Playgrown events: workshops and meetups for Malaysian freelancers

More coming up

Tell me about new workshops

One email whenever a new one is planned, so you hear before the seats go. Nothing else.

What past events looked like

Hi, I'm Yan. We built Playgrown to take the admin off freelancers' plates - invoices, tax, chasing payment. What software can't fix is the rest of it: freelancing is a lonely job, especially in year one. One study found 70% of freelancers have felt lonely or cut off at some point; I didn't need the study, I hear it every week. So we started running these. We do show you what we've built - I'm not going to pretend otherwise - but that's a few minutes of it. The rest is a real reason to meet the people you've only ever seen as usernames.

Yan, founder of Playgrown

Playgrown is the app that takes the admin off freelancing: invoices, tax and getting paid. See the Playgrown app ↗

How it works

Someone looking over the flyers on a community notice board

1

Find one that sounds like your thing

Every event has its own page: date, price, who's leading it and what you'll do.

Someone on a stool tapping their phone, with a tick floating above it

2

Book your seat

A name and an email, then pay if it's a paid one. No password, no app to download.

Two people greeting each other with a wave, both smiling

3

Turn up already knowing faces

Say hi in the Townhall first if you like, and you'll recognise a few people before you walk in.

What to expect

A freelancer with a backpack arrives alone and the host waves them in

A small group learns together around a table with laptops while the host explains

People laugh over teh tarik and kuih, two new friends swap social handles

A group of new friends takes a selfie on a Kuala Lumpur street at night

Small enough that nobody gets stranded alone in a corner, structured enough that you're never stuck making weather small talk, and casual enough to leave when you've had enough without it being weird.

No name tags with job titles, and no "so what do you do" interrogations. Playgrown runs these, so at most events there's a short stretch where we show you what we've built - each event's own page says whether that's happening. Nobody else is selling you anything, and if any of this turns out otherwise, tell me and I'll fix it.

Meet them before you meet them

The Townhall is our free online town. Walk around, sit down, talk to whoever's there. Chats aren't saved anywhere. Optional, but turning up already knowing a face or two makes a real difference.

Have a look around →

A pixel-art map of the Townhall: a fountain plaza, the townhall, a cafe and clubhouses

Before you ask

I don't know anybody. Is that weird?

That's the entire reason this exists. Most people come on their own - you're the normal case, not the exception. Want to know a face first? Walk around the Townhall.

Do I need an account?

You don't need to make one. Booking a seat creates a free Townhall account in your name so you can check in at the door. We email you a sign-in link; there's no password.

I'm not good at networking.

Good, because these aren't networking events. Nobody's collecting business cards. Come, listen, leave when you've had enough.

English or Bahasa?

Both, usually mixed. Speak whichever you're comfortable in.

Is it free?

Depends on the event. Free ones say Free; paid ones show the price up front, before you type anything in.

Community ideas

Not scheduled yet. Enough interest, and it becomes a real event.

You're in the group chat. Now meet them.