Celebrating 10 Years of Tassos

Wow, a decade! It’s hard to believe that what started as a small side project a decade ago has grown into something that fuels my passion every day. This month marks the 10th anniversary of tassos.gr, as I look back on this journey, I’m filled with gratitude, a few laughs, and maybe even a couple of gray hairs!

This ride has been incredible, from the first Joomla extension that started it all to six products, thousands of customers, and countless lessons learned. Let’s look at how it all began, where we are today and the milestones we’ve hit.

And, of course, none of this would have been possible without you—our customers, supporters, and the Joomla community. So, let’s dive in and celebrate 10 amazing years together!

Early Years

Back in 2005, while I was busy working at a web design agency, I thought it would be pretty cool to grab a domain name with my name. At the time, it was mostly for bragging rights—having a domain with my own name felt like a boss move compared to those clunky @yahoo.com or @hotmail.com addresses. For years, tassos.gr was just hanging out, serving as my personal email domain and doing absolutely nothing else.

Fast-forward to 2013, when I stumbled into the wonderful world of Joomla. One of our clients, who ran an e-commerce Joomla site and used MailChimp for their email marketing, was having a meltdown over their stagnant subscriber list. They asked me, “Can we do something to boost this thing?” That got me thinking: Why not automatically add new site users to their MailChimp list during registration?

I searched high and low for a plugin that could do this but came up empty-handed. So, I rolled up my sleeves and decided to create my own. With Joomla’s documentation as my trusty guide, I whipped up MailChimp Auto-Subscribe in just ten days. The results were instant—the client’s email list started growing like crazy!

Excited by the success, I installed the plugin on several other websites and soon realized the broader potential. In 2014, I published my first extension on JED, marking the official start of my Joomla development journey.

For the first four years, building Joomla extensions was more of a hobby. I worked as a web designer and developer during the day and tinkered with my extensions in the evenings. It wasn’t exactly paying the bills, so I kept it as a side gig.

But then, after five years of juggling both worlds, it hit me—Joomla had serious potential! So, I took a leap of faith, quit my day job, and decided to focus full-time on Joomla extensions. And guess what? Since then, tassos.gr has gone from being a sleepy email domain to a buzzing hub of Joomla tools.

Now, Tassos is not just a side project but a steady source of income with a five-figure monthly recurring revenue. It’s been quite a ride, and I’m excited to see where it takes us next!

The Journey

My first creation, MailChimp Auto-Subscribe, was born to slay the email subscriber growth monster for a client. This successful project fueled my passion for developing more Joomla extensions.

In 2014, I launched EngageBox, inspired by the explosion of popups that looked like they belonged in a disco ball factory. EngageBox initially allowed users to create scroll-triggered boxes with custom animations, quickly becoming Joomla’s most popular popup solution, offering multiple triggers and advanced targeting options.

In 2016, a Twitter friend, Joe Campbell, reached out, needing a lightweight tool for adding structured data to his site without using a bulky SEO package. Seeing the potential, I developed Google Structured Data, a specialized solution for improving SEO through structured data markup.

In January 2017, I launched Convert Forms, filling the need for a modern, user-friendly form builder in Joomla. Since then, it has become the #2 top-rated extension in the Joomla market, with over 800 reviews, making it a favorite for users looking for an intuitive form creation tool.

Later that year, with the release of Joomla 3.7 and its custom fields feature, I developed Advanced Custom Fields, a comprehensive extension offering a wide range of custom field types to enhance website functionality.

Most recently, in 2024, we introduced Smile Pack, a collection of essential modules, such as photo galleries, maps, and video tools, designed to make daily tasks easier for Joomla administrators.

Each milestone reflects my commitment to creating practical, impactful solutions for Joomla users.

It’s Not a One-Man Show

Around 2019, as the business started seeing steady growth each year, I wondered if it was time to expand the team.

Even though I could have easily supported a bigger crew, I wasn’t keen on managing people. Too many founders end up managing a team rather than doing what they love—coding. That’s not something I wanted for myself.

I like being hands-on with everything. I write the code, handle support tickets, and stay connected to the problems our customers face. It’s important to me that I can jump in and solve issues right away. I also handle marketing, social media, SEO, newsletters, content, and documentation. It keeps me in touch with every aspect of the business.

In 2020, things took a turn when my cousin Stergos, an awesome PHP developer, joined the team. He’s now my partner and a vital part of the operation. I rely on Stergos daily, and honestly, I can’t imagine running the business without him. Our small team might be compact, but it’s super effective, and I’m thrilled to have him on board as we continue this journey.

Lessons Learned

I’m incredibly grateful to be doing what I truly love—and getting paid for it! Who knew building software could be so much fun? (Besides my mom, who still doesn’t quite understand what I do but tells her friends I “work with computers”). Creating products that thousands of people use is a feeling you can’t describe.

Over the past decade, I’ve been given many new opportunities and challenges that have pushed me in ways I never expected. Each step of the way, I’ve gained more clarity, self-awareness, and perspectives that continue to shape my decisions today. I’ve learned that you can’t have depth in anything without commitment. If you’re not fully invested, it’s impossible to grow meaningfully.

I’ve also realized that a mistake repeated more than once is a decision. This keeps me grounded and accountable. Additionally, I’ve learned that while most problems are more complicated than they seem, most solutions should be simpler than they are. That’s a principle I try to apply in both business and life.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from interacting with customers worldwide is how unique everyone is. Different countries, different cultures, different ways of thinking. I swear, if I hadn’t started this business, I’d have half the patience I do now—and probably a few more grey hairs. But seriously, learning from others has helped me think outside the box and become a better developer and maybe a slightly better person.

Finally, until we know we’re wrong, being wrong feels just like being right. That’s why having strong convictions and being ready to change them is so important.

Reflection is an underrated tool, but it has been key to my success and growth.

10 Years by the Numbers

After a decade of building, tweaking, and supporting our Joomla extensions, the numbers tell a story of their own. From the early days of a single plugin to a thriving suite of products, we’ve hit some pretty exciting milestones along the way.

• 6 Innovative Products: We’ve developed six products designed to make Joomla work for you, from popups to forms.
• Over 1.5 Million Downloads: Our extensions have been downloaded more than 1.5 million times—proof that people like what we’re building!
• 1,800+ Glowing Reviews: With over 1,800 reviews on the Joomla Extensions Directory, our customers have spoken, and they seem pretty happy with what we’re doing.
• 20,000 Support Tickets Resolved: We’ve tackled over 20,000 support tickets, turning problems into solutions and ensuring you get the needed help.
• 4,000+ Satisfied Paying Customers: More than 4,000 customers have invested in our products and joined us on this journey.
• €1+ Million in Revenue: In April, we surpassed €1 million in revenue, a milestone that motivates us to deliver even more.

Thank you

As I write and reflect on these past 10 years, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. What started as a side project has become a journey filled with growth, learning, and moments I never thought possible. I’m incredibly lucky to do what I love every day and even more fortunate to have the support of so many people along the way.

To everyone who has used our products, offered feedback, or even just visited our site—thank you. You’ve helped shape this business and made it what it is today. I truly owe everything to you, our customers, and the community. Without you, none of this would’ve been possible.

Here’s to the next chapter—I’m excited to see where it takes us.

A Special Gift to Celebrate 10 Years

To celebrate our 10th anniversary and to thank you for being a part of our journey, we’re excited to offer a special 30% discount on all our products! It’s our way of showing appreciation for your support and loyalty.

Use the coupon code TASSOS10YEARS at checkout to enjoy your discount. This is the perfect time to enhance your Joomla experience with our products.