He Noticed People Were Forgetting the Moments That Matter. So He Built a Fix.
There is a quiet tension most people never talk about, caring deeply about the people in their lives, but letting the moments that matter slip by anyway. Not out of indifference. Out of life simply getting in the way. Abiodun Paul Ogunnaike noticed that tension. And instead of accepting it, he built something about it.
When Glostarep sat down with the backend developer and founder, what came through was a builder who thinks as much about human connection as he does about code. Someone who has spent years shipping everything from WordPress platforms to SaaS products and APIs, and eventually arrived at a question that felt more personal than technical: why is it so hard to consistently show up for the people we care about?
That question became CelebrateMe, a platform designed to help people become more intentional about celebrating the people around them, through smart reminders, AI-assisted messaging, digital and physical gifts, and tools that turn good intentions into real moments. The product is early. But the problem it is solving is as old as relationships themselves.
This is Abiodun’s story, in his own words.
Tell us about yourself
I’m a backend developer, and the founder of CelebrateMe a platform focused on helping people build stronger relationships through celebrations, reminders, digital gifts, physical gifts and AI-powered messaging.
Over the years, I’ve worked on everything from custom WordPress Themes and plugins. WordPress multisite platforms, SaaS products to e-commerce systems and APIs using technologies like PHP, Python, Django, Laravel, React, Vue, and WordPress. I enjoy building products that solve real human problems, not just technical ones.
CelebrateMe combines technology with emotional connection. The goal is to help people become more intentional about celebrating the people around them, whether that’s through birthdays, milestones, appreciation messages, digital gifting or physical gifts.
What problem are you solving with your work, and why does it matter?
A lot of people genuinely care about their friends, family, customers, or colleagues, but life gets busy and relationships slowly become reactive instead of intentional.
CelebrateMe solves that by helping users remember important moments, send thoughtful AI-assisted messages, and celebrate people consistently without the stress of planning everything manually.
It matters because relationships are one of the most valuable parts of life, yet technology today focuses more on consumption than connection. We want to use technology to strengthen human relationships instead of replacing them.
How did you get into this space, and what has your journey been like so far?
The idea started from observing how often people forget birthdays, anniversaries, and important moments despite caring deeply about the people around them. Talking from personal experience.
I began exploring how automation and AI could make thoughtful communication easier and more personal. What started as a simple idea around birthday reminders gradually evolved into a broader platform involving digital gifts, physical gifts, AI-generated messages, contact management, and celebration tools.
The journey has been both technical and personal. I’ve had to balance product development, design decisions, backend architecture, and understanding user behavior while building mostly with my team independently.
What’s been the most challenging part of your work, and how are you handling it?
One of the biggest challenges has been building a product that feels emotionally human.
People can easily tell when something feels generic, especially in personal communication. So a major focus has been making the experience feel authentic, customizable, and meaningful instead of robotic.
Another challenge is balancing product development with growth and validation as an early-stage founder. I’m handling that by iterating quickly, talking to users consistently, and focusing on solving smaller real problems before scaling bigger features.
What are you seeing in your space right now that people are not paying attention to?
I think many people underestimate how important “relationship infrastructure” will become in the future.
AI is making content creation easier, but very few products are focused on helping people maintain meaningful human connections at scale. There’s a growing opportunity around products that help individuals and businesses become more thoughtful, consistent, and emotionally present.
I also believe communication will evolve beyond productivity into emotional utility, helping people express appreciation, celebrate others, and maintain relationships better.
What are you currently focused on building or improving next?
Right now, I’m focused on improving CelebrateMe’s personalization system, onboarding experience, and social integrations.
We’re also exploring features around smarter reminders, automated celebration workflows, digital gifting experiences, and tools for businesses that want to engage customers and vendors more personally through celebrations and appreciation.
The long-term vision is to make CelebrateMe the go-to platform for intentional celebrations and relationship management.
Where can people find you or your product?
CelebrateMe: https://celebrateme.co
Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/abiodun-paul-ogunnaike
Twitter: https://x.com/abbeymanic
dev.to: https://dev.to/abbeymaniak
“People can easily tell when something feels generic, especially in personal communication. So a major focus has been making the experience feel authentic, customizable, and meaningful instead of robotic.”
— Abiodun Paul Ogunnaike, Founder, CelebrateMe
