Founder & CEO, PrestaRockRicardas Smaizys
Founder - Developer - Blogger - CEO
Richard Smaizys is the founder and CEO of PrestaRock, holding a Master's degree in Computer Science from Kaunas University of Technology. He started his career in 2008 as a freelance programmer, a year after he began blogging. From 2012 to 2014, he worked at Presto-Changeo, the first Platinum-Certified US-based PrestaShop agency, before founding PrestaRock in 2014.
About Me
Ričardas Šmaižys is the founder and CEO of PrestaRock, with over 15 years of experience in e-commerce specializing in the PrestaShop platform. He began his career in 2008 as a freelance developer, worked at the first US-based PrestaShop Platinum certified agency, Presto-Changeo, from 2012 to 2014, and founded PrestaRock in 2014 — today leading a small, experienced team building custom online stores for clients across Lithuania and internationally. His team's work was recognized with the Scoris Business Excellence Award in 2026.
He uses his logical thinking and coding skills, and the knowledge obtained during his undergraduate and graduate studies in Computer Science, to set up and optimize processes that make the business run more smoothly. That skillset is complemented by creative writing, polished through years of blogging and writing articles, which helps him apply outside-the-box solutions when approaching complex problems.
Work Experience
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2014 — Present
Founder & CEO
PrestaRock
I started out in 2014 with two developers. Today I lead a small, senior, and experienced team that has become one of the most recognisable PrestaShop e-commerce agencies in Lithuania. Profitability has averaged roughly 10–20% per year, and turnover has grown several times over since the early years (see the actual 2015–2025 figures below). I stay hands-on as a project manager myself — assessing client needs, clarifying specifications, and seeing projects through to delivery. My logical thinking, coding background, and the knowledge from my undergraduate and graduate studies at Kaunas University of Technology let me set up and continuously optimize the processes that keep the business running smoothly, while years of blogging and writing for publications sharpened a creative, outside-the-box approach to solving hard problems.
- Documented every role and its procedures in the company using LEAN and Theory of Constraints (TOC) principles.
- Built a remuneration system based on Hay Group principles, linking internal motivation to measurable company performance.
- Led 20+ interviews with developers, testers, and project managers, and mentored a senior developer into a team lead role.
- In 2026, PrestaRock's work was recognised with the Scoris Business Excellence Award.
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2012 — 2014
PrestaShop Developer
Presto-Changeo (EIP Concepts Inc., USA)
Presto-Changeo, the first US/NYC-based Platinum-Certified PrestaShop agency, delivered high-quality e-commerce solutions worldwide. This is where I shaped my core values as a developer: clean, quality code (DRY, KISS) and a results-first work culture typical of US companies. I wrote more about this chapter on the CEO Blog.
- Built reusable PrestaShop modules, including PayPal Pro, installed by hundreds of clients worldwide.
- Worked on uniquely designed online stores for the Australian, US, and Canadian markets (PHP, OOP, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript/jQuery, GIT/SVN).
- Communicated regularly in English, in writing and on video calls, with teams in Romania, Russia, the US, and Azerbaijan.
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2010 — 2014
Freelance Full-Stack Web Developer
Independent
Built projects from scratch for Lithuanian and international clients using WordPress and PrestaShop, plus the CodeIgniter framework. I worked as project manager, analyst, developer, and tester at the same time — from requirements gathering through specification, development, testing, and post-launch support.
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2011 — 2013
Author & Co-Founder
FWD.lt
Joined a community of 5+ active bloggers who built a well-known IT news portal led by journalist Džiugas Paršonis. Published 20+ articles on IT news, applications, and e-commerce.
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2011 — 2013
Full-Stack Web Developer
UAB Simple LT
Spent three years as an in-house IT partner at a marketing agency — writing functionality specs, advising on technical decisions, building with CodeIgniter, WordPress, and PrestaShop, and overseeing Google Ads and Facebook Ads campaigns.
