I was born in Ethiopia, where my grandfather had migrated in the 1970s. Later my family moved back to India and eventually settled in Rajkot, Gujarat, where I spent my formative years and completed my education.
During my student years, I developed a strong interest in programming and technology. Soon after completing my studies, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to manage one of Rajkot’s pioneering institutes for IT skills and talent development. That experience gave me an early exposure to leadership, team building, and the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
A few years later, I joined Ace Software Exports Limited with the responsibility of establishing its Software Development Division. Over the years, we expanded beyond software development to build specialized divisions serving industries such as Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC), Promotional Products, Publishing, and several others.
Recognizing the growing technology needs of small and medium-sized businesses, we also launched our Qe family of brands. We started with QeRetail for eCommerce solutions, followed by QeWebby, offering modern CMS and website development services on platforms such as WordPress, Webflow, and Framer.
Looking back, my journey—from being born in Ethiopia to building technology businesses in India—has been driven by a passion for technology, continuous learning, and creating solutions that help businesses grow.
The Journey Began
Before WordPress, I can say it was much like that of many developers, an early web era where developers like us and end-users both were excited about the emerging tech era. Speaking about the digital journey before WordPress, it was all about building websites from scratch, HTML, and all. At that time, in terms of digital experience, little was too much, but now the sky is the limit.
Those years taught me something valuable: clients don’t buy code; they buy business outcomes. They want websites that are easy to manage, scalable, secure, and capable of supporting business growth.
As I worked with more businesses across different industries, I realized that the future wasn’t about reinventing the wheel for every project. It was about building reliable digital solutions that businesses could actually maintain and grow with.
How & When did you find WordPress? Why did you choose and stick with WordPress?
I don’t have an exact idea or a memory about how and when I found out about WordPress.
What I do remember is a pattern.
Back then, almost every website project followed the same cycle. We’d build a website, hand it over to the client, and later the calls and emails would start.
“Can you change this banner?”
“Can you update our phone number?”
“Can you publish this new blog?”
These weren’t technical challenges; they were everyday business tasks. Yet every small update depended on a developer.
When QeWebby started working with WordPress, we realized something had changed. Clients weren’t calling us for every content update anymore. They could manage their own websites as well as content without worrying about breaking anything.
That’s when we stopped looking at WordPress as just another CMS.
We, as an organization, started seeing it as a business enabler.
Over the years, what kept us invested in WordPress wasn’t only the technology. It was the community that kept pushing the platform forward.
WordPress kept evolving because its community kept evolving. And as businesses changed, WordPress changed with them.
That’s why we stayed. Not because it was popular, but because it consistently solved real business problems, and it still does today.
The Need for “QeWebby”
Interestingly, we never started with the ambition of becoming a plugin company.
We started as a WordPress and WooCommerce development agency focused on delivering successful digital solutions, and we still are.
Over the years, we built hundreds of features for clients. Some improved shopping experiences, others streamlined content management, and many solved highly specific business challenges.
As similar requests kept coming from different clients, we had a realization: we were solving the same problems again and again.
Instead of rebuilding those solutions for every project, we decided to turn the most valuable ones into reusable products that anyone in the WordPress community could benefit from.
That’s how plugins like 360° Product Viewer, Product Personalizer, Qe Ultimate Blocks, InstaView, and our Easy Progressive Web App solution came into existence.
But that’s only one side of QeWebby.
We also continue developing custom WordPress and WooCommerce plugins for businesses and agencies because innovation doesn’t stop with packaged products.
What challenges did you face? Your worst experience and proudest moment?
One thing entrepreneurship has taught me is that challenges aren’t occasional events; they’re part of the job description. If you’re building something meaningful, you’ll face them almost every day.
Over the years, I’ve stopped looking at challenges as obstacles. I see them as opportunities to grow. Not just the business, but myself as a leader. Every challenge tests your judgment, your patience, your ability to stay calm under pressure, and your willingness to make decisions when there isn’t a perfect answer. Those experiences shape you far more than the easy days ever will.
People often ask me about my worst experience, and honestly, I don’t think I have one.
What felt like a major setback five or ten years ago doesn’t even qualify as a setback in my mind today. At that point in time, it seemed overwhelming because I didn’t have the experience I have now. Looking back, those moments were simply lessons in disguise. Every difficult client conversation, every delayed project, every decision that didn’t go as planned taught me something I still carry with me today. So I don’t label them as “worst experiences”; I see them as tuition fees paid to become a better entrepreneur.
