In this episode, I unpack the big announcement behind FAIR — the Federated and Independent Repository — a new package manager initiative under the Linux Foundation. Scooped by The Repository and launched during WordCamp Europe week, FAIR promises decentralized plugin and theme distribution for WordPress, reducing reliance on wordpress.org and introducing a new governance model for the ecosystem. On paper, that’s a huge shift. But I’ve got more questions than answers. Why the Linux Foundation? Is...
Jun 07, 2025•24 min•Ep. 230
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe founder of 10up and now a Partner at Fueled, to talk about a major agency evolution. Jake shares the journey from founding 10up in 2011 to its merger with Fueled in 2023, culminating in a rebrand that sees the combined entity operating under the Fueled name. He explains the motivations behind the merger, including the desire for diversification, access to broader resources, and positioning...
Jun 03, 2025•38 min•Ep. 229
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Being a freelance web designer often means dealing with disruption. Sometimes, it’s a client who needs a new feature built ASAP. But it can also come from a shakeup in the technology we use. Artificial intelligence (AI) has undoubtedly been a disruptive force. It has upended our workflows and made some of us wary of its presence. Are these apps here to help us or replace us? Perhaps AI sit...
May 20, 2025•7 min•Ep. 227
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe The web was once a bastion of free and cheap things. Free tools and services catering to professionals and novices were abundant. And even things that cost money were relatively affordable. This climate has been a boon to freelancers, agencies, and clients. WordPress and its ecosystem are prime examples of this in action. A free content management system (CMS) with a thriving market for th...
May 06, 2025•9 min•Ep. 226
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Freelancers have plenty of options for leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). It seems like a new tool or five comes out each week. And that doesn’t include existing products with bolted-on AI features. The hype train has morphed into a rocket ship. This is great for OpenAI and other product makers, as they rake in cash and tons of publicity. But what about the rest of us? Specifically, ...
Apr 22, 2025•8 min•Ep. 225
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe The web design industry is maturing. New projects used to be the lifeblood of freelancing, and companies spent money on feature-packed websites to establish themselves online. But those opportunities seem fewer and farther between these days. Don’t get me wrong. New projects will continue to be a money-maker. But there are fewer gigs to go around and competition is fierce. Relying solely o...
Apr 08, 2025•8 min•Ep. 224
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe As consumers, we are trained to crave what’s new and improved. It’s all about that massive feature launch or the illusion of getting more for your money. I can understand the appeal. Having the latest and greatest product gives us bragging rights – and maybe more productivity. That’s why a new iPhone comes out every few months. Who wouldn’t want that? Well, bigger isn’t always better. I be...
Mar 18, 2025•8 min•Ep. 223
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Technical debt is an inevitable challenge for WordPress freelancers who have been in the industry for an extended period. Websites, tools, and services age, while outdated code, incompatible plugins, and inefficient workflows can accumulate. That creates obstacles that hinder progress. The key to success is proactively managing and minimizing technical debt to improve stability and efficie...
Mar 04, 2025•9 min•Ep. 222
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe You can use WordPress to build all kinds of websites. There are no hard limits when it comes to looks or functionality. That freedom is powerful. You can build sites that handle eCommerce, memberships, and large databases. You can tie in with third-party APIs and create headless front ends. However, such power may be overwhelming to freelancers. Each type of site has its intricacies – lear...
Feb 25, 2025•11 min•Ep. 220
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe There are a lot of advantages to being a freelancer. One of them is that you can work from anywhere. No need for a brick-and-mortar location means saving money. It’s also pretty nice that WordPress is free to use. A savvy business owner can get started without spending a lot. Even so, there are some significant costs involved. A quality web host isn’t cheap. And the WordPress ecosystem is ...
Feb 11, 2025•8 min•Ep. 221
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Click here to follow the WP Minute+ podcast. It's where all of the podcast episodes have been going. In today's episode I'm sharing additional thoughts on Automattic vs WP Engine and where I stand with covering it. ★ Support this podcast ★...
Oct 03, 2024•21 min•Ep. 219
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Imagine if Wix invested in open source ? Imagine if Wix gained on WordPress? Imagine if Wix conquered our beloved CMS? Imagine if Wix focused on one area in WordPress: Data Liberation. I don’t think the closed-source CMS will supplant tens of thousands of WordPress professionals 1-click installing WordPress for their clients any time soon, even with their aggressive marketing tactics. With...
Jun 28, 2024•10 min•Ep. 218
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe I wonder if people are generally upset that Mullenweg has control of “WordPress” or that he has control over a large chunk of the “open web.” Placing his irresponsible reactions aside for a moment, I think we should abstract why we might feel the way we do. The fight “for WordPress” is futile. It’s a distraction really. One must stop vying for shared control over the decision making, the f...
Jun 21, 2024•7 min•Ep. 217
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Get all the links here. With the beta of WordPress 6.6 releasing, and seeing the advancements being made with site building features like Overrides for Synced Patterns — I can’t help but be excited for where WordPress is headed. And I know you might have your druthers with it all, but I’m hoping you invest now because the future is bright for our favorite platform. Building websites with A...
