On the podcast today we have Katie Keith, the founder and CEO of Barn2 Plugins. Katie shares her journey from running a WordPress agency to transitioning into a successful WordPress plugin company specialising in WooCommerce and other plugins. She discusses the challenges and strategies involved in this transition, including the initial successes and later refinements to her business model. Katie also touches on the current state of the WordPress and WooCommerce markets, her future business plan...
Feb 19, 2025•41 min
On the podcast today we have Derek Ashauer. Derek, who transitioned from freelancing to creating WordPress plugins like Sunshine Photo Cart and Conversion Bridge, discusses the impact of European privacy laws, the limitations of Google Analytics, and the rise of privacy-focused analytics tools like Fathom and Plausible. He emphasises the ease and necessity of conversion tracking for websites, and how his plugin, Conversion Bridge, simplifies this process for both individual site owners and agenc...
Feb 12, 2025•43 min
On the podcast today we have Anthony Jackson, a technology enthusiast and entrepreneur. Anthony shares his journey from developing a passion for computers early on, to starting a computer repair business. He discusses his experiences with WordPress, including frustrations with customisation, and his transition to providing WordPress hosting through platforms like Linode and Docker. Anthony is now focused on creating Bash scripts to simplify the deployment of open-source applications. He emphasis...
Feb 05, 2025•40 min
On the podcast today we have Anna Hurko. Anna is the CEO of Crocoblock, a company with a suite of dynamic plugins designed to help developers build complex websites. With a background in computer science, Anna transitioned from support roles to leading Crocoblock, and has been with the company for over 11 years. Anna shares her journey, and discusses the growth of Crocoblock, and also talks about the company's marketing strategies and their active, and growing, participation in the WordPress com...
Jan 29, 2025•33 min
In this episode Tammie Lister, who has a deep history with WordPress and themes, discusses the evolution of WordPress theming, the concept of Full Site Editing, and its adoption challenges. She highlights the importance of experimentation and adaptability in themes, the underestimated impact of block themes and theme.json, and envisions a future where themes might be simplified into more flexible design systems. Tammie emphasizes the gradual adoption of new technologies and the potential for mor...
Jan 22, 2025•38 min
On the podcast today we have David Darke, co-founder of Atomic Smash, a Bristol-based digital agency specialising in WordPress and WooCommerce optimisation. Since its inception in 2010, the agency has grown from two to twenty employees, overcoming challenges such as skepticism about their youth and the complexities of scaling. Darke talks about the importance of networking, strategic hiring, and business coaching to navigate growth phases. His current focus includes technical oversight and clien...
Jan 15, 2025•40 min
In this episode I talk with accessibility consultant Elena Brescacin from Italy. We discuss the Block Editor's benefits, and areas for improvement, such as better search block functionality and template duplication for multilingual sites. Elena emphasises WordPress' backend accessibility and suggests more consistent focus for testing websites. We explore Elena's experiences with internet accessibility, challenges in real-world events, and her active participation in the WordPress community. Desp...
Jan 08, 2025•43 min
On the podcast today we have Andrew Palmer. Andrew's journey with WordPress started almost two decades ago after transitioning from Joomla. He went on to make significant strides in the community, co-founding Elegant Marketplace and investing in ventures like Atarim and Bertha AI. In this episode, we talk about the intricacies of working within the WordPress ecosystem, comparing the free and commercial sides. Andrew shares his thoughts on the challenges of financially compensating event contribu...
Dec 18, 2024•40 min
On the podcast today we have Corey Maass, and he's here to talk about the role of social media, specifically regarding images you share. He highlights tools like his WordPress plugin OMGIMG, which simplifies the creation of shareable images. We also explore evolving image formats, the WordPress Media Library, and technological innovations, including Google’s in-browser video manipulation. He emphasises the importance of custom social images and compares strategies for YouTube thumbnails. The epi...
Dec 11, 2024•46 min
So on the podcast today we have Stephen Dumba, a Ugandan teacher and WordPress community leader. We discuss Uganda's ICT curriculum, which now makes computer education compulsory for 17-18 year olds, and the efforts to equip schools with computer labs. Stephen shares his transition to WordPress, highlighting its ease of use and community support. He discusses his initiatives to train teachers and students, organising Meetups, and his vision for large-scale WordPress events in Uganda, despite fin...
