Where You’ll
Find Me

I joined Jonathan Denwood and the panel as the special guest for September's round table. We covered WordPress.org auto-blocking high-risk plugin updates and a proposal for 20+ North American WordPress events in 2027.

When is WordPress the right call over an AI-generated or vibe-coded site? We talked through ownership, portability, content editing, and long-term maintenance, then handed it to a panel of local WordPress pros.

Evan Scheingross of Minimal Chaos walked us through building plugins with AI for client work, internal tools, and side projects. Community demos and Q&A followed.

I'm heading to Phoenix for WordCamp US 2026 in my role leading Jetpack at Automattic. WordCamps have been a big part of my WordPress journey, and I'm looking forward to spending four days with the people building, using, and shaping WordPress.

I'll be in listen-and-learn mode, connecting with community members and talking about where Jetpack is today, where it needs to go, and how we can better support the people who rely on WordPress. The week includes Contributor Day, Showcase Day, two conference days, and the community social.

If you'll be there, come say hello. I'd love to connect.

Back on the WP-Tonic round table. We talked about a researcher using an OpenAI model to find a major WordPress vulnerability, the bigger AI track at WordCamp US 2026, and Kimi K3's open weights.

A beginner-friendly intro to AI agents and MCP, and how AI can actually work inside WordPress: pages, content, plugins, and wp-admin. Then community demos with Cursor, WP-CLI, MCP setups, and WooCommerce automation.

Four days in Porto with Automattic's product leads, sharing strategy and roadmaps and catching up in person.

Another WP-Tonic round table with Jonathan Denwood and the panel, going through May's WordPress and tech news.

The main reason I keep coming to Europe is this conference, which has become a highlight event on my annual calendar. It gathers a diverse mix of WordPress professionals from the Americas, APAC, and Europe, creating a unique blend of knowledge and experience. This fosters networking opportunities that can lead to collaborations and friendships that last well beyond the event. The result is a special conference that not only shows how WordPress is built, used, and implemented globally but also inspires me with fresh ideas and approaches to solving problems with WordPress.

Jim Walker, The HackRepair Guy, walked the group through a real hack scenario. We covered how sites actually get compromised and a short hardening list: MFA, updates with a rollback plan, tested backups, and least privilege.

LCP, INP, and CLS, and what actually causes them on WordPress sites. Katie McCanna from Automattic gave a lightning talk on speed tips from Team51, and I ran live performance teardowns of volunteers' sites.

One of the largest gatherings of WordPress professionals on the planet. PressConf is a one-of-a-kind conference that gives professionals in the space a chance to come together, collaborate, network, and discuss the future of the platform. I also had a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and watch my friends Bryce Adams and Matt Cromwell on stage.

I was the special guest panelist for March's round table. Topics included the WordPress 7.0 RC1 delay, WP Engine acquiring WPackagist, and Joost de Valk's "Do you need a CMS?" post.

In this exciting episode of Open Makers, I had the pleasure of speaking with host Derek Hanson about the latest updates to Jetpack Social, which reflect our commitment to enhancing user experience. We discussed the redesigned user interface that not only improves aesthetic appeal but also enhances usability, making it easier for users to navigate through various features. Additionally, we delved into the enhanced account connectivity, which facilitates seamless integration with other platforms, streamlining the workflow for content creators.

A demo-heavy night on using AI to build plugin features and blocks faster, without the "paste and pray." Lightning talks from James Keeline on AI transparency in infrastructure and Jack Sighton on automating content with n8n.

An in-person meetup in San Francisco with Automattic colleagues, a few months into leading Jetpack.

Katie Keith and Ian Misner had me on to talk about UX-led product development: treating UX as a product decision, the UI mistakes that drive up support, and balancing simplicity with power.

Our first meetup of 2026, and a packed room. James LePage, Jason Adams, and Anne McCarthy from Automattic joined to talk about the AI client, the Abilities API, and Telex, followed by Q&A.

WP Legends Episode 92 features my conversation with Seahawk Media on my journey from co-founding GiveWP to leading Jetpack at Automattic, and what it’s like shaping a product that lives at WordPress-scale. We dig into Jetpack’s strategic focus, partnerships (including Automattic for Agencies), simplifying legacy UX, and what’s next for AI in WordPress.

Getting WordPress and WooCommerce sites ready for the holiday rush. Jack Sighton gave a lightning talk on quick performance wins, and I ran a roundup of plugin, theme, and hosting deals.

