Archive · 24 Nov 2025
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
- When
- 2025
- Where
- New York City
- Why
- To lead the company after the founder, Sahil Lavingia, stepped down
- Name
- Ershad Kunnakkadan
- Age
- 33
- Current Position
- CEO of Gumroad
- 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)