Ahmed Sereta was a friend of some of the guys I fellowshipped with at church. When we met, he introduced himself as a full-stack developer proficient in the MERN stack, skilled in PHP, and with a strong preference for Python. I vividly remember his first words to me: “I want you to be my mentor in tech.”
Curious, I asked him why. He told me he had seen my work and was impressed by it.
To test his determination and perhaps to brush him off I told him, “I don’t even code from scratch. I prefer using CMS platforms like WordPress and don’t believe in reinventing the wheel. In fact, I don’t even know Python or anything you specialize in.”
His response caught me off guard. He said, “It’s not about the stack. What matters is the solution, the perfection I see in your portfolio, and the quality of your output.” Those words struck a chord, and I immediately knew this young man was ready to learn.
I started by teaching him WordPress. Many full-stack developers I’ve met tend to look down on CMS platforms, believing they’re for beginners who shy away from real coding. They focus so much on showcasing their technical mastery that they forget a successful agency isn’t built on skills alone. They forget it’s all about delivering results. Ahmed, however, was receptive and quickly became proficient in a tool many of his peers considered inferior.
Like many young developers, Ahmed struggled with communication and lacked professionalism in handling clients. He had little knowledge of soft skills and client relations. I was tough on him, just like I am with many young people I mentor. One thing that stood out was his resilience, he never backed down. I made it clear that every day, he was a brand, representing something far bigger than just technical skills therefore he shouldn’t come to meetings looking like a thug 😂
When I first met him, his UI/UX skills needed improvement, and he battled imposter syndrome, doubting his own capabilities. But when I reviewed his code, I was impressed. It was clean, well-structured, and professionally commented. Recognizing his potential, I brought him on board to collaborate on projects, and together, we successfully built the ICPAK website. He played a crucial role in WordPress development, working on plugin modifications and API integrations for microsites.
Beyond that, we worked together on developing a streaming platform, where he introduced me to valuable insights into cloud technologies, particularly Amazon AWS. His enthusiasm for cloud computing, AI, and machine learning is unmatched, telling me of constant jargons, latest advancements, and emerging industry trends. He makes me realize that I am aging.
Today, Ahmed is the founder of Tarase, a thriving software development agency that has partnered with multiple organizations across various sectors. His innovative spirit led him to develop a poultry management system which empowers farmers to streamline their operations and boost productivity. He has worked with notable organizations like Jesuits Eastern Africa, Brinks Community Health, Baraka Pishori Rice Millers, Togree Sarl, Kovacic solutions among others.
I have also learned a great deal from Ahmed. The truth is, mentoring young people has taught me patience and perseverance. They remind me not to give up on people, even when they push you to your limits. To this day, I still consult him on cloud technologies, and he has become an active member of my Pro Mentorship Group, where I am guiding him on scaling his validated SaaS product. He has real-life clients and wants to scale it to the next level.
Recently, he shared an exciting idea with me. He wants to integrate IoT with Machine Learning and AI into his poultry management system. His vision is to use cameras to monitor chickens, detect diseases, and automatically send an SMS to the farmer with a diagnosis and recommended medication. When he explained it, I thought, “This is next-level innovation, I am so old for it but I can’t wait to see it come to life.”
I asked him what his inspirational quote was and this is what he sent me
“We may not always get what we work for but we’ve got what we have worked for. So keep on working.”
Ahmed is part of the Digital Moran Pro Group, where he is refining his business strategies and leveraging expert mentorship to scale his AI-powered poultry farming SaaS.