Jun 07, 2024•7 min•Ep. 216
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe WordPress Media Corps — you might even chuckle when you hear the phrase. This experimental initiative is a team that replaced the WordPress Marketing Team. Not commercial WordPress, mind you, but the open source dot org side of the house. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you don’t need me to spell out how important this initiative could be. A chance to legitimize the wor...
May 29, 2024•11 min•Ep. 215
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe I really enjoyed the conversation lead by Brian Coords on the topic of version control for WordPress developers and builders . He was joined by my recurring cohost, Mark Szymanski , as he asked the tough questions many beginners might be facing in their early development days. Yes, that’s the same Mark that cohosted the episode of Crossroads of WordPress with me last week on the WP Minute+...
May 10, 2024•7 min•Ep. 214
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe The Biggest WordPress Moves While Mullenweg was on Sabbatical Matt Mullenweg is returning from his 3 month sabbatical, dubbed “ Samattical ”, which kicked off February 1, 2024. He handed the CEO reigns back to Toni Schneider and placed Daniel Bachhuber in charge of WordPress.com in his absence. I thought we’d see the whole organization coast while the open source benevolent dictator dug hi...
May 05, 2024•7 min•Ep. 213
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe WordPress is amazing not just because it’s a great tool to publish words on the internet, but that it has the potential to encourage you to learn more about the web — if you want. If you remember the golden age of automobiles, enthusiasts would change their own oil or make the repairs themselves to avoid bringing them to the dealership. An act to save a few bucks or just because you loved ...
Apr 26, 2024•8 min•Ep. 212
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe I recently had the pleasure of meeting Sam Harrison, a professional Webflow consultant and content creator. He was open to co-host a WordPress vs Webflow debate with me, while also unpacking how business is going for his services company. Heading into the debate, I spent a a few hours watching his content and really enjoyed his Webflow Components Basics + How to Start a Web Design Business...
Apr 12, 2024•6 min•Ep. 211
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Read the full show notes here ★ Support this podcast ★
Apr 05, 2024•8 min•Ep. 210
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Read all the shownotes and get the links here ★ Support this podcast ★
Mar 29, 2024•6 min•Ep. 209
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe March 22 2024 It’s the WP Minute! Today we ask, “Who’s responsible for WordPress marketing?” Coming up next! Josepha Haden Chomphosy, Executive Director of the WordPress Open Source project, posted an idea that shifts the dynamics of the WordPress Marketing team. A call for a Media Press Corps. Also known as a Dramatic Shift. It’s still too early to tell if this initiative will stick, so I...
Mar 22, 2024•7 min•Ep. 208
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Get all the links and the show notes here: https://thewpminute.com/?p=15501 ★ Support this podcast ★
Mar 15, 2024•8 min•Ep. 207
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Read all the show notes here: https://thewpminute.com/the-brittle-wordpress-business/ ★ Support this podcast ★
Mar 08, 2024•8 min•Ep. 206
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Read the full post for links and information. ★ Support this podcast ★
Mar 01, 2024•8 min•Ep. 205
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe I think it’s one of the most important default themes WordPress has released in a while. Sure, the design is fairly opinionated, but with the mix of new patterns/blocks available, I think someone with a little WordPress know how (and grit!) will be able to design a solid website for their brand or business. Even for the freelancers or agency owners out there, searching to offer a more affo...
Feb 23, 2024•8 min•Ep. 204
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Getting started with WordPress. A topic that’s been popping up a lot more in my WP Minute+ interviews lately. Where does one go when they want to get started with WordPress? Learning how to use it. Learning what it can do compared to its competitors. Learning about the pockets of community to get involved with. I did what any other enterprising content creator would do, and took to ChatGPT...
Feb 16, 2024•8 min•Ep. 203
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe # Contributing Through WordPress Training & Education It’s the WP Minute! Let’s talk about contributing through WordPress training, education and content! Coming right up! Something that’s been on my mind as I loosely plot out my YouTube world domination: Contributing to WordPress through content. I recently interviewed Mark Szymanski [Home](https://markjosephszymanski.com/) for an upc...
Feb 09, 2024•6 min•Ep. 202
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Coming up on the WP Minute! Help me with this quick survey to shape the future of WP Minute, plus more WordPress goodness, coming right up. It’s time to take a quick survey. If you have less than 2 minutes to spare, could you head to thewpminute.com/survey and take my 3 question survey about this podcast? It’s going to help shape the future of the content here — which I’ll get into. As 202...
Feb 06, 2024•6 min•Ep. 201
Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/support Get the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe Cory Miller and I discuss how the WordPress community is impacted when “big issues” clash with Matt, Automattic, and other community members. How should we handle these moments of passion and strife? It’s easy to label these issues as WPDrama, but in my opinion that’s not doing the WordPress community any favors. From the exterior, it’s categorized and shrugged off as “yet another drama is...
Jan 30, 2024•49 min•Ep. 200
