![\"Marco](\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Kokedama-workshop-1.webp\")
<\/div>\nOne of the biggest advantages of working in a leading global company is that you are rarely the smartest person in the room. Nearly every room you walk into is filled with people who can challenge and inspire you \u2013 it all comes down to how willing you are to learn and grow.<\/p>\n
And yet, sitting in a room with Marco Chiesi is a unique experience. With over 20 years in the IT industry, he remains remarkably humble and open to sharing his journey, insights, and life lessons.<\/p>\n
Trying to capture two decades of knowledge in a single blog post is no easy task \u2013 let alone fitting it all into one conversation. But I\u2019ll give it my best shot. Here are 20 years of wisdom distilled into a 7-minute read.<\/p>\n
Taking the leap into technology\u00a0 <\/h2>\n
20 years in the tech industry is an impressive track record. What initially sparked your interest in technology?<\/strong><\/p>\n This question takes me back to a long time ago. My fascination with technology started in childhood. Computers seemed like magical devices capable of anything. I spent hours exploring programs, trying to understand how they worked, and even creating simple video games.\u00a0<\/p>\n This curiosity grew into a deeper passion for the Internet during my teenage years. The ability to connect with people worldwide and access information from all over the world was mind-blowing. I was eager to learn how to build websites and contribute to this exciting online world, which ultimately led me to a career in web development and, eventually, to my current role at Hostinger.<\/p>\n My career has been defined by a willingness to step outside my comfort zone and embrace new challenges. It started with my decision to teach in a high school before finishing university, followed by a leap of faith into web development.<\/p>\n From there, I gradually took on more responsibility: moving from developer to tech lead, embracing emerging technologies, and working with new clients and markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n Discovering the WordPress ecosystem was a turning point that accelerated my growth thanks to its vibrant community and ecosystem. Joining Hostinger was another significant step, taking me from a small web agency to a leading force in the hosting industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n Was joining Hostinger an easy decision? Or was it also \u201ca leap of faith\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n A bit of both. I was first headhunted on LinkedIn for the Head of WordPress position, likely due to my visibility and contributions to the WordPress ecosystem.<\/p>\n At the time, I knew little about Hostinger. As I learned more, I was incredibly impressed by their product and company culture. Their commitment to innovation and focus on empowering website owners truly resonated with me. So, I took the chance and never looked back.\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at the present, then. As Head of WordPress at Hostinger, how do you balance technical and managerial duties?\u00a0 What challenges do you face?<\/strong><\/p>\n Finding the right balance between technical and managerial duties is an ongoing process. My days often involve switching between strategic planning, team management, and hands-on technical work.<\/p>\n One of the biggest challenges is staying connected to the technical details while empowering my team to take ownership and grow. I overcame this by fostering a culture of open communication and collaboration. We have regular team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and retrospectives to ensure everyone is aligned and contributing their best work.<\/p>\n Another challenge is managing time and priorities. In such a fast-moving industry, it\u2019s all about focusing on what will have the biggest impact. One situation that immediately comes to mind is the development of our AI Website Builder for WordPress<\/a>. Building on our experience with the Hostinger Website Builder, we wanted to bring that expertise to WordPress.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was a complex project, involving multiple teams and diverse skill sets. We faced challenges in scoping the project effectively and ensuring a smooth release timeline.<\/p>\n We started with in-depth user research to define key features and ensure the product will meet users\u2019 needs. Each team member took ownership, working closely to stay aligned and push the project forward.<\/p>\n With tight deadlines, we prioritized key features and launched a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in beta to gather feedback and improve quickly. The iterations are ongoing as we expand the product\u2019s capabilities, always focused on creating an easy-to-use, AI-powered website builder for WordPress.<\/p>\n It seems that you had to make several calculated decisions. What guided you in making them?<\/strong><\/p>\n All decisions were deeply grounded in Hostinger\u2019s principles.<\/p>\n Our culture is fast-paced and focused on customer success and continuous growth. Open communication, honest feedback, and taking action were key in building the AI Website Builder for WordPress.<\/p>\n At the same time, being curious and eager to learn helps us adapt, innovate, and improve to create something better every time.<\/p>\n How do you foster a culture of curiosity and learning within your team?<\/strong><\/p>\n We have regular \u201clearning days\u201d for developers to explore new skills and technologies and \u201cknow-how\u201d sessions where team members share their expertise. There are many learning opportunities, including internal training, access to learning platforms, and libraries.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most importantly, we learn from each other every day, creating a collaborative environment where the whole team keeps improving.<\/p>\n Outside of work, you\u2019re an active member of the WordPress community. Can you share your contributions and what you\u2019re most proud of?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been involved in the WordPress community for many years, contributing in various ways. I developed a popular plugin that climbed to the top 15 most popular plugins, ultimately achieving over 10 million downloads.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a member of the Italian Polyglots team, I\u2019ve also contributed to translating WordPress and several plugins into Italian. I\u2019m currently a Global Project Translation editor for the Italian locale. To further support the Italian WordPress community, I founded and organized a local WordPress meetup in my city, which provides a space for knowledge sharing and networking.<\/p>\n I have attended more than twenty WordCamps and have spoken at several of them, sharing my experiences and insights with the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n The contribution I\u2019m most proud of was being part of the organizing team for WordCamp Europe 2024<\/a> in Turin, Italy. It was a celebration of the Italian WordPress community, and contributing to its success was incredibly rewarding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sounds impressive. Has working at Hostinger enhanced your presence within the WordPress community?<\/strong><\/p>\n It did, yes. My role at Hostinger has given me opportunities to connect with people and participate in global events.\u00a0<\/p>\n Previously, attending flagship events like WordCamp US and WordCamp Asia was a bit out of reach. Hostinger\u2019s support has allowed me to expand my horizons and contribute to the WordPress community on a truly international level.\u00a0<\/p>\n Do you encourage your team to participate in open-source projects as well?<\/strong><\/p>\n Absolutely! I think contributing to open-source projects is incredibly valuable. Whether it\u2019s coding, translating, organizing events, or improving documentation, there are so many ways to get involved and make an impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n I encourage my team to take part by giving them dedicated time for contributions and celebrating their efforts. For example, we are part of the Five for the Future<\/a> initiative, and we sponsor individual WordPress contributors.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a win-win \u2013 it helps our team grow while supporting the WordPress community.<\/p>\n
<\/strong>What were the stepping stones of your professional journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/IMG_1776-copy-2-scaled.webp\")
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<\/strong>Could you share a recent challenge and how you managed to overcome it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nNavigating in the WordPress ecosystem<\/h2>\n