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How a 19-Year-Old Design Prodigy Built $100K/Month Empire
Breaking down Ayush Soni’s playbook for growing HEX.inc to $100k+/mo with Twitter.
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Hey there,
Designers grind for years before landing big name clients like Framer, Square, or VaynerX.
They build portfolios, network endlessly, and hope for a lucky break.
Ayush Soni skipped all that.
At 18, he landed his first $40K client by spamming Twitter threads with a portfolio of fake projects.
Now, his design agency, HEX, generates $100k+ a month between his brand redesigns, and his $5K/month subscription design service.
No ads. No cold emails. Just Twitter and relentless creativity.
Here’s how he pulled it off and how you can do the same:
Step 1: Fake It Until You Make It (Literally)
The #1 mistake most freelancers make? Waiting for “real” experience.
Ayush started with 10 fake projects.
He reverse engineered websites from Apple and Stripe, built them on Webflow, and wrote full case studies as if he’d worked with real clients.
Why it worked:
No one checks: Clients care about results, not your resume.
Social proof: A polished portfolio (even fake) builds instant credibility.
Confidence boost: Charging $10K/month feels easier when your work looks premium.
“I had no money, no experience, just 10 fake projects. But when clients saw my portfolio, they assumed I was legit”
Steal this:
Build 3-5 “concept projects” for brands you admire.
Treat them like real client work (case studies, mockups, metrics).
Publish them everywhere.
Step 2: Spam Twitter (Strategically)
Ayush didn’t wait for clients to come to him.
He became a Twitter reply guy, dropping his portfolio in founders’ threads 20 times a day.
Most tweets got 2 likes.
But one viral reply from a million follower account changed everything:
“That tweet got 1M impressions. Three clients DM’d me. One was VaynerX”
The Twitter growth hack:
Engagement bait: Post hot takes, questions, or visuals (e.g., “Rate this landing page 1-10”).
Own your feed: Share everything. Rejected designs, behind the scenes, client wins.
Algorithm hack: Twitter’s “binge bank” effect means one viral post can resurrect old content.
HEX’s stats today:
90% of his clients come from Twitter.
His 25K followers act as a 24/7 lead gen engine.
Steal this:
Reply to 5 founders’ tweets daily with value (tips, feedback, or your portfolio).
Post 1-2 design “teardowns” weekly (e.g., “How I’d redesign X’s homepage”).
Step 3: Charge 10X More Than You Think You’re Worth
At 15, Ayush’s website said: “Starting at $10K.”
No one asked his age. No one negotiated.
Why high pricing works:
Filters bad clients: Only serious buyers reach out.
Forces you to level up: You’ll have to deliver $10K quality.
Signals expertise: People assume you’re expensive because you’re good.
Ayush’s pricing today:
Subscription model: $5K/month for unlimited brand designs.
Fixed project rates: $40K+ for full brand overhauls.
How to copy this:
Double your rates tomorrow.
Add a “starting at” price to your website (even if it’s aspirational).
Never mention your age, location, or lack of credentials.
Step 4: Stay Obsessed With the Work
Most agencies fail because they chase growth instead of quality.
Ayush still personally leads every HEX project.
His anti scale strategy:
Stay small: A handful of clients at a time.
Hire specialists per project: Contract illustrators, animators, or copywriters only when needed.
Post everything online: Turn client work into marketing fuel (e.g., “Here’s the concept we pitched Tesla”).
“If I focus on scaling, I lose the magic. I’d rather build 10 iconic brands than 100 mediocre ones.”
Steal this:
Share every project iteration (even failures) on social media.
Turn client deliverables into viral case studies (e.g., “How we increased X’s conversions by 200%”).
The Takeaway: Success Is a Side Effect of Consistency
HEX didn’t blow up overnight.
Ayush just did three things relentlessly:
Show your work (even if it’s fake at first).
Talk about it daily (Twitter is a megaphone, not a diary).
Charge like you’re the best (clients will believe it).
Most people overthink branding and under-ship.
Ayush proved that a fake portfolio + Twitter hustle + irrational confidence = a $100K/month design empire.
Your move.
Until next time,
Omar Waseem
THE DOCK is supported by Founders Arm.
P.S. Want the full story? Watch my podcast with Ayush here.