in a niche where plenty of creators fade out after the novelty wears off.
From corporate Moscow to Singapore’s creator economy
Chernov’s professional journey is a case study in reinvention. Starting in Moscow’s corporate world at Procter & Gamble. This included a stint as a Gucci brand manager before striking out on his own.
In 2013, he launched his own business, a digital marketing company called PERFECTSMM that deals in social media consultancy and advisory services. The channel that brought him wider visibility came later.
Over the years, his content strategy found a niche: long-form, street-level conversations with foreigners living in Singapore. And he’s been gaining access to notable names in recent times.
For Chernov, it started to become more than a hobby when brands came in. He shares: “I realised it could be a full-time job when we started getting our first brand deals, around two years ago. It started making money, and I realised I could sustain myself doing just this project without other businesses or side activities.”
Localising a Russian growth strategy for Singapore
While many creators learn the platform in real time, Chernov says he had an advantage: he’d already built a channel in another market and learned YouTube at scale.
“I previously ran a YouTube channel in Russian. We had the biggest channel in that niche, focused on Russian-speaking audiences. I knew how YouTube works and how the algorithm works, and how to form a team,” Chernov says.
“Singapore is a small market with high labour costs. Russia is different: YouTube is huge there, with around 150 million people in Russia and roughly 300 million Russian speakers globally. Manpower costs are lower. We tested everything on a bigger scale before.”
“In Singapore, there are few successful YouTube creators because the market is small and revenue is limited if you focus only locally. Without prior experience, it’s hard to grow strategically,” he explains.
He contrasts Singapore with Russia’s sheer audience size, noting both the depth and scope of Russia, with its 146 million people, according to Russian government data. “Singapore is very small… the labour cost is quite expensive. And the market is small,” he says.
Meanwhile, the economics are different for Russia. YouTube is more mature, the audience is larger, and production teams can be built more cheaply. That difference shapes what most Singapore-based creators can realistically do.
That focus on a small market means a lack of revenue. His take? The outcome is a local ecosystem where many creators treat content as a side hustle. A side hustles often burn out.
Burnout: A YouTuber’s experience
Chernov doesn’t romanticise content production. He’s already crashed once. He shares: “I burned out on my previous channel, which focused on how to grow YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, and personal branding. After years of repeating the same topics, I got fed up.”
Saying that he’s careful not to interview just a “regular Singapore expat,” he also aims to avoid asking the same questions repeatedly.
“I try to be more selective. Much of the content in this space is repetitive and shallow,” Chernov explains. He recalls getting sick of repeating the same advice, over and over.
At one point, he said, he was tired of making videos on how to build a YouTube audience to the first thousand subscribers. The reason? It wasn’t because the audience didn’t want it, but because he no longer did. His solution for what he’s doing now? To protect his own interests.
“For this channel, I pay close attention to how I feel. If it becomes repetitive or boring, I adjust. The channel is established now, so it’s easier to attract interesting guests. We constantly improve the quality of guests.”
He also tries to avoid what he sees as the weakest version of the genre: the endless loop of the same expat questions.
His approach now? He aims for range — sourcing out interesting individuals from business to culture to public life — and, increasingly, prominent guests.
The interview that changed how he saw Singapore
Ask Chernov which conversation stayed with him? He doesn’t mention the biggest name or the wealthiest guest. Rather, he highlights a very different type of Singapore resident: an elderly flamenco teacher in Geylang.
Smiling, Chernov shares: “One of the most memorable interviews was with a man named Anthony Vargas. It was about two years ago. He’s Spanish, over 80 years old, and one of the most famous flamenco teachers in the world. He lives in a shophouse in Geylang.”
One of the most famous Flamenco dancing teachers in the world, most would never expect someone like him in Singapore, especially those living the normal pattern of life in the island nation.
“He’s been in Singapore for over 20 years. He told me stories about rehearsing with the Beatles and teaching Tom Cruise how to dance for a movie. I was sitting there, I was like ‘Holy **** and I get paid for it,’” he recalled. “So it’s my job, I get paid for it, and I listen to this like incredible people.”
But what stuck with Chernov wasn’t only the man’s biography. It was the contrast between Singapore’s polished surface and the unusual lives unfolding inside its overlooked corners. That interview, he says, broadened his view of the city’s texture.
He says, “It made me realise how diverse Singapore really is”
Singapore’s international brand
Singapore’s global reputation? Efficient, safe. And sometimes? Depending on whom you ask, it’s strict to the point of sterility. For Chernov? His lived experience doesn’t match the stereotype.
