Today, I officially close a chapter: the company I served as president of is now debt‐free. Debts that accumulated due to market collapse and a failed game launch—a project we worked on for over five years.

My former colleagues moved on to other companies long ago. I, too, have taken on full‐time employment. It took me over a year to finally clear the debts. And this is the other side of entrepreneurship: when everything goes well, success has many fathers; when failure strikes, you often find yourself completely alone.

The tax authorities showed no mercy. They didn’t care that clients hadn’t paid me or that frozen funds halted new projects. They seized my account without warning, took what they could, and promised to return. That’s all in the past now. Today, I’m only looking forward.

I ran this business for seven years. Although it’s now adrift, you can be sure—this is not my final word.

And since what doesn’t break you (and it came close) makes you stronger, I’m sharing a few principles I’ll follow if I ever build a studio from scratch again:

1️⃣ Game first, business second. I wouldn’t register a company until after releasing my first game.
2️⃣ Formalize the structure only when game revenue is stable and significant.
3️⃣ Avoid “work for hire” projects like fire. It’s easy cash that distracts from your own vision.
4️⃣ After the first game, immediately start production on the next one—of similar scope. Rinse and repeat. No multi‐year projects. Nothing I couldn’t complete alone within a year.
5️⃣ Seek partners as committed to the company as I am.
6️⃣ Partner with a publisher or investor only when the company and project are ready. Ideally, I’d avoid external capital altogether. But if necessary, only with a proven partner offering real marketing support.

I’m an incorrigible optimist. Today’s closing of this chapter feels like a good sign and a reminder that perseverance is the only true path to independence.
For now, I continue my full‐time job while developing my games after hours. I’m walking the solo‐developer path. After so many years in creation, I’m confident I can pull this off. And if problems or unknowns arise…
“I’ll figure it out.”