Introduction
Hi, I’m Shakir Ali – a systems engineer, cloud architect, and the founder of Zeeta Cloud. I’ve been working with servers, hosting platforms, and web infrastructure for more than 15 years, helping businesses keep their websites fast, secure, and online.
This blog, shakira.li, is my personal space where I share what I’m learning – from automation and remote development environments to hosting, DevOps, and sometimes a bit of life around farming and beekeeping in northern Pakistan.
What I Do
Professionally, my work revolves around:
- Linux server administration
- Cloud infrastructure (mainly AWS, but also other providers)
- Web hosting platforms and control panels
- Performance optimization for PHP-based websites (especially WordPress)
- Automation with tools like Terraform, Ansible, and CI/CD pipelines
Over the years I’ve worked with different hosting companies and technology teams, designing and maintaining infrastructures that serve thousands of websites. My focus is always the same: reliability, security, and performance.
Zeeta Cloud – My Ongoing Project
I’m the founder of Zeeta Cloud, a WebOps-focused control panel that tries to solve the problems I’ve seen again and again in traditional hosting:
- Slow or overloaded shared hosting
- Lack of proper automation
- Insecure deployment methods (like FTP/SFTP)
- No clear visibility into costs or resource usage
With Zeeta Cloud, I’m building a platform where:
- You can bring your own cloud or use ours.
- Servers are provisioned automatically with Terraform and best-practice security.
- Websites are deployed using Git-based workflows, not manual file uploads.
- Monitoring, cost reports, and scaling options are available from a single panel.
Many of my experiments with remote development environments, AI-assisted coding, and automation workflows start here and then turn into features I use in Zeeta Cloud or write about on this blog.
WordPress & Community Work
A big part of my journey is connected with the WordPress community:
- I’ve been active in WordPress Islamabad meetups and events.
- I’ve helped organize WordCamps in various roles – from logistics and speakers to AV and budgeting.
Through this community work, I’ve met amazing people, learned a lot, and stayed close to the real-world problems that developers, agencies, and website owners face.
How I Work (And Think)
A few principles guide most of my decisions:
- Security first – I don’t like “shortcuts” that open doors to attackers. No direct FTP/SFTP, no random file editing on live sites if it can be avoided, and strong isolation between services.
- Automation over repetition – If I have to do something manually more than twice, I start thinking about scripting it or building a small tool for it.
- Performance matters – A website is not “done” if it loads slowly or breaks under traffic.
- Teaching mindset – I enjoy explaining complex topics in simple language so non-technical people (clients, partners, or readers) can understand what’s going on and make better decisions.
Over time, I’ve realized I genuinely enjoy teaching and mentoring. Part of this blog is my effort to document and share knowledge in a way that’s practical, honest, and easy to follow.
Life Outside the Terminal
I live in northern Pakistan, near Abbottabad, and I’m slowly building a quieter life around nature and farming. There’s even a honey hive nearby that often finds its way into my stories.
When I’m not debugging servers or writing automation scripts, you’ll probably find me:
- Experimenting with farming ideas
- Reading or learning something new about infrastructure, tools, or business
- Thinking about how to turn complex systems into simpler, usable products for others
Why This Blog Exists
I created shakira.li to:
- Share real-world experiences from my work with hosting, cloud, and automation
- Document the journey of building Zeeta Cloud
- Help developers, agencies, and business owners understand what’s happening behind their websites
- Explore ideas around remote development, AI-assisted workflows, and modern WebOps
If any of this resonates with you, I hope you’ll find something useful here – whether you’re a developer, a business owner, or just someone curious about how modern web infrastructure works.
Let’s Connect
If you’d like to:
- Discuss infrastructure, hosting, or automation
- Explore Zeeta Cloud for your projects
- Or just say hello
You can reach out to me through the contact form on this site or via my social profiles linked in the header/footer.