“Only pursue ideas that you are really passionate and excited about, because even when something succeeds, it’s not a nice straight line, so the way you get through the really tough patches is when you believe in something. That’s what keeps you going.”
Niraj ShahNiraj Shah is a successful business magnate who has been featured in Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40. He obtained an engineering degree from Cornell University and embarked on a successful entrepreneurial path. Shah has led many profitable ventures and currently co-owns and operates the company Wayfair. Niraj Shah founded the Shah Family Foundation, along with his wife, that aids education and healthcare programs.
Shah co-founded Wayfair, a leading online furniture retailer, in 2002 with partner Steve Conine. Shah currently serves as the CEO commanding Wayfair’s mission to help shoppers find everything they’re looking for to design their home how they imagine it. The company helps customers find any home furnishing, décor, and home improvements from a selection of over 18 million products. It prides itself on reinventing the way customers shop for home furnishings.
Niraj Shah along with Steve Conine launched 250 different websites, selling a wide variety of items before founding Wayfair. While creating these websites Niraj became an expert in analyzing online consumer patterns. Niraj noticed that consumers were unable to successfully shop online. He took this digital consumer experience and consolidated the 250 websites to create a user-friendly e-commerce website to bridge the need gap in the market. Niraj Shah and Steve Conine launched Wayfair in 2002. To keep the innovation and collaboration spirit high, Wayfair offices have an open layout that promotes cooperation and communication across employees.