Hi 👋
I'm Anh Tran (also known as Rilwis) - Founder & CEO of eLightUp, and the creator of Meta Box and Slim SEO.
My journey with WordPress began in 2006 when I was a second-year university student in Russia. I didn't plan to start a company. I didn't even plan to become a developer. I was simply curious.
Curiosity led me to teach myself coding. Coding led me to WordPress. And WordPress opened a world where I could build things that other people actually use.
In 2010, I started this blog to document what I was learning. At the time, I didn't think of it as "building a brand" or "creating content". I just wanted to share useful knowledge. Looking back, blogging shaped everything that came after - it improved my English, brought freelance opportunities, connected me to the global WordPress community, and eventually laid the foundation for my products.
Over time, I realized something important: I enjoy building tools more than building websites.
In 2016, I founded eLightUp to focus fully on product development. Since then, we've been building WordPress products with a simple philosophy:
- Keep things lean.
- Solve real problems.
- Respect developers' time.
- Build for the long term.
Meta Box was created to give developers flexibility without unnecessary complexity. Slim SEO was built on the idea that SEO doesn't have to be bloated to be powerful. Every product we make reflects the same belief: software should empower, not overwhelm.
Beyond products, community has always been an essential part of my journey. Through this blog, I connected with many people who share the same passion. Together with Philip Author Moore, I co-founded the Hanoi WordPress Meetup - the first WordPress meetup group in Vietnam - and later helped organize the first (and so far only) WordCamp in Vietnam.
If there's one theme that runs through my career, it's this: Build consistently. Share openly. Think long term.
Thank you for being here. I hope something on this blog helps you on your own journey - whether you're a developer, a founder, or simply someone curious about building things on the web.