9 months ago
Ershad Kunnakkadan: Indian Techie to CEO
Ershad Kunnakkadan is a 33-year-old man from Kerala, India, who recently became the CEO of a big company called Gumroad in New York.
He started his journey in a small government school and later dropped out of college.
Despite these challenges, he worked hard, learned a lot about computers, and even found bugs in big websites.
He joined Gumroad as a senior engineer and slowly worked his way up to become the CEO.
His story is inspiring because he didn't come from a rich family or a famous school, but he still achieved a lot through hard work and reliability.
Many people on the internet are talking about his success and how he is a great example of what can be achieved with dedication.
Ershad Kunnakkadan, a 33-year-old Indian-origin techie, became the CEO of Gumroad, an e-commerce company valued at over $100 million.
He started his career in Kerala, India, dropping out of a small private college and later earning a degree remotely from Bharathiar University.
Kunnakkadan joined Gumroad as a Senior Software Engineer in July 2020 and was promoted to CEO in 2025.
He moved to New York City this year on an O-1 visa, which is for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement.
His journey is noted for his hard work, reliability, and contributions to the tech community, including finding security bugs in GitHub and Prezi.
- Who
- Ershad Kunnakkadan, a 33-year-old Indian-origin techie
- What
- Became the CEO of Gumroad, an e-commerce company
- Where
- New York City
- When
- 2025
- Why
- To lead the company after the founder, Sahil Lavingia, stepped down
Key facts
- Name
- Ershad Kunnakkadan
- Age
- 33
- Current Position
- CEO of Gumroad
- Company Valuation
- Education
- Dropped out of a small private college in Kerala, later earned a degree remotely from Bharathiar University
- Previous Companies
- BigBinary, Bang the Table
- Current Location
- New York City
- Visa Type
- O-1 visa (Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement)
Quotes
Deedy Das
Partner at Menlo Ventures and tech influencer
“This man dropped out of a no-name college in India to be a software engineer and by 33, worked his way up to being CEO of a $100M+ company in New York”
financialexpress.com
“dropping out when you’re rich is trendy in America, but to see someone Indian drop out and work their way up into the top role is pure inspiration”
financialexpress.com
Sahil Lavingia
Founder of Gumroad
“Exciting news: after 15 years, I’m stepping down as CEO of Gumroad. I’ve found the perfect leader to take over for me: Ershad Kunnakkadan. (While he just moved to NYC this year, he’s been with Gumroad remotely for 8 of those 14 years)”
financialexpress.com
Ershad Kunnakkadan
New CEO of Gumroad
“Thank you, Sahil Lavingia, for the foundation, the guidance, the example, and for trusting me with this new role. I’m super excited and honoured. So proud of the team and ready to serve our creators even more!”
financialexpress.com