Faceless: From Immigrant to $1M/Year | Starter Story

Nick Buzz was 17 years old, had never been on a plane, and was leaving India with no plan beyond escape. He had just told his father he would not become an engineer, and his father's response was blunt: "These scribbles or paintings will not make you any money. Don't come back to me crying if things don't work out." That rejection became the engine. Nick needed to prove that design could support a life. He ended up building a design subscription agency called Baked that hit $160,000 in monthly recurring revenue within months, all while remaining completely anonymous online. This is the operating story of how he did it.

The Rejection That Drove the Work

Nick's father wanted him to become an engineer or a doctor. Nick wanted to draw. When he told his father he would pursue animation instead, the response was immediate and dismissive: "These scribbles or paintings will not make you any money." That moment set the pattern. Nick internalized the doubt and turned it into fuel. "I have to prove him and myself that I can make a living out of design," he said. He started competing in logo design contests online, entering around 200 of them before winning his first — $200 at age 17. Even then, his parents were skeptical: "No way, no one is paying you on internet."