Another year is coming to an end, and it feels like the right time to pause and reflect on what I’ve built. Working from my tiny studio still feels amazing. I get that familiar excitement where my brain just will not shut off at night. I keep thinking about what is next, what could be better, or how to push things a little further. Most nights, I barely feel sleepy because the excitement keeps me awake. Over the past year, so many new people have joined the journey. I have gotten to know a lot more of you online, not so much in real life unfortunately, but big love to everyone who has been part of the ride so far. ## Running a Indie Studio Running a studio alone can feel complex. Even after three years, things like managing clients and handling invoices still trip me up sometimes. But despite the mess and learning curves, I am genuinely happy with every client I have worked with and those I am working with now. This year, I collaborated with teams across the world. Noon, ClickUp, Practo, and several smaller but equally meaningful projects. Every collaboration taught me something new, and I am grateful for the trust these teams placed in me. As I shared in a recent blog post, I follow a simple rule. At any time, I focus on just three projects, One pays the bills. One challenges me. One feeds my soul. Wrote about it here Right now, I have all three, and I wake up excited to work on them every day. This mindset has opened doors to opportunities and collaborations that have shaped Overlayz in ways I never imagined. ## Client Work Highlights This year’s client work was especially fulfilling. I worked across diverse industries, from building comprehensive design systems for health products like Practo and Cent AI, to redefining design language for creative brands that support real artists. I also helped an indie game dev friend design their game UI. What made these projects special was not just the output, but the shared passion and vision behind them. That alignment made the work feel meaningful and deeply rewarding. ## Side Projects and Experiments As always, my studio is my space to experiment. This year, I spent a lot of time building Kigen, the biggest Figma plugin I have ever made. It took around six months to build. The response after launch has been incredibly encouraging. Kigen alone generated around $5K in revenue this year, which honestly means a lot to me. There is more planned for Kigen. I am currently working on extending it and launching the KigenUI Design System Kit very soon. I also spent time experimenting with AI APIs and built several experimental apps that are still private or in beta. Things like a book sharing app, icon generator, a design system manager. Most of these are still rough, but I am excited about where they might go. Alongside that, I kept building smaller plugins to solve my own problems. Distort, Project Radius, Mandala, Fake 3D, Wave, and a few others. There are a few other side projects sitting in drafts that I have not shared publicly yet. Hopefully, I will get the time to polish them and put them out into the world. ## Game Dev Journey Most importantly, after experimenting with Unreal Engine, I decided to start my first small game in Godot. It is a cozy game about an artist and his cat. Instead of silently working on a dream game with nothing to show, I wanted to create something real and share the process. I released my first devlog , and that alone felt like a big step forward. ## The Year in Numbers Worked with 4 large clients and around 5 smaller projects across design systems, branding, and creative work. Built more than 10 side projects, including new plugins and major updates. Published over 35 articles and stories on my mini blog. Started sharing devlogs on YouTube with 1 video so far. ## What Next? Looking back, this year was not just about what I shipped or how much I earned. It was about staying curious, staying honest, and building things I genuinely care about. I am grateful for the work, the people, and the quiet nights where ideas kept me awake. And big thank to my Pixel (Cat) As the year comes to a close, I am carrying that same excitement into the next one. Ready to build, learn, and keep showing up. --- Catch me on X/Twitter @realvjy
More Video coming on youtube Originally posted on medium

Progress Without the Noise

Dec 18, 2025 · 4 min read

stay hungry, stay foolish

-Steve Jobs