How Playgrown Is Empowering Freelancers to Run Businesses, Not Just Gigs

In a Gig Economy Full of Chaos, Playgrown Brings Clarity and Control

For many freelancers and creators in Malaysia, the hardest part of freelancing isn’t the work itself – it’s everything else: chasing payments, issuing invoices, managing clients, and staying compliant with local taxes.

Playgrown is changing that. Co-founded by Muhammad Thaqif and Naif Ghazali, former freelancers who lived the chaos firsthand, the platform is built to simplify the business side of creative work – so freelancers can focus on what they do best.

From Frustration to Founding: Solving a Real Problem

Playgrown didn’t begin as a grand vision. It started with a simple frustration.

“We were freelancing and found ourselves buried in client follow-ups, payment delays, and admin tasks,” Thaqif shared. “Then we asked our freelancer friends – and 90% of them said they were facing the same thing.”

Instead of diving straight into code, the team sketched their vision in Figma and validated it with real users. The response? Overwhelmingly positive.

“That early feedback gave us the push to start building.”

Overcoming the Noise: Finding Focus in a Sea of Ideas

The earliest hurdle? Too many ideas.

“In the beginning, we wanted to do everything – job listings, portfolios, payments, you name it. But we had to ask ourselves: what did we actually need back when we were freelancing?”

That reflection helped them zero in on the most critical problems: client tracking, invoicing, and getting paid. The key lesson: focus on solving real pain points instead of building flashy features.

The Pivot That Changed Everything

Initially, Playgrown was imagined as a job-matching platform for freelancers. But user research told a different story.

“Most freelancers already had jobs – they just didn’t have the tools to manage them. So we pivoted.”

That decision to shift focus – from job discovery to freelance business management—set Playgrown on a more impactful path. Regular conversations with users remain the team’s compass, helping them adapt in a fast-changing market.

Milestones That Validated the Mission

Validation didn’t just come from friends and surveys – it came from institutions.

“One of our proudest moments was pitching to Cradle and being selected for the CIP Spark grant. That was our first big external validation.”

That win was followed by another: getting accepted into HASAN.VC’s Accelerator and becoming part of HASAN.VC’s portfolio.

“These milestones gave us more than just funding. They gave us confidence.”

Redefining What It Means to Be a Freelancer

Playgrown’s vision goes beyond software.

“We want freelancing to be seen as a real career. Too often, it’s viewed as unstable or unserious. We’re changing that by giving freelancers the tools to look professional, get organized, and grow their businesses.”

The platform helps users present themselves like businesses, not hobbyists, through professional invoicing, integrated payment tools, and local compliance features tailored for Malaysia.

While global tools like PayPal, Stripe, and FreshBooks dominate the market, Playgrown stands apart by going hyper-local.

“We integrate with Malaysian payment systems and tax regulations- things international tools don’t handle well. That makes us not just convenient, but relevant.”

As the startup grows, those local roots are turning into a competitive moat, making it difficult for outsiders to replicate Playgrown’s impact.

Advice for Founders: Solve a Problem You’ve Lived

Thaqif has one key piece of advice for aspiring founders:

“Start with a problem you understand deeply. If it’s real to you, it’s probably real to others. Talk to people. Listen closely. Some of our most valuable insights came from honest conversations with freelancer friends – not from books or webinars.”

Final Thoughts: Playgrown Isn’t Just a Tool. It’s a Movement.

At its core, Playgrown is about empowerment. In a world where freelancers are expected to be designers, marketers, accountants, and negotiators all at once, Playgrown steps in to make things easier. But unlike flashy startups chasing hypergrowth, Playgrown is built like a camel startup – resilient, resource-efficient, and designed to thrive in uncertain conditions. They’re not just building a product; they’re building sustainable, meaningful impact. By staying close to their users and focused on real problems, Playgrown is redefining what it means to freelance – and giving a new generation of creators the confidence, tools, and dignity to call it a career.