A Note from Jack

Hey!

Let me start by explaining why and how FREAKYYY was formed.

I am not sure if you read the post from Ben yesterday, but I will quickly sum it up for the benefit of those who didn’t.

Freakyyy is an operator led team by the 5 of us. The distinct edge we have — or I’d like to think we have— is that we are spread across 5 nationalities.

I'm from Singapore.
Ben is from Malaysia.
Pich is from Cambodia.
Ted is from Hong Kong.
And 俊 is from China. We gave him an English name — Miles.

Freakyyy is based in Cambodia. Except for Ben, the rest of us are primarily here. If you stick with us, there's a lot to explain about this country — and a lot to complain about. Specifically, the perception of it. The constant account bans for social media. The Instagram linking issues.

I played a part in that, actually. I introduced Proton VPN to the team because I was tired of scrolling a feed entirely in Khmer. The shift to Cambodia comes with downsides — we'll save that for another day.

The starting point is always about leaving a good impression, right？🤣 People don't want to see the struggle. They want to see that you already have it all. First life lesson.

As the Singaporean in the room, I know how people see me. Privileged. Safe. English educated. And honestly — not wrong.

Singapore has its unfair advantages. It's one of the most developed countries in Asia, with an English-speaking system and a safety net most don't have. But nobody talks about what happens when you leave the island. (And yes — we know most people don’t regard Singapore as a country. Heard that from more than a few Chinese strangers-turned-friends)

I spent two years working in China. I loved it there—after I realized the cultural differences and learned to embrace them. I thought my Mandarin was good. It wasn't. There’s a very specific kind of humbling that a small island doesn't prepare you for.

There’s more to unpack when you start questioning why two people can look at the same situation and see something completely different. That’s exactly what Freakyyy aims to educate.

Anyway. I can only speak for myself here. The rest of the team will share their own perspectives. The shift Freakyyy is pushing for is to acknowledge the elephant in the room. It might be uncomfortable but the key is to address the issue and to work out the difference. The former needs to happen before the latter gets its chance.

So if you are hyper sensitive or reactive to controversial stuff — you might not be suitable here. We agree to disagree, and move forward with our lives.

I’ve been building things for a decade. I lasted because I stayed opinionated and open minded at the same time. And the journey’s not as fancy as you might think—a long founding history might impress your peers, but it won’t get past the first hiring filter. So you just keep going. Not by choice but by necessity.

Freakyyy formed because the five of us looked past our differences. We aim to be an evolved culture bridge on top of brand and strategy. It's like learning a language. You don't think you need it — until it saves you.

That being said, we can't promise the stars in the sky, but an additional source of light for when things get dark on unexpected rainy days—that we can do.

We'll work hard to be that bridge. The rest of the team will cover more. I promise there's something here for everyone.

— Jack | Freakyyy.com