From Blank Profile to Times Square Billboard

I’m Jay (Ishan Jayathilaka), a freelance web developer based in Melbourne, Australia, and originally from Sri Lanka. In 2019, I opened my laptop and created a blank Fiverr account. At first, I had no reviews, no portfolio and no clients, just a passion for web design and development and a quiet determination to build something real.

Six years later, in October 2025, that blank profile ended up on a giant Fiverr billboard in Times Square, New York City.

This is that story.

From blank profile to Fiverr Pro#

A freelance career doesn’t happen overnight, so the early years were about one thing: earning trust.

Every project was a chance to prove that a good website is more than good looks. In fact, it has to load fast, work on every phone, run on clean code and be built so Google can find it. That’s what actually helps a business grow.

Year by year, working under the name Jay, I sharpened both sides of the craft: the creative, design-led side and the technical, development side. Eventually, that consistency earned me the Top Rated Seller badge on Fiverr. Later, I became Fiverr Pro, one of the platform’s most selective levels, where freelancers are hand-vetted by Fiverr.

The email that changed everything#

Then, on a quiet Tuesday morning in October 2025, an email arrived from the Fiverr team.

I had been chosen as one of six global winners of Fiverr’s International Freelancer Day campaign, out of millions of freelancers worldwide. Because of that, Fiverr would feature my profile on a giant billboard in Times Square.

It didn’t feel real.

My Fiverr Times Square billboard: October 30, 2025#

On October 30, 2025, the billboard finally went live in Times Square.

However, I’m in Melbourne, so I couldn’t be there in person. Instead, the Fiverr team filmed the moment and sent it to me. Seeing my name and face on one of the most famous screens in the world was surreal.

The billboard also carried a live QR code that linked straight to my Fiverr profile. As a result, I received a wave of profile visits, messages and new project enquiries from clients around the world.

Still, the moment meant even more on a personal level. Building a global career from Sri Lanka takes persistence as much as skill. Nobody hands you opportunities, so you create them one project, one client and one year at a time.

As one of very few Sri Lankans to appear on a Times Square billboard, I hope this shows every designer, developer and creative in Sri Lanka that where you live is not a ceiling.

A blank profile, seven years, then Times Square: it’s possible.

You can also read the official campaign announcement on the Fiverr Community Forum.

7 lessons from 7 years#

1. Great design needs great development. A beautiful website that loads slowly or breaks on mobile doesn’t help anyone. That’s why the best results come when design and development work as one.
2. The internet has no borders. In other words, it doesn’t matter where your desk is. For example, from Melbourne I build websites for clients across Australia and around the world.
3. Consistency compounds. Freelancing isn’t a straight line. Instead, you grow by showing up every day, solving problems and caring about the people who trust you.
4. Your reputation is your portfolio. In the long run, reviews, results and repeat clients matter more than any one flashy project.
5. Keep adding skills. Every skill you add, from UI/UX design and front-end development to site speed and SEO, multiplies the value you give your clients, so keep learning.
6. Patience is the strategy. After all, it took seven years, one day at a time, with no shortcuts worth taking.
7. Where you start doesn’t limit where you go. I started with a blank Fiverr profile in Sri Lanka, and in the end it took me to Times Square.

The journey continues#

The billboard is a milestone I’ll never forget. But the real joy of this work is still the everyday part: sketching layouts, writing clean code and building websites that help businesses grow, and that part never gets old.

Finally, to every client, collaborator, mentor and supporter over the past seven years: thank you. This milestone belongs to you too.

So, if you’re looking for a freelance web developer in Melbourne or anywhere in Australia, I’d love to hear about your project. You can see my work here on codeJay or message me on Fiverr.