I walk through my path in the WordPress ecosystem, from building GiveWP and collaborating with brands like iThemes, Kadence, LearnDash, and The Events Calendar, to taking on my new role leading Jetpack at Automattic. I talk about why I joined, how I’m thinking about simplifying Jetpack’s experience, the realities of improving a product used on millions of sites, and how Automattic’s shifts in organization and collaboration are shaping that work. I also dig into the future of AI in WordPress, what it means for content creation and block building, and why stronger product marketing and tighter feedback loops matter for where Jetpack is headed next.

I recently joined The WP Minute to talk through my transition from GiveWP to Jetpack, how GiveWP shaped how I think about product leadership, and what the next chapter of Jetpack looks like. We covered onboarding, user experience, community engagement, and why listening directly to users is such a big focus for me right now, along with how AI can level up the first run experience and deliver value faster.

Private company meetup to discuss, plan, experiment, and further integrate AI within all aspects of our products and our work. There is a ton of potential, especially in Jetpack. Additionally, I'm excited to attend my first meetup at Automattic.

PHP 8.5: What You Need To Know

All about what's new, changing, and leaving in PHP 8.5.

I'm excited to be reactivating and organizing this WordPress Meetup. We have a great agenda, food, giveaways, and more! Read more here if you're interested in learning more about my motivation in bringing this meetup back to life.

Jonathan Denwood and Kurt von Ahnen had me back to talk about launching and growing a plugin business: picking a niche, monetization, UX, and how I got from corporate IT into WordPress.

Surviving the WordPress Plugin Grind Growth, Marketing and Overcoming Burnout

Hosted by Mark Westguard.

Michelle Frechette had me on to talk about WP Rollback and how it lets you roll any plugin or theme back, or forward, to another version.

Discussing WordPress and tech news in a Round Table format.

Katie Keith, Matt Cromwell, and I talked about product launches: the first 24 to 48 hours, real launch stories, turning early customers into advocates, and what to do when a launch flops.

Brian Casel, Marc Benzakein, and I joined Jonathan Denwood's round table to go through October's WordPress and tech news.

Chris Lema always puts on a good show. I couldn't miss it this year after several years away. This will be my third time going and jiving with other like-minded WordPress business owners.

We are sponsoring the event this year at StellarWP. Come see me at the booth in the hallway track!

Jonathan Denwood and I talked about how hard product-market fit is in WordPress, with lessons from StellarWP and SolidWP, plus where Gutenberg and AI fit in.

Italy here we come! This year we're back and with a big booth and lots of awesome swag. The European WordCamp scene is so much fun. I can't wait!

I'm a big fan of Stripe. We process hundreds of millions annually. This conference is also top-notch and this year's keynote is none other than Jensen Huang from Nvidia.

My first WordCamp Asia! I've always wanted to go and planned to go in 2020, but y'all know what happened then. Now the time has come!

Justin Tadlock and I were the guest panelists. We talked about the proposal to host third-party blocks in the Gutenberg repo, WP Tavern's search for a new writer, and the Reddit IPO.

Anil Gupta of Multidots and I went through the GiveWP story: the hard parts, why we sold to Liquid Web, how WordCamps helped grow the business, and my advice on cash flow and investing.

Freemius recorded this with me at WordCamp Europe in Athens. I talked about growing two products at once while running an agency, and how everything ended up getting half the effort it could have.

Michelle Frechette and I talked about my path from agency work to GiveWP, the SolidWP rebrand, attention to detail, and StellarWP's plans.

Fresh off WordCamp US 2023, I joined the round table to talk about the event, Kevin Geary's Gutenberg vs page builders interview, and WordPress.com's $38K 100-year plan.

StellarWP sponsored, so I spent a lot of time in the hallway track. I also sat on a Community Roundtable about WordCamp sponsorships.

Patrick Rauland had Matt Cromwell and me on to talk about how a developer and a marketer partnered to build GiveWP: forming the partnership, splitting equity, and focusing on one product.

StellarWP and Nexcess sponsored, and I spent most of the event at the Stellar booth. It ended up being my favorite event of 2023.

Jonathan Denwood and I talked about why StellarWP centralized its brands and rebranded iThemes as SolidWP, and what made it hard.

Stripe's annual conference. The highlight was Sam Altman's fireside chat with John Collison.

Doc Pop and I talked about rebranding iThemes as SolidWP in public and in phases, lessons from GiveWP's acquisition, and when a company should rebrand.

Matt Cromwell, Kevin Stover of Ninja Forms, and I talked about refactoring a product's UX, business model, and APIs, with lessons from Ninja Forms, GiveWP, and SolidWP.

Matt Cromwell, Justin Ferriman, and I talked about the pros and cons of building in public, including what we learned rebranding iThemes to SolidWP in the open.

Learn the best strategies for sunsetting your WordPress product effectively.