As for my proudest moment, it’s not tied to a single award, product launch, or revenue milestone.
If I had to choose one achievement, it would be earning the trust of our clients. Today, maintaining and retaining for years means far more to me than any trophy because it reflects something that can’t be bought. It tells me that we’re delivering beyond what we promise, solving real business problems, and building relationships that last.
I’m equally proud of the team behind that achievement. Seeing our clients succeed, watching our team grow in confidence and capability, and knowing that people enjoy working with us, that’s what gives me the greatest sense of accomplishment.
At the end of the day, businesses are built on technology, but they grow on trust. If our clients continue to choose us and our team continues to believe in our vision, I consider that my proudest achievement and also my biggest motivation to keep learning and evolving every single day.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work across almost every layer of the WordPress ecosystem. From custom WordPress websites and WooCommerce stores to plugin development, performance optimization, migrations, security hardening, long-term maintenance, and enterprise solutions.
Through QeWebby, we’ve also built our own public WordPress and WooCommerce plugins while continuing to develop custom plugins, websites for businesses and agencies with unique requirements.
Any advice for those who want to start their own business?
If I could give just one piece of advice, it would be this: don’t build a business to sell a product, build a business to solve a problem.
The businesses that last aren’t necessarily the ones with the best ideas; they’re the ones that consistently create value for their customers.
And be patient with the journey. Entrepreneurship has a way of testing your conviction. There will be days when things don’t go according to plan, but if you keep learning, keep adapting, and keep showing up, progress follows.
Most importantly, never underestimate the value of good people. Businesses are built by teams, not individuals.
Is there any particular niche one should focus on?
I think the answer is both yes and no.
Yes, because some niches naturally have more momentum than others. Today, areas like AI, WordPress services, WooCommerce, hosting, cybersecurity, and automation are seeing strong demand, so they’re definitely worth exploring. Deep down, rather than just asking which niche is growing, I’d ask where businesses are consistently willing to spend money because a problem genuinely affects their operations.
But at the same time, I don’t believe choosing the “trendiest” niche guarantees success. Every niche eventually becomes competitive.
What really matters is whether you can solve a problem better than others and consistently deliver value to your customers. I’ve seen businesses succeed in mature markets simply because they executed better and genuinely cared about customer outcomes.
So my advice would be: choose a niche with long-term potential, but build your business around solving real problems, not around chasing trends.
What are your plans to grow your business?
Our growth plans are quite practical.
First, we’ll continue strengthening QeWebby by building products and solutions that simplify WordPress and WooCommerce for businesses and agencies.
At the same time, we’ll continue expanding our digital solutions business across web development, eCommerce, AI, cloud technologies, and enterprise applications, while increasing our presence in international markets.
We’re also investing heavily in our team, internal processes, and delivery capabilities because as you grow, maintaining quality becomes just as important as acquiring new clients.
For me, sustainable growth is about growing in a way where clients continue to trust us, our team continues to grow, and we never compromise on the quality of what we deliver.
Where do you see WordPress in the next five years?
WordPress has spent more than two decades proving that it can evolve with the web, and I believe it will continue doing exactly that.
AI will certainly change how websites are built and managed, but I don’t see it replacing WordPress. I see it making WordPress even more capable.
The platform has always adapted to changing technologies, and I think that’s one of its greatest strengths. Five years from now, WordPress will look different, but its core philosophy of openness, flexibility, and community will remain the same.
Is there any threat to WordPress?
Competition is inevitable, and I actually think it’s healthy.
Platforms like Shopify, Webflow, Wix, and AI-powered website builders are all solving different problems for different audiences.
What has helped WordPress remain relevant is its flexibility and the freedom it gives businesses to truly own their digital presence. As long as that matters, WordPress will continue to have a strong place in the ecosystem.
What I personally believe is that competition doesn’t weaken any platform, tech, or business; it encourages the entire everyone to keep IMPROVING, INNOVATING, AND EVOLVING.
Do you attend WordCamps and WordPress meetups?
Earlier in my journey, I used to attend WordCamps and WordPress meetups quite regularly, and I still make it a point to participate whenever my schedule allows. As the business has grown, my responsibilities have naturally changed, so I may not be able to attend every event personally.
That said, our team actively participates in WordCamps and local meetups whenever possible because we strongly believe in being part of the community, not just benefiting from it.
