WCKTM 2016 Stars: An Interview with Utsav Singh Rathour

Utsav Singh Rathour is a WordPress enthusiast.  He is the co-founder of Code Pixelz Media and also the co-founder of Code Themes Co. He is now looking to work on larger SaaS-based projects with WordPress in the back. We caught up with him at WordCamp Kathmandu 2016 and had a little chat about the WordPress community of Nepal.

Utsav Singh Rathour at WCKTM 2016
Utsav Singh Rathour at WCKTM 2016

How and when did you get started with WordPress?

I started using WordPress around 2007 but I started working as a WordPress developer later in 2009. I started off my career as an Art Director back in 2007 and ever since then, I have been working with WordPress.

What do you like most about WordCamps?

The best part about WordCamps is the community and getting along with them. My presentation is based on that as well. Meeting new people and sharing knowledge is the best way to learn new things in life. Everyone here loves WordPress. And this is what I really like about WordCamps.

What do you hope attendees will take away from your talk?

I think the major thing that attendees will take away from my talk is how one can make the most out of WordCamps. People pay a certain amount to attend WordCamps and I think in return, they should take away all the knowledge that is shared. I hope people will learn how to make the most out of the WordCamps from my session.

Are there any challenges you faced?

Not really. It has been a pretty smooth journey up to this day for me in WordPress.

What are your thoughts on the WordPress community of Nepal?

I have been a part of the community for quite long now. So, I think I am a good person to talk about this. When I first showed up at a Meetup, back in 2010, there were very few people attending. There were about ten to twelve people. Then, we started growing and ended up at our first WordCamp with over a hundred people attending. As per now, you can see there are more than two hundred people here. Our community is growing and it’s amazing. There are so many people who have helped in improving the community and of course, people who want to take the lead are the best part of our community.

How have you been giving back to the community?

Of all the five WordCamps that we had, this is my fourth time as a speaker. One year I didn’t come forward as a speaker was because I was helping in organizing. I have always been contributing to the community through WordCamps by sharing my knowledge and experiences. Apart from that, I have also been giving back to the global community by reviewing themes and translating themes into Nepali.

What do you think about female participation in WordPress?

It is quite low. But we surely have improved and come a long way. I think we had two or three female attendees in our first WordCamp but as you can see now, it has grown a lot more. But still, it is too low in comparison to males. We have been having at least one speaker since last three years. I would definitely like to see more female participants coming forward and sharing their knowledge.

How do you stay updated on WordPress?

I generally stay updated through the wordpress.org and wordpress.com. I read many blogs to learn more about WordPress. Also, I follow the official Facebook page of WordPress.

What can we find you doing when you’re not WordPressing?

Even if I am not WordPressing, you would still find me sitting in front of my computer. I enjoy exploring various websites and sometimes, I go out with my friends to visit new places.

What advice would you give to a new WordPress user?

I would like to suggest a new WordPress user to attend local meetups, WordCamps and try to get close to the people who are already involved in WordPress. That helps to learn more about WordPress and also inspires you to go further with WordPress.

WordPress 4.7 is releasing soon. Which feature are you most excited about?

WordPress 4.7 has something that I wanted from a very long time. It has custom post templates for custom post types. This feature is what I had always missed and I always wished WordPress had.  Since this feature is coming around, I am very excited about it.

 

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