(January 2, 2026) Before entrepreneurship became a career choice, problem-solving was simply a habit for Jahan Taila. He didn’t arrive at entrepreneurship chasing titles or valuations. He arrived there by instinct, and by noticing problems that felt personal and fixable. “I didn’t get started in entrepreneurship the typical way of wanting to start a business and make money,” he tells Global Indian. “I have always had a love for coding and technology.” That curiosity-led mindset would eventually shape both Codera and, later, Derby Digital, two ventures built around a single question: what isn’t working, and how can technology make it better?
Before stepping into entrepreneurship, he began working at a 24-hour diner in Louisville at just 14, washing dishes before moving into a serving role. Even at that time, he demonstrated the same hard work, tenacity, and grit that remains central to his work today.
When technology education missed the mark
Codera emerged from a gap Jahan noticed early on. While digital entertainment had become addictive and immersive, coding, despite powering that very ecosystem, felt alienating to most young people. “Kids nowadays are ever so indulged in video games and short form gamification,” he explains, “and I saw that this love for technology wasn’t experienced by the majority of today’s youth.”
Instead of treating coding as an academic obligation, Jahan reimagined it as something interactive and playful. His goal was to make learning to code feel as engaging as a game. That philosophy became Codera, which gradually grew from an idea into a business and, eventually, an exit. More importantly, it became his first real education in building, scaling, and letting go.
Turning to growth marketing to solve another gap
After Codera, Jahan didn’t need convincing that entrepreneurship was his path. What he needed was the next problem worth solving. This time, it wasn’t students who were underserved, rather it was small businesses struggling to keep up in a digital-first economy.
Derby Digital was born from that realization. Its name is inspired by the Kentucky Derby in his hometown of Louisville, and serves as a symbol of momentum, competition, and winning decisively. Unlike software and marketing agencies offering one-size-fits-all solutions, Jahan set out to build something adaptive and practical for local businesses that couldn’t afford enterprise-level tools but needed them just as badly. The shift from education to growth marketing wasn’t a pivot away from his core skills; it was an expansion of them.
Jahan Taila with Youtuber and Podcaster Phillip Berry
Building while studying
Today, Jahan studies computer science and finance at the University of Louisville, balancing coursework alongside the demands of running a growing company. “Running a business is very unpredictable and burdensome,” he admits. “As a founder I wear many hats; one day I could be onboarding a new client and the next I could be behind the scenes developing new software.”
Balance, he says, remains a moving target. “Achieving a true balance is quite arduous and I haven’t achieved it quite yet,” he adds, noting that discipline and time management are what keep everything from unraveling.
Leadership and the right people
Though he is the sole founder of Derby Digital, Jahan emphasizes that he doesn’t build in isolation. “I have brought on many partners who have built and scaled their own ventures,” he says, including a small but focused team spanning technology, design, and operations. He also credits mentorship for shaping his thinking. “I look up to my dear friend and experienced business maverick Nima Asgari,” Jahan says, pointing to his tenacity and drive to innovate as qualities he deeply respects.
Keeping the focus
As his work increasingly intersects with Gujarati business communities, Jahan is also thinking about language and connection beyond transactions. “Given that my dad and his side of the family speaks Gujarati I want to be able to communicate with them in their native tongue,” he says, seeing it as both a personal bridge and a professional asset.
Built with the motto of helping businesses win the race through growth marketing and software, Derby Digital has already grown into a six-figure company, with clear potential for further scale.
- Follow Jahan Taila on LinkedIn