Two years ago, if you told me I’d be running a footwear company, I would’ve laughed. I spent over a decade in tech, writing code and managing projects, with some WordPress plugin reviews mixed in. The kind of work where your biggest physical challenge is finding a comfortable desk chair.

Then I became a partner at Velzani, and suddenly I’m learning about sole construction, supply chains, and the logistics of shipping shoes across continents.

The Weird Part

We make elevator shoes. Yes, the kind that discreetly add 2-4 inches of height. It’s a niche I never knew existed, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. The engineering is genuinely fascinating: how do you add significant height while keeping a shoe comfortable and stylish? Turns out, it’s harder than writing a WordPress plugin.

20,000+ pairs sold later, I’m still surprised this is my life.

The Part I Didn’t Leave Behind

I still contribute to WordPress through Kinsta’s Five for the Future program. Right now I’m working on the Contributor Dashboard, basically trying to make it easier for new people to get involved in open source without feeling lost.

It’s funny, one job literally helps people stand taller, the other helps contributors find their footing.

Why This Blog

I’m committing to one post a month. Mostly so I have a place to think out loud about what it’s like to run a shoe business while still contributing to open source, and figure things out along the way.

If that sounds interesting, stick around.