“I don’t think it’s overly controlled. Experiences vary widely. Life in Singapore is very different depending on whether you’re a billionaire, an expat, a migrant worker, a domestic helper, or a local Singaporean. I don’t want to generalise.”
He notes the stereotypes aren’t fully true. He shares: “I’ve never felt restricted here. The reputation still exists, though.”
He sees how the reputation persists. And how it shapes tourist behaviour in real time. For instance, during Formula One, anxious British tourists asked him where they could smoke and were afraid of stepping outside the smoking zone.”
“And a Russian YouTuber friend once asked me whether he could step on the grass near the Asian Civilisations Museum,” he adds.
Despite the image of an overly controlled metropolis, Chernov pushes back against sweeping claims in either direction, arguing “Singapore” isn’t a single experience. He notes how the experiences of a billionaire, a migrant worker, and a domestic helper are quite different.
His conclusion: Singapore’s brand can make it seem harsher than it feels on the ground. Otherwise?
“It’s actually a very normal place. Things work here. It’s not overly controlled,” he points out.
Tougher job market, a more anxious 2025
On the economic front? Chernov is cautious. No longer in the corporate world and without the full view, he does share how his network chatter is consistent with a wider mood shift.
“Among my foreign friends, many were laid off in the last couple of years—around half of them. That wasn’t common 10 or 11 years ago. Singapore is deeply integrated into the global economy. When the global economy struggles, Singapore feels it. Unlike oil-driven economies like Dubai or Abu Dhabi, Singapore is highly reactive to global conditions.”
He compares it to the 2010s, when he first spent time in Singapore. Then? The market was better, with more job opportunities. Right now, Chernov puts it down to structural issues.
He adds: “I played spikeball for several years with students at NUS. Their attitude was generally positive, but students are only one segment. Graduates from top universities still have better opportunities. Overall, things are tougher in 2025.”
Freedom, pressure & red lines means depends on what you’re measuring
Drawing on his time in Moscow and abroad, Chernov takes a nuanced view, rather than giving a simplistic ranking. Asked which city he’s lived in felt “most free”, Chernov’s response is simple: “ It depends on how you define freedom.”
If freedom means looseness? He finds places like Thailand can feel more liberating. “Thailand feels free because of chaos and fewer rules. Singapore feels free in terms of safety and being able to relax at night without worry. Freedom is internal.”
But if freedom means safety — the ability to move through the night without fear — he argued Singapore provides a different experience.
And this extends to his role as a media creator. Asked if he’s ever felt pressure from Singapore authorities, known for its tightly regulated public sphere, Chernov shares: “It depends on topics and perception. My content about Singapore is generally positive. I interview people who have chosen to stay here long-term, so their views are more positive.”
I avoid interviewing people who only stay briefly and have shallow perspectives. I’ve never experienced pressure from the government. I even work(ed) with Singapore Global Network.”
Chernov says creators should understand local norms. And he’s never received pressure from the government over his content. He elaborates: “Early on, I covered what it’s like to be gay in Singapore, before Section 377A was repealed. Many people warned me not to do it, especially foreigners. I interviewed three local men and published it. Nothing happened.”
“I try to be balanced and respectful. I don’t push extreme positions. I let audiences form their own opinions. There are red lines, but I’ve never had issues. I’m not a journalist; I’m a content creator, and I try to understand how the place works,” he adds.
Foreigners considering Singapore? “Don’t be afraid. Try it.”
Looking to the next 10-15 years and its appeal as an international commercial hub in a fluid world, Chernov predicts continuity over disruption for Singapore. For foreigners considering Singapore? His advice is simple and pragmatic: treat migration as reversible.
“Don’t be afraid. Try it. Moving countries doesn’t have to be permanent anymore. Try to understand how the country works. Make friends with locals and don’t stay in an expat bubble.”
He observes: “In the short to medium term, I think Singapore will do well. The system is stable and balanced. The economy is strong compared to many countries. I don’t expect drastic change.”
But his main recommendation? Make the effort to socially integrate and understand how the place works. Gesturing around Robertson Quay, he notes: “Robertson Quay is an expat area.”
Rather, he encourages people to get to know Singaporeans and venture beyond the expat bubble. For Chernov, that’s the difference between consuming “Singapore the brand” and experiencing it as a country. One interview, one neighbourhood, and one long conversation at a time.
