Experience at SPARKS 2025, KL

I flew to Malaysia last month. First time there. New place, new people, new energy.
I attended and spoke at SPARKS 2025.

This trip carried another first. I brought the Testers Playground to an international conference. I spoke on stage, then invited people to play. Not games for passing time but games that teach testing, spark dialogue, and make lessons stick.

SPARKS 2025 focused on learning, collaboration, and community. It also honored everyday tester stories: the small wins, the hard parts, and the craft behind testing.

How Synapse QA lifted my journey

Context helps. SPARKS comes under the Synapse QA umbrella, and that connection means a lot to me.
They encouraged my early experiments, including blogging, vlogging, and building games for testers. I needed a launch pad. They provided one.

Over time, I asked for help. Sometimes bold asks.

• “Can we publish my study notes on your blog?”
• “Could you give a talk at my workplace?”
• “Can you give me this custom badge or flyer for promotions?”
• “What about a playground booth at your first conference?”

Most communities hesitate at unusual requests. Synapse QA listens. They have said yes. It matters.
That support changed my pace and my overall confidence.

Synapse QA is not just about event logistics. It is culture-building. It is a safe space to try. There is room to test ideas, learn from missteps, and keep going together.

SPARKS rising in Southeast Asia

SPARKS is young. This was the first edition. Yet it already feels important. It pulls testers together across Southeast Asia and reaches Spain, too.
Leaders like Nithin wear many hats: keynotes, workshops, community building, and conference orchestration. That mix is demanding. The impact is visible.

For early-career testers in Asia, access matters. Global conferences can be far away, costly, or out of reach. SPARKS lowers the barrier. It offers a local stage, practical learning, and a network that lasts beyond the day.

This is how ecosystems grow. One event at a time. One supportive door at a time.

First impressions of Malaysia

Travel shapes perspective. Malaysia felt welcoming from the start.
Clean streets. Calm pace. Solid infrastructure. Friendly faces.

Tourists love it for a reason. I noticed the balance: modern comfort, cultural depth.

Inside SPARKS, the warmth continued. Attendees asked sharp questions and shared lived experiences. Curiosity stayed high all day.

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Inside the Testers Playground

The Playground was my highlight. The idea is simple: learn testing through play.
Games make abstract ideas concrete. They compress theory into moments you can feel and discuss.

Here’s what I saw:

• Quick rounds that got people thinking fast.
• Groups trading observations, debating choices, and laughing mid-puzzle.
• Strangers connecting over a shared challenge.

The booth turned learning into a social act. No slides required. No long lectures either.
You play. You fail. You retry. You discover patterns you can apply on Monday morning.

I ran the playground along with Ajay Balamurugadas.

It was my first time running the Playground at a conference. The response encouraged me to grow it with new games, clearer facilitation, and stronger debriefs. Next time, I want longer cycles and deeper reflection prompts.

One day, big energy

SPARKS 2025 ran as a single-day event. It felt a little short to me.
Yet the day stayed full: sessions, hallway chats, game tables, and spontaneous meetups with people I had only known online.

Would two days help? Yes, maybe more time for workshops, hands-on clinics, or unconference formats.
Even so, the one-day format delivered a great momentum. The schedule was tight, the rooms engaged, the conversations lively.

A special moment: James Bach on the agenda

James Bach’s work shaped parts of my testing journey. Seeing his name on the program mattered.
He joined virtually this time. I wished for an in-person exchange, of course. That’s still on my list: to learn in the same room, to explore ideas face to face, maybe even to collaborate.

Even from a screen, his ideas traveled. They seeded conversations at booths and in hallways.
That’s the reach of a strong teacher, ideas that keep moving after the session ends.

Why SPARKS matters for testers

Conferences are more than slides. They are people, practice, and perspective. SPARKS is a great reminder of that.

Key takeaways I carried back home:

• Curiosity for testing is thriving in many places.
• Community support helps testers attempt bigger and braver work.
• Play-based formats can make concepts memorable and practical.
• In-person energy unlocks discussions that remote formats rarely match.

Simple points, strong effects. Bring people together with care and intent, and learning accelerates.

Looking ahead

SPARKS 2025 in Malaysia felt meaningful. It marked my first international Testers Playground. It strengthened my bond with Synapse QA. It expanded my circle of peers across the region.

A single day can still echo. New friendships grew. New ideas formed. New plans began.
I see SPARKS growing – longer programs, wider reach, deeper practice.

To the organizers, speakers, sponsors, and every attendee who showed up with curiosity: thank you.
I look forward to the next edition and to building more spaces where testers practice, play, and learn together.