For me, WordCamps are much more than conferences. They’re where ideas are exchanged, experiences are shared, and meaningful relationships are built. You get to interact with developers, agency owners, product creators, contributors, and beginners.
Every event offers a chance to learn something new, and I believe that’s one of the biggest strengths of the WordPress ecosystem. It’s a community that grows because people are willing to share, collaborate, and help each other succeed.
Who do you consider among your best friends within the WordPress community?
That’s always a difficult question because I’d probably end up unintentionally leaving someone out.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to build relationships with many agency owners, developers, product founders, hosting partners, and contributors through client collaborations, WordCamps, and community interactions. Some have become good friends, others trusted advisors, and many are people I can simply pick up the phone and have an honest conversation with.
I’m grateful to have met many such people throughout my journey, and those relationships are something I genuinely value.
Who inspired you the most, and whose success story would you like to read on WPFounders?
I’ve never believed that inspiration comes from just one person.
Throughout my journey, I’ve learned something from almost everyone I’ve met, that includes clients, entrepreneurs, team members, and fellow founders in the WordPress community. Every conversation gives you a different perspective if you’re willing to listen.
That said, I have a lot of respect for founders who have built successful products and businesses over many years without losing sight of their customers or the community. Those are the journeys I find most inspiring because they remind us that sustainable success is built through consistency, resilience, and continuous learning.
I’d love to read more stories of founders who quietly kept building, overcame difficult phases, and created lasting impact. Those are the stories that often teach us the most.
What are some resources that keep you updated on WordPress and the ecosystem?
Of course, I follow WordPress core updates, product announcements, blogs, newsletters, podcasts, and community discussions to stay informed.
But if I’m being honest, my biggest source of learning has always been real-world experience.
Every client project brings a new challenge. Every discussion with the team introduces a different perspective. Every business problem pushes us to explore new technologies and better ways of solving it.
I think that’s one of the advantages of running a digital solutions company. You’re not just reading about industry trends; you experience them firsthand. Many of our best ideas have come from listening to our clients rather than simply following what’s trending.
What do you like to do during your free time?
When I’m away from work, I like to keep things simple.
I enjoy spending quality time with my family, travelling whenever I get the chance, and reading about business, technology, and leadership. I also enjoy conversations that have nothing to do with work because they often give you a fresh perspective.
Interestingly, stepping away from work has helped me solve many work-related problems. Sometimes the best ideas come when your mind isn’t actively looking for them.
I also make plans to meet my friends, as I believe friends are those who help us meet our true selves and make us laugh and smile, leaving every worry aside.
How do you spend your holidays?
For me, holidays are less about travelling and more about spending uninterrupted time with my family and myself.
Running a business means you’re constantly thinking about the next project, the next challenge, or the next opportunity. Holidays give me a chance to pause, reflect, recharge, and come back with a clearer mind.
I believe taking a break isn’t stepping away from your work; it’s preparing yourself to do it even better.
What is your favorite travel destination?
It’s difficult for me to pick just one destination because every place has something unique to offer.
In fact, I believe we’re fortunate to live in a country like India. Travelling across India itself feels like visiting many different worlds, and I think that’s something we often take for granted.
Beyond the destination, what I enjoy most is understanding how people live, what they value, how they solve everyday problems, and what drives their communities. Every new place introduces you to a different perspective, and every conversation challenges you to think a little differently.
For me, that’s the real value of travel. It has a way of rewiring your thought process, broadening your perspective, and reminding you that there’s rarely only one way to solve a problem. As an entrepreneur, I think those experiences are just as valuable as the journey itself.
How do you reward yourself?
For me, success is always more meaningful when it’s shared. Over the years, my definition of reward has changed.
Personally, I enjoy travelling and spending quality time with my family. Those moments help me disconnect, reflect, and return with renewed energy.
Professionally, the biggest reward is celebrating milestones with the team.
The greatest satisfaction comes from seeing the outcome of everyone’s collective effort. When a client appreciates our work, when a team member grows into a leadership role, or when we achieve something we once thought was difficult.
At this stage of my journey, I would say fulfillment matters more to me than rewards.
Ultimately, the biggest reward for me is knowing that our work creates value, not just for our clients, but also for our team. If we’re building meaningful careers, solving real business problems, and growing together year after year, I couldn’t ask for a better reward than that.