Dec 04, 2024•38 min
On the podcast today we have Steve Burge. Steve is experienced in building and marketing WordPress plugins and he’s here to share his journey, especially his recent ventures into the SaaS (Software as a Service) landscape with his latest project, Logtivity. We talk about how SaaS development differs from plugin development. Being responsible for the full-stack, having to find your niche and new community, the need to be on hand 24/7 if things go wrong. As someone who's navigated this challenging...
Nov 27, 2024•30 min
On the podcast today we have Fränk Klein. Fränk is a principal engineer at Human Made and brings a wealth of experience from his extensive history with WordPress. Fränk provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Gutenberg project's four phases: content editing, site customization, collaborative editing, and multilingual capabilities. We explore how FSE is transforming WordPress by integrating new editing tools and modernising the admin interface, moving the platform from its classic roots to a mo...
Nov 20, 2024•45 min
On the podcast today we have Calvin Alkan. Calvin has been in the WordPress space for the past four to five years, with a focus on security research. His company’s security product, called Fortress, has become a widely used tool for many hosting companies. Recently, Calvin and his team ventured into developing a new product, CommandUI, and it’s this plugin which is the topic under discussion today. We talk about CommandUI's functionalities, including its ability to help quickly navigate around t...
Nov 13, 2024•36 min
On the podcast today we have Damon Cook and Seth Rubenstein, and we're here to talk about the Interactivity API. We explore its benefits for building seamless interactive websites, how it enhances both the front-end user experience and backend editorial processes, and its integration with WordPress Core. Topics include practical applications, performance improvements, and accessibility considerations. Both Damon and Seth emphasise the importance of the community's contribution to the project's d...
Nov 06, 2024•31 min
On the podcast today we have Aaron Reimann & Keith Osburn. Keith is the Chief Information Officer and Deputy Superintendent for Tech Services at the Georgia Department of Education, and Aaron runs Clockwork WP, a WordPress agency, and boasts extensive experience in web development dating back to 1996. Together, they’ve been leveraging WordPress to tackle some of Georgia’s most pressing educational needs. We discuss the financial advantages of using WordPress to achieve cost efficiencies comp...
Oct 30, 2024•38 min
On the podcast today we have Miriam Schwab from Elementor and Oliver Sild from Patchstack. They delve into their partnership focusing on monitoring and quickly addressing WordPress vulnerabilities through a prioritisation system, virtual patches, and a managed vulnerability disclosure program. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration within the WordPress community to improve security. Elementor's open approach to security and Patchstack's comprehensive threat intelligence help...
Oct 23, 2024•37 min
On the podcast today we have Christy Nyiri and Mike Straw from Automattic's Special Projects Team. They discuss their design work, contributions to WordPress, and the team's internal, agency-like model. They highlight their passion for quality, non-profit projects, and advocacy for WordPress's capabilities, aiming to demystify their team's role and impact. Whether you're a WordPress developer, a web design enthusiast, or someone interested in the operational intricacies of high-calibre web proje...
Oct 16, 2024•36 min
On the podcast today we have Donata Stroink-Skillrud to talk about navigating privacy laws. Donata explains the absence of US federal privacy laws, necessitating businesses to comply with various state laws. She emphasises "Privacy by Design" for WordPress websites, and advises web designers to use legal disclaimers in contracts. Donata also highlights global privacy law updates, and how you need to be mindful of what’s coming in the next few years. If you’re keen to find out more about the curr...
Oct 09, 2024•34 min
On the podcast today we have Andy Fragen who is a dedicated member of the WordPress community as well as a trauma surgeon. Somehow he manages to balance the demands of his profession with his passion for the community and, as you will hear, to important work inside of WordPress Core. Andy talks about the important topic of automatic rollbacks in WordPress, a feature aimed at reverting to a previous version if an automatic plugin or theme update fails, ensuring the website remains functional for ...
Oct 02, 2024•39 min
On the podcast today we have Isla Waite, Bet Hannon and Ryan Bracey. We discuss the significance of WordPress Accessibility Day, which is a 24-hour virtual conference running on 9th to the 10th October, 2024. It’s being driven by a team of passionate volunteers and is geared towards making the digital space accessible for all. We cover the logistical details, including how to register and the optional donations and sponsorships that can enrich your participation. Our guests share their personal ...
