The Moment Everything Changed
It was a random day in August 2024 when I had a realization that would change my life. I was diving deep into AI architectures, specifically Mixture of Experts (MOE) models, and something clicked: this architecture mimics how our human brain actually works. Multiple specialized networks working together, just like our brain uses different regions for different tasks.
But here's what frustrated me: companies like Google have this technology. They know it works. Yet instead of bringing it to user devices, they keep increasing parameters and forcing everything to the cloud. Why? Control.
The Big Tech Lie
Think about it. Your phone is powerful enough to run complex AI models. Your laptop can handle video editing, PDF processing, chess analysis-all locally. But big companies build fear: "What if you lose your data? What if your device crashes? Trust us with your privacy."
And we do. Based on a single privacy policy page that nobody reads. We trust random corporations with our entire digital life because... they said it's safer? That's when I got genuinely angry. Everything possible on your device is being artificially shifted to cloud services, not for your benefit, but for their control and data collection.
My Journey Started Way Earlier
I'm Shourya Upadhyay, born May 28, 2009. Currently in Class 11th (PCB stream), and yeah, I'm the solo developer behind NAKST Studio. But my coding journey started when I was around 9 years old.
Back in Class 5, I got a C# and Unity book meant for advanced developers. I understood maybe 5% of it. But I was hooked. My elder sister Kavisha had taught me MS Paint in 2017 (literally, how to use Paint!), and six months later, I built my first app. It was rough, but it was mine.
That first app? KST Kids Fun And Learn, still live on Amazon App Store (never updated it though ?). KST stood for Kavisha, Shourya, Tathya-my siblings and me.
COVID, SpaceX, and Getting Serious
COVID-19 was a massive turning point. Everyone was online-chatting, gaming, learning. I got obsessed with tech. Then I discovered SpaceX and Elon Musk's vision. That made me even crazier. I started building hardware projects, experimenting with everything I could get my hands on.
In 2023, I built Miliana-my personal AI assistant inspired by Tony Stark's JARVIS (yes, I was a Marvel nerd). It used some APIs but the core was bringing MOE architecture to regular people. It wasn't perfect, but it proved something to me: powerful AI doesn't need to live in the cloud.
Why "NAKST Studio"?
I had a bad habit-I'd start projects but never finish them. NAKST Studio was going to be different. It was my proof that I do what I say.
The name? It's my entire family:
- N = Naveen (my father)
- A = Anu (my mother)
- K = Kavisha (my elder sister)
- S = Shourya (me)
- T = Tathya (my younger brother)
They're my foundation. Both my parents are doctors-my whole maternal side is doctors actually. They gave me the freedom to pursue this crazy dream even though I chose PCB (no computer science classes) and spend my nights coding instead of sleeping.
The Reality: It's Brutally Hard
Let me be real with you. I stay awake until 3-4 AM almost every night debugging, building, fixing. Then I have to maintain school attendance, keep my grades high (I'm a "way higher than average" student, can't lose that tag), and attend 4 hours of PW classes daily.
The hardest part? Finding help when you're truly stuck. You can find a billion courses on Flutter basics, but try finding help for "media channel query issues with consistent background services without touching main UI pipeline." Those areas are completely uncovered. Even AI can't help sometimes.
I remember nights where I'd be genuinely mad at a bug, knowing I had limited time before I had to give up and prep for NEET instead. That pressure is real.
Where We Are Today
As I write this on December 14, 2025, here's what we've achieved:
- Video Lab: 1,000+ users processing 4K videos on their phones
- Chess Lab: 150+ users analyzing games locally
- PDF Lab: 100+ users editing PDFs without cloud uploads
Every single one of these apps proves my point: you don't need cloud. You don't need subscriptions. You don't need to sacrifice privacy.
The Biggest Challenge Nobody Talks About
Want to know what keeps me up at night more than bugs? How to present myself on social media. I genuinely don't know how to market, grow followers, or create viral content. I'm a developer, not an influencer.
And here's the harsh reality: if my next 1-2 apps don't get bigger traction, I might have to drop everything and focus on NEET prep so I don't waste a year after 12th. That timeline scares me more than any coding challenge.
My Message to You
I'm not some big influencer. I'm not successful yet. I'm literally just a 16-year-old kid from a medical family who refuses to accept that big tech's way is the only way.
But here's what I believe: Never give up. Things will sort themselves out. And always remember-Everything for Everyone.
I'm not saying don't offer paid services. But make them as minimal as possible. What's the need to collect user data for personal profit? You can earn a basic living without selling people's privacy. Data today is like Bitcoin in 2013-except people don't realize its value yet.
What's Next?
My goal is way bigger than building ad-free apps. I want "Everything for Everyone" to become reality. I want to prove that you can build a sustainable business respecting user privacy and device capabilities.
Will I succeed? Honestly, I don't know. But I'm going to try until I literally can't anymore.
If you're a teen reading this and thinking "I could never do that"-you're wrong. I started with MS Paint tutorials from my sister. You can start from wherever you are. The question isn't whether you're capable. The question is: will you try?
Follow my journey on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Try our apps. And if you believe in what we're building, spread the word. That's the biggest help right now.
Let's prove big tech wrong. Together.
- Shourya Upadhyay
Founder, NAKST Studio
December 14, 2025