Shehbaz AhmadIn this episode of People Behind People, Shehbaz Ahmad, CEO of Devbox Technologies, sits down with fellow PUCIT graduate Tahir Rauf, CTO and Co-founder of Keeyu, a fast-growing AI-driven startup based in Sydney that’s revolutionising how e-commerce brands handle fulfilment and customer experience.
From Lahore’s tech ecosystem to leading large-scale digital transformations in Australia, Tahir’s journey is a story of engineering excellence, resilience, and bold innovation.
The Origin of Keeyu – Solving the Hidden Chaos in E-Commerce
The idea behind Keeyu didn’t arise from a hackathon or late-night brainstorm; it was born out of first-hand frustration inside retail operations.
After spending decades in the e-commerce and retail sector, Tahir and his co-founders realised one recurring pattern, every business suffered from fulfilment chaos. From the moment a shopper clicks Buy to the second a parcel arrives (or is returned), dozens of disconnected systems, payments, warehouses, ERPs, carriers, returns interact, often without visibility or synchronisation.
Keeyu set out to build what Tahir calls an AI agent for e-commerce operations, a platform that detects and resolves issues before customers even know there’s a problem. The mission: to make post-purchase experiences seamless and proactive rather than reactive.
From Reactive to Proactive: The Future of Customer Care
Traditional customer service waits for complaints. Keeyu eliminates them.
By integrating with storefronts such as Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento, and connecting to logistics partners like DHL, Australia Post, and New Zealand Post, Keeyu monitors order data in real-time.
Its AI engine predicts disruptions, automatically identifies errors, and launches corrective actions before they affect delivery.
“It’s prevention before medicine, fixing issues before the sickness even begins.”
This proactive approach dramatically improves retention. Studies show that nearly 40% of customers never return after a bad delivery experience. Keeyu’s technology is designed to make such scenarios obsolete.
Inside Keeyu’s AI Architecture
Behind the simplicity of its promise lies a highly sophisticated architecture.
Keeyu integrates over 100 systems across the entire fulfilment chain, from storefront to carrier, processing millions of data points per second.
A real-time rules engine identifies anomalies while machine-learning models detect fulfilment issues across layers. Once a potential problem surfaces, Keeyu’s AI agents trigger automated, pre-verified workflows to resolve it, securely and reliably.
Balancing AI autonomy with deterministic logic ensures that high-impact actions like refunds or stock adjustments happen without risk or error.
A Vision for Retail – A World Without Complaints
Tahir believes the industry is entering a new phase: from reactive customer support to zero-complaint commerce.
“A decade ago, Zendesk automated responses. In the next few years, we’re moving toward a world with no complaints at all.”
By predicting and fixing fulfilment issues before they happen, Keeyu is redefining customer care, from response-driven to resolution-driven.
The Modern CTO – From Architect to Enabler
Having served as CTO across enterprises and startups, Tahir has seen the CTO role evolve with scale.
At large organisations, it’s about strategy, governance, and stakeholder alignment.
In startups, it’s about hands-on engineering, agility, and building scalable foundations.
He defines three key phases of the modern CTO journey:
- Build Fast – Ship value quickly instead of chasing perfection.
- Scale Smart – Architect for long-term sustainability and talent growth.
- Lead Holistically – Balance product, people, and process with vision.
Tahir also emphasises avoiding the common trap of micromanagement: give teams the freedom to innovate within a clear architectural framework.
Lessons for Founders – Focus on the “What”, Not the “How”
Many founders, especially from technical backgrounds, over-engineer before testing.
“Too many build the perfect system before a single customer uses it.”
Keeyu took the opposite path. Before writing a line of code, they onboarded early customers with pilot agreements, delivering small but meaningful wins and learning directly from user feedback.
The takeaway: deliver early, iterate constantly, and stay customer-obsessed.
AI and the Future of Engineering Work
As the conversation turned to AI’s broader impact, Tahir offered a pragmatic view, not all of it optimistic.
He believes AI has already surpassed human capability in many entry-level coding tasks. Tools such as Cursor, VS Code Copilot, and Cloud Code now perform the routine work of junior developers, and often do it better.
“If you’re not at least three times more efficient than before, you’ll struggle to stay relevant.”
The message to engineers is clear: embrace AI, don’t resist it. Learn to use it as a multiplier, not a threat. Understanding, reviewing, and directing AI output is the new craft.
How AI Is Reshaping Team Structures
AI is blurring traditional boundaries between roles. Developers now handle testing, infrastructure, and deployment. Designers can prototype production-ready interfaces. Non-technical founders can build MVPs without code.
“The visible boundaries are fading. One person can now be an entire cross-functional team.”
Keeyu itself is adopting a monorepo structure and cross-functional collaboration model — where engineers are empowered to deliver across the full stack with AI support.
Beyond Efficiency – The Ethics and Limits of AI
The episode ends on a provocative note: can AI ever replace human proactiveness and creativity?
Tahir cautions that AI’s learning processes are already outpacing human understanding. With models capable of self-improvement and adaptive behaviour, he warns against blind optimism.
“We built Keeyu to make machines proactive because humans weren’t, but what happens when AI becomes too proactive?”
It’s a powerful question that leaves us reflecting on the fine line between innovation and control.
Closing Note
From e-commerce intelligence to AI leadership, this episode is a deep dive into the mindset shaping the next generation of technology founders.
Watch the full episode of People Behind People featuring Tahir Rauf, CTO and Co-Founder of Keeyu, on YouTube below.
