Today we’re spotlighting David Rusenko, the co-founder of Weebly—a platform that made creating websites as easy as dragging and dropping. We’ll uncover what motivated him to start this venture, the challenges he faced, how he overcame them, and where Weebly stands today.
David Rusenko’s entrepreneurial spark started young, growing up in Pennsylvania. As a tech-savvy teenager, he was the go-to person for local businesses and individuals needing help building websites. Through this hands-on experience, he noticed a common thread: creating websites was frustrating and overly complex for the average person.
That seed of an idea followed him to Pennsylvania State University, where it truly took root. One day, a friend struggled to build a website for a class project. Seeing the opportunity to simplify the process, David, along with classmates Chris Fanini and Dan Veltri, began brainstorming solutions. What started as a class project evolved into a bigger vision—Weebly, a platform designed to make website creation intuitive and accessible to everyone.
Turning their vision into a reality wasn’t easy. The early days of Weebly were slow, with user growth barely trickling in. David recalls celebrating a record-high signup day—only to realize those signups were mostly friends and family. Recognizing the need for guidance, the team applied to Y Combinator, a prestigious startup accelerator. Acceptance into the program gave them the mentorship, funding, and validation they needed to refine their platform and business model. He realized he needed great guidance.
But finding the perfect product-market fit was a painstaking process. It took the team 18 months to truly connect with their users’ needs. Instead of just building what they thought people wanted, they made a concerted effort to listen to their users’ pain points. This feedback loop became critical to developing a product that resonated with their audience.
Monetization was another major hurdle. In the beginning, Weebly operated as a free service, attracting users but generating no revenue. To solve this, the team launched Weebly Pro, a paid version with enhanced features like custom domains and more design flexibility. This was a turning point. Not only did it validate the value of the platform, but it also gave Weebly the financial foundation to grow.
Scaling the business came with its own set of challenges. David kept the team small—fewer than 20 people—during the crucial phase of finding product-market fit. This lean approach allowed them to stay agile, iterate quickly, and remain focused. As the user base expanded, maintaining that startup agility while growing the team required careful planning and a strong culture centered on collaboration and customer focus.
David credits a pivotal piece of advice from Sir Richard Branson for reshaping his approach to leadership. Branson told him to prioritize people—both customers and employees. This insight led David to foster a culture of empathy and innovation at Weebly, which became a cornerstone of their success.
By 2018, Weebly’s growth was undeniable, with millions of users and over 625,000 paid subscribers. That year, the company was acquired by Square, now Block, Inc., for an impressive $365 million. The acquisition expanded Weebly’s reach, integrating it into Square’s ecosystem and giving it a stronger foothold in the e-commerce space.
Today, Weebly remains a major player in the website-building industry. Though specific revenue figures aren’t public, its sustained popularity under Block, Inc. speaks volumes about its continued impact. And what about David Rusenko? While his exact net worth isn’t widely known, it’s clear that the success of Weebly and its acquisition has positioned him as a prominent figure in the entrepreneurial world.
David Rusenko’s journey from a class project to a multimillion-dollar company offers invaluable lessons. He identified a widespread problem, built a solution that empowered others, and stayed adaptable in the face of challenges. Most importantly, he demonstrated that empathy and listening can be just as critical as innovation in building a successful business.
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