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Adii Pienaar
Founder and Entrepreneur
Adii Pienaar's Background
Adii Pienaar is a serial entrepreneur and the current Head of WooNew at Automattic. Some key facts about his background:
- He co-founded WooCommerce in 2007, which he grew to over $10 million in revenue before it was acquired by Automattic in 2015.12
- After leaving WooCommerce in 2013, he founded Conversio (previously CM Commerce) which he led as CEO until it was acquired by CM Group in 2019.1
- In 2020, he founded Cogsy, an inventory management tool for ecommerce brands, which he ran until it was acqui-hired in 2023.3
- He has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and an Honors degree in Business Strategy from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.1
Adii's Entrepreneurial Journey
Adii's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age, inspired by his father who was an entrepreneur.3 After studying accounting, he started tinkering with WordPress in college and built the first WooCommerce product in 2007.2
Over the next 13 years, Adii co-founded and led multiple successful ecommerce companies:
- WooCommerce (2007-2013)
- Conversio/CM Commerce (2014-2020)
- Cogsy (2020-2023)
He is known for his ability to identify opportunities in the ecommerce space and build innovative products.23 His latest role is as Head of WooNew at Automattic, where he is working on the next generation of WooCommerce.4
Adii's Perspective on Entrepreneurship
Adii has been open about his entrepreneurial journey, sharing his successes and challenges. He has written about the importance of finding meaning beyond just business success.4
Some key insights from Adii:
- Entrepreneurship is not just about building companies, but about personal growth and discovery4
- Failure and pivoting are a natural part of the entrepreneurial journey5
- Surrounding yourself with the right people is critical to success3
Overall, Adii Pienaar is a respected entrepreneur known for his ability to identify opportunities in ecommerce and build successful, innovative companies. His latest role at Automattic allows him to continue shaping the future of ecommerce.14