A quick live interview with WP-Tonic from the hallway at WordCamp US 2022 in San Diego.

WordCamp US came to my hometown. StellarWP and Nexcess sponsored, and I did a live hallway interview with WP-Tonic on Saturday.

A year after Liquid Web acquired GiveWP, I joined Joshua Strebel, Marieke van de Rakt, Shane Pearlman, and Taeke Reijenga on a panel about acquisitions in WordPress.

GiveWP's first year exhibiting at the Association of Fundraising Professionals' international conference. Matt Cromwell, Drew Griswold, and I were there at the booth.

Chris Lema's small mastermind for WordPress business owners, with about 50 people. It was my first in-person conference since the pandemic.

Doc Pop had Matt Cromwell and me on the Social Hour livestream to talk about Liquid Web acquiring GiveWP and what it meant for the project.

Brian Krogsgard talked with Matt Cromwell and me about Liquid Web acquiring GiveWP and WP Business Reviews as part of the new StellarWP brand.

Matt Medeiros talked with Matt Cromwell and me about selling GiveWP to Liquid Web.

Joe Casabona talked with Matt Cromwell and me about how the Liquid Web deal came together, what it meant for customers and nonprofits, and the peer-to-peer fundraising we had planned.

Jason Tucker, Bridget Willard, and I talked about how dependency choices and technical debt affect user experience. My tip was PHP Scoper.

Chris Badgett and I talked about adding donations to a course site with GiveWP: donor incentives like early access and matching, tax receipts, tributes, and fee recovery.

Russell Aaron had me on to talk about ways to get started with WordPress, built around the famous five-minute install.

Michael Short interviewed me for PROFILES about my work at Impress.org, GiveWP, and in open source.

An hour-long conversation with Pagely about the scaling challenges they helped GiveWP get past after we moved to them in 2017.

Joshua Strebel and I talked about the early days of Impress.org, pricing, running a team spread across many states, and product stickiness versus vendor lock-in.

I spent a few days in Berlin before WordCamp Europe and stopped in Dresden on the way out.

A livestream conversation with Joseph from Maui Interactive about my work as Head of Product for Give.

An updated version of my talk on building WordPress products and services that are truly valuable. GiveWP sponsored too.

I helped organize WordCamp San Diego again, and Give sponsored.

Joe Casabona talked with Matt Cromwell and me about GiveWP, working as a bigger team, and why great support matters.

My second trip to India that year. I talked about how small details like typos, broken images, and 404s shape how people see your brand, and your bottom line. GiveWP sponsored.

How nonprofits use WordPress, with fundraising methods and tips for planning a campaign.

I hosted and gave a talk on GitHub tips and tricks, alongside Josh Cummings, Scott Stewart, and a lightning talk from Jim Walker.

After my trip to WordCamps Pune and Udaipur, WPWale asked for my outside take on the Indian WordPress community.

I helped organize WordCamp San Diego, running the camp website and the development track. Give was a Silver sponsor.

The first WordCamp Udaipur. I joined Puneet Sahalot, Nirav Mehta, Vishal Kothari, and Parth Pandya on a panel about building a WordPress business. Give sponsored.

The first stop on a 22-day trip through India. I was on a panel about whether a new WordPress business should sell products or services, and Give had a booth.

The whole WordImpress and Give team made the trip to Philadelphia together.

Ways to raise online donation conversions on a WordPress site. Give sponsored too.

I talked about using Gulp for i18n and RTL compatibility. Josh Cummings covered Docker and Yaron Guez gave a WooCommerce Extensions 101.

A short hallway interview with WPwatercooler at WordCamp Orange County 2016.

Jonathan Denwood interviewed me about WordImpress and how Give grew out of requests we kept getting from clients.

Brad Touesnard and Pippin Williamson had me on to talk about founding WordImpress, Give's business model, starting Give as a fork of Easy Digital Downloads, and open-source collaboration.

I joined the WPwatercooler panel to recap WordCamp San Diego 2016.

I helped organize WordCamp San Diego at Liberty Station, and Give sponsored with a booth.

I hosted and gave a rundown of what to expect at WordCamp San Diego 2016. Give sponsored the night.

Jason Crawford, Kyle Maurer, and Marc Benzakein had me on for a live Q&A about WordImpress and Give.

How to build on existing open-source code responsibly, told through how we built Give.

Matt Medeiros and I tore down four plugin business websites sent in by listeners, plus a bonus recap of 2015.

Dre Armeda and Brad Williams had me on to talk about Give and Stripe ACH, plus Microsoft ending support for IE 8 to 10.

Matt and I went through the support channels that work in our businesses: docs, helpdesks, forums, and webinars.

The first WordCamp US. Our team hosted