Sep 25, 2024•44 min
On the podcast today we have Jamie Marsland, who has recently become the Head of the WordPress YouTube channel at Automattic. He talks about the nature of the role and why it's more important to market WordPress than it ever has been. Jamie aims to enhance the channel’s presence and engage YouTube’s vast audience by producing valuable video content targeting diverse groups, including beginners, developers, and the community. He emphasises the balance between content quality and engaging the YouT...
Sep 18, 2024•31 min
On the podcast today we have Matthias Pupillo, co-founder of FluentC.ai. He's here to discuss AI-driven language translations, with a focus upon WordPress websites. Matthias has a rich background in technology and WordPress, and reveals how FluentC enables translations in up to 140 languages within seconds by leveraging AI models, and creating a contextual layer for high-quality outputs. He also shares insights on the future of AI translations, the importance of open-source models, and potential...
Sep 11, 2024•39 min
On the podcast today we have Jonathan Bossenger. Jonathan discusses his transition from software development to becoming a developer educator for WordPress. He emphasises the importance of making WordPress learning accessible globally through the Learn platform, providing up-to-date, freely available educational content. The conversation highlights the platform's transformative potential with tools like Playground, enabling interactive coding practice. Jonathan talks about the challenges of keep...
Sep 04, 2024•47 min
On the podcast today we have Chris Ferdinandi. He shares his experiences managing ADHD in both his personal and professional life. Chris describes how ADHD affects his focus, impulse control, and emotions, viewing these traits as both challenges and potential strengths. He offers practical strategies for ADHD individuals, such as structuring workdays with dedicated focus times and utilising small tasks to kickstart productivity. Chris also discusses the importance of workplace accommodations and...
Aug 28, 2024•40 min
On the podcast today we have Blake Bertuccelli-Booth, a web designer and founder of Equalify, a company focused on improving web accessibility. Blake's journey into web accessibility advocacy began through his work with higher education organisations and his personal experiences with dyslexia. The episode gets into Blake's development of an automated tool that surveys websites for accessibility issues, revealing over 2.1 million issues across wordpress.org properties. Blake discusses the moral i...
Aug 21, 2024•45 min
Katie Keith, founder and CEO of Barn2 Plugins, and Matt Cromwell, co-founder of GiveWP, discuss their podcast 'WP Product Talk' where they interview WordPress product owners about running successful businesses. They summarise insights from their interviews and unveil a blueprint for building successful WordPress products, presented at WordCamp Europe. Key topics include enhancing the WordPress admin interface, organic content marketing, market gap identification, and event attendance. They empha...
Aug 14, 2024•44 min
On the podcast today we have Abraham Waita, a Woo Happiness Engineer at Automattic. Abraham is deeply involved in the WordPress communities in Kenya and Uganda and recently spoke at WordCamp Europe. The discussion centers on Abraham's efforts to introduce WordPress to high schools in Uganda, fostering a young and rapidly growing WordPress community through the ICT curriculum. We delve into the community's growth, challenges, and the essential role of sponsorships and hardware donations. The conv...
Aug 07, 2024•22 min
On the podcast today we have Elena Panciera, an expert in inclusive and accessible languages, and Chiara Pennetta, a special needs educator and deaf advocacy expert, discussing web accessibility for the deaf. They cover the importance of captions and simplification in web content to aid understanding for deaf users and non-native speakers. New technologies, such as AI tools and real-time transcription apps, are highlighted for their role in enhancing communication. The discussion also touches on...
Jul 31, 2024•38 min
On the podcast today we have Eneko Garrido, a full-stack developer who became an active WordPress contributor after attending his first WordCamp in Bilbao in 2019. Eneko's involvement in WordPress began during a challenging period marked by anxiety and depression. The inclusive and supportive atmosphere of WordCamp Bilbao inspired Eneko to engage more deeply with the community. He found particular joy in contributing as a polyglot for the Basque locale, strengthening his connection to his cultur...
Jul 24, 2024•30 min
On the podcast today we have Fernando Tellado a prominent figure in the Spanish WordPress community. Fernando discusses the emerging capabilities of AI tools which can generate massive amounts of content quickly. He questions the implications for content quality, and Google's role in distinguishing reliable information. Touching on the evolution of technology, Fernando draws parallels to changes brought about by the industrial revolution, and discusses AI replacing jobs and the addictive nature ...
Jul 17, 2024•36 min
