Running My Startup on Hamer Candy: An Honest Diary

I run a 9-person SaaS startup out of a co-working space in Tanjong Pagar — My days start at 7am with a call to a client in Berlin and end somewhere around midnight after I’ve cleared Slack. Somewhere in between, I got married. That last part matters, because for about four months last year the only thing I had energy for after 10pm was scrolling Reddit.

So I did what any mildly desperate founder does. I spent weeks choosing between two things: Hamer Candy (the candy everyone in my Telegram groups keeps whispering about) and the prescription route through a proper clinic. This is the honest version of that comparison, including the parts where I was wrong.

Why I even considered Hamer Candy in the first place

Two reasons. First, I hate queues. Second, a friend from my NS days swore the candy “just makes the whole week feel lighter.” Vague, I know. But when you’re running on 5 hours of sleep and a plate of chicken rice from Maxwell, “lighter” sounds like a drug.

I also checked the regulatory side early, because I’m the guy who reads the fine print. Hamer Candy is sold in Singapore as a food-grade supplement, not a registered prescription medicine. That means it does not carry an HSA therapeutic product licence. Anyone telling you it’s “HSA-approved” is either confused or lying. The HSA regulates medicines like sildenafil and tadalafil; candy supplements sit in a different, looser category. Keep that in your head the whole way through this.

Dimension 1: Price, and what I actually paid

Let’s do the money first because founders only care about runway.

So the candy is cheaper per pop. But here’s the thing I learned: a affordable ED specialist consultation for men in Singapore can cost less than two boxes of candy if you go to the right place. I didn’t know that in week one. I do now.

Dimension 2: How it actually feels

Hamer Candy is a chewy, mildly sweet tablet. You take it about 30 to 45 minutes before. The first time, I felt a warm flush around my ears and a bit of a buzz, like the second kopi of the morning but without the jitters. No headache. No blocked nose. Nothing dramatic.

The prescription route (tadalafil, in my case) felt more mechanical. Predictable. Slightly stuffy nose. A dull lower-back ache the next day, which apparently is common and harmless but nobody warns you about it.

Here’s my honest correction: I expected the candy to be weaker. For me it wasn’t weaker, it was just different. Less of a switch, more of a slow dimmer. Which some nights is exactly what you want, and some nights it isn’t.

Dimension 3: Side effects and the HSA reality

I had zero side effects from the candy across six weeks. My wife noticed I was less grumpy on Sundays, which is either the candy or the fact that I finally hired a COO. Can’t isolate the variable.

But I want to be straight with you: because Hamer Candy isn’t a licensed therapeutic product, the HSA has not reviewed its claims or its manufacturing. Doctors I spoke to at a Jurong clinic were blunt. One GP said, “I can’t tell you what’s in it batch to batch, so I can’t tell you it’s safe.” That’s not an attack on the brand. It’s just the regulatory position, and you should hear it from someone other than a seller.

If you have heart issues, take nitrates, or have uncontrolled blood pressure, do not self-medicate with anything, candy included. Go see a doctor.

Dimension 4: Buying difficulty and the fakes problem

This is where it got annoying. Hamer Candy is not sold in Guardian or Watsons. You buy it online, from local resellers or the brand’s official channel. That means fakes exist. I got one box from a Carousell seller in Tampines that tasted chalky and did nothing. Waste of S$32.

What worked: buying from a seller with a proper Singapore contact number, a visible UEN, and a return policy. Delivery took 2 working days via a local courier. The legit box had a hologram sticker and a batch number I could actually read. If the seller dodges questions about batch numbers, walk away.

For comparison, the clinic route has zero fake risk but does involve booking, waiting, and a receptionist who definitely knows why you’re there. If discretion matters more than speed, a private ED specialist clinic in Singapore is the safer lane, especially if you’re also wondering whether low energy is hormonal rather than situational. That’s a real possibility for founders in their late 30s, and a male HRT clinic in Singapore can actually test for it. Candy can’t.

My final pick (and why)

I kept the candy. Not because it’s better, but because it fits my life. I don’t have to book anything, I don’t have to explain myself to a receptionist, and S$95 for a month’s supply is less than one client dinner at Boat Quay.

But I run a blood test every six months now, and if my energy doesn’t hold up, I’ll switch to the clinic route without hesitating. The candy is a tool, not a cure.

Who should NOT choose Hamer Candy

Skip it if you have any cardiovascular condition, if you’re on nitrate medication, if you want a guarantee of what’s inside each batch, or if your actual problem is hormonal and you’ve never been tested. Also skip it if you’re the type who’ll buy from the cheapest Carousell listing and then blame the brand. That’s on you.

FAQ

Is Hamer Candy HSA-approved in Singapore?

No. It’s sold as a food-grade supplement, not a registered therapeutic product. The HSA has not evaluated its claims. Anyone marketing it as “HSA-approved” is misrepresenting it.

How much does Hamer Candy cost in Singapore?

I paid S$38 for a box of 10 and S$95 for a box of 30 from a local seller. Prices vary by reseller, and anything dramatically cheaper is usually a fake.

How long does delivery take?

From a proper local seller, 2 working days to my Tanjong Pagar office. Overseas listings can take 1 to 3 weeks and carry a higher fake risk.

Can I take it with my prescription ED medication?

Don’t guess. Ask a doctor. Combining supplements with prescription meds without medical advice is a bad idea, full stop.

Does it actually work?

For me, yes, in a milder, slower way than tadalafil. Effects came on around 40 minutes in. Your mileage will vary, and there’s no clinical trial backing the brand’s specific claims.

What if I get a fake box?

Contact the seller immediately and ask for the batch number and a refund. A legitimate seller in Singapore will have both a UEN and a return policy. If they ghost you, report the listing.

Is there a local customer service line?

The seller I used had a Singapore WhatsApp number that replied within a few hours. That’s the minimum bar. No local contact, no purchase.