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2007 — 2010
Freelance Author for Periodicals
UAB Pačiolis
Wrote more than 30 unique articles on IT and practical tips for accountants and office administrators, published 55+ times across the magazines Buhalteris, Biuro administratorius, and Vadovas.
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2010
PHP Developer
UAB Informacijos Saugos Sprendimai
Built PrestaShop plug-ins of various sizes and a simple CMS for a company game using the CodeIgniter MVC framework. My mentor was Audrius Lučiūnas — founder and shareholder of Paysera — who helped me develop my programming fundamentals and an understanding of clean, reusable code.
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2007 — 2009
Author
Nežinau.lt
Published 72 posts on one of the largest and most popular Lithuanian IT blogs of the time, led by Džiugas Paršonis. Learned to work to a strict schedule, write quickly, and synthesise information from many sources. I've been blogging since 2007 — a year before starting my programming career in 2008.
Markets & Industries I've Worked In
A sample of the industries below is organised by sector. Where a brand is named, it's a Lithuanian market leader in its category — I've added a line of context for readers outside Lithuania. In each of these sectors I usually have at least two ready solutions for the most common problems.
Consumer Electronics
We've built integrations with all the major Lithuanian electronics distributors (ALSO, ABC Data, ACME, Eurodigital, ELKO), and have clients among electronics and home-security retailers such as ELSTILA and EPROMA — both well-known Lithuanian retail brands.
- Large product catalogs and search optimisation
- Accurate product imagery
- Automated returns and warranty-service sub-systems
Furniture Fittings
Three of Lithuania's four price-tier leaders in this category — JOLDIJA, HETLITA and TRUKME, all major Lithuanian furniture-hardware suppliers — served by the same team, despite very different internal operating models.
- Complex order and stock-management logic
- Pricing that varies by packaging type
- TecDoc file structures and substitute-product linking
Pharmaceuticals
From 2014 to 2019, we worked with one of Lithuania's largest low-price pharmacy networks, now with hundreds of locations, building a bespoke online store.
- Logic for (non)prescription medication sales
- Compliance with Lithuanian regulations
- High traffic volumes and accounting-system integrations
Tyres & Automotive
MELGA, our oldest and largest client — a well-known Lithuanian auto-repair-turned-tyre-shop chain — which we helped grow into a market leader, selling tyres online together with tyre-fitting and car-repair services in a single purchase. Read how we built that solution.
- Optimisation for seasonal traffic peaks
- Tyre standards and TecDoc product files
- Combining goods and services into one purchase flow
Food Supplements
We work with many mid-sized Lithuanian supplement companies operating on thin margins, where cost-effective solutions matter most.
- Category and product page optimisation
- Regulatory restrictions on supplements
- Automated recurring payments and subscriptions
Manufacturing / B2B
Niche B2B manufacturers looking to shift long-term clients away from phone calls and spreadsheets toward self-service ordering.
- Client-specific discounts and multiple price lists
- Integration with existing accounting systems
- Self-service B2B interfaces
Construction
A two-year partnership with a Lithuanian market leader, consulting work for one of the largest building-materials shopping centres in northern Lithuania, work with a regional retailer in Klaipėda, and ongoing work with MIMETA (southern Lithuania).
- Pricing displayed per unit of measurement
- Same-day delivery logistics
- Transport-cost calculators by vehicle type
Kitchenware
Consulting and ongoing development for kitchenware retailers taking their brick-and-mortar business online.
- Moving from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce
- Raising quality above template-based solutions
Mattresses & Beds
LONAS — one of the largest mattress and bed brands in Lithuania — and other leading brands in the category. We migrated one of them from WordPress + Symfony to PrestaShop in a single month.
- Large product ranges with many variants
- Long, precisely-estimated delivery times
- Selling a bed online without an in-store consultant
Food
Working with one of Lithuania's largest business groups, we helped bring an international premium coffee brand to the Lithuanian market in record time, and advised a major Lithuanian mobility company on entering the food-delivery business.
- Links to brick-and-mortar stores and POS systems
- CRM integrations and SLA-based systems
- Not all goods can ship via parcel lockers
Pet Industry
A low-margin segment where retaining loyal, repeat customers matters more than competing on price alone.
- Weight-sensitive delivery pricing
- Recurring payments and subscriptions
- Loyalty programs and bulk discounts
Leadership Experience & Results
As a Manager
- Documented every role and its procedures applying LEAN and TOC (Theory of Constraints) principles.
- Built a compensation system based on Hay Group principles, linking internal motivation to company results.
- Runs structured feedback conversations with the team every quarter — helps develop skills and catch recurring mistakes early. More on the hiring lessons I learned.
- Introduced a results-driven, technical-quality-focused company culture. Read about that cultural shift.
- Has led 20+ job interviews with developers, QA engineers, and project managers.
As an Analyst
- Built reusable, structured solution models for B2C and B2B e-commerce projects.
- Can immediately identify a client project's IT risks, required technical solutions, costs, and timelines.
- Experienced with all major Lithuanian courier systems (DPD, LP EXPRESS, OMNIVA, VENIPAK) and accounting/ERP systems (RIVILĖ, DIRECTO, TSM, Odoo, Akeneo, etc.).
- Writes technical specifications that surface both visible and hidden functionality requirements.
- Intermediate organic SEO knowledge — can assess whether a site is properly optimized for search engines.
As a Project Manager
- Plans complex, multi-part projects with time buffers and risk management.
- Solves novel problems with no obvious existing solution.
- Identifies key stakeholders and manages their expectations.
- Works in AGILE/SCRUM, applies LEAN and Theory of Constraints (TOC) principles.
PrestaRock's Financial Performance
Transparency is one of the principles I apply to my own work and to the company. Below are PrestaRock's actual sales revenue and net profit for every year from 2015 to 2025 — from a two-developer start to a team with a turnover of almost €800,000. Independent organisations have recognised this track record too: the Scoris Business Excellence Award (2026), the "Gazelė" award for fast-growing companies (2025), and Creditinfo's "Strongest in Lithuania" certification, held since 2015.
Sales Revenue, EUR (2015–2025)
Net Profit, EUR (2015–2025)
Scoris Business Excellence Award 2026
In 2026, UAB "Magnus IC" (operating under the PrestaRock brand) received the Scoris Business Excellence Award. The business-data and analytics platform Scoris grants it only to companies that meet all 13 of its criteria across financial resilience, tax compliance and business reliability — it can't be bought, and missing even one criterion means no award. What it means for e-commerce businesses.
"Gazelė 2025" — Among Lithuania's Fastest-Growing Companies
In 2025, UAB "Magnus IC" (operating under the PrestaRock brand) received the "Gazelė" award from the Lithuanian business daily Verslo žinios, recognising it as one of Lithuania's most successful and fastest-growing companies. The annual project reviews thousands of companies across Lithuania and rewards dynamic growth, innovation and responsible business development. Read the announcement (in Lithuanian).
"Strongest in Lithuania" Certification (2015–2026)
UAB "Magnus IC" (now operating under the PrestaRock brand) has held the "Strongest in Lithuania" certification from credit bureau Creditinfo since 2015 — to this day, in 2026 — in recognition of a consistently high credit rating.
Education
Kaunas University of Technology
Thesis abstract: "E-commerce and e-shops are integral part of the Internet and everyday work of programming experts. However, as electronic businesses expand their owners and developers are faced with new challenges such as large amounts of product information, latency, problems with search and filtering usage on their ecommerce projects. The paper provides clear and detailed analysis of most popular open source ecommerce platforms on the Internet, evaluates solutions applied to largest ecommerce issues such as search and filter performance with big data. System and experimental results and findings are outlined in the paper."
Kaunas University of Technology
Bachelor's thesis on a PrestaShop live-chat module, covering commercial and technical analysis, the software engineering process, a competitive analysis of alternative live-chat modules, performance evaluation for installability and usability, a documented testing plan (automatic and manual), and a final evaluation of results with notes for future improvement.
Training & Courses
Employer Branding Strategy
Learned to build a long-term employer branding strategy spanning every company process.
Negotiation Tango
Gained a clear, practical understanding of the negotiation process, from preparation to BATNA.
Negotiations with Suppliers
Learned to separate individual positions from the shared interest during negotiations.
Long-Term Employee Motivation
Learned how to build internal motivation through clear goals and real value for employees.
Working with Key Accounts
Learned how a B2B relationship becomes a real partnership, not just a client-fulfiller arrangement.
Remuneration System Development: Strategy & Tactics
Built the company's remuneration system, based on Hay Group and KTU models.
KPI-Based Management
Put a competency matrix and clear, measurable performance indicators in place.
Owner Fitzpatrick Sales Course
Learned the psychology and language behind effective marketing and sales.
Successful Seller's Code
Learned to recognise a client's real pain points and address objections in practice.
Creative Writing — Leaders Communication Club
Learned to write shorter, clearer, and more engaging copy, and to build a reader persona.
How to Empower People and Unleash Their Potential at Work
Started running feedback interviews with the team every three months.
From Craft to Business (full-year course)
Formalised company values, budget planning, and SPRINT/DBR planning logic.
Recommendations
Five recommendations from LinkedIn — clients and colleagues I've worked with directly. You can verify these yourself on my LinkedIn profile.
Ricardas and his PrestaRock team not only helped us develop e-commerce projects on time and budget, but consulted regarding hosting, SEO and anything ecom related. I would recommend Ricardas as a professional.
Building beautiful digital experience @ChocoAgency · client since 2018-06-19Ricardas and his PrestaRock team highly influenced our e-commerce project started on-time and on-budget, even when scope was changing. I would recommend Ricardas as skilled professional in e-commerce, where you usually will get more than you expect.
CEO/Co-Founder · client since 2018-05-21Ricardas is a very serious and reliable colleague, I know him both from ecommerce space and as a blogger. His attitude is really professional in whatever he does - delivering eshop to a client, creating Prestashop plugin or writing on his blog.
Laravel Course Creator · worked together since 2018-05-20Ricardas is bright consistent and very motivated person. During his work, he proved to be incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. He always had an efficient ways to solve the problems and even created several new business opportunity cases for our company. I recommend Ricardas and I would be happy to work with him again.
Director of Purchasing · 2013-02-28I was first introduced to Ricardas back in 2012 when I was looking for a strong and reliable prestashop developer for my client. He is incredibly knowledgeable w Prestashop and backend development in general. He fixed and created multiple custom modules for the cart that my previous developer could not handle, and he is now my go to partner for anything ecom related. Ricardas is detailed with his work, does not just take directions but also helps with the brainstorming of ideas and concepts, and is able to deliver projects on time. Although english is his 2nd language, he is able to communicate clearly and effectively and I enjoy working with him!
Product Designer at Oculus · client since 2013-01-25Download the Full CV (PDF)
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Richard Smaizys
I'm an e-commerce professional with more than fifteen years of experience and a high bar for quality. I've been through every step needed to help a client build an online store that actually works and actually sells: from developer, to project manager, to systematically designing, building, and maintaining e-commerce systems — today leading a small, experienced PrestaRock team. I know where the common mistakes get made and where the real savings are, and the discipline I built as a programmer carries through into how the team builds and maintains stores today. The range of industries I've worked in — from electronics and pharmaceuticals to furniture, automotive, and food — means the solutions I bring are grounded in practice, not theory.
I'm happy to talk to anyone who wants to know:
- how to increase online store sales?
- how to systemise company processes and team structure?
- where to start when building an online store?
- how to choose developers or an e-commerce platform?
- how to design a remuneration and motivation system for a team?
- what to look for when choosing a courier or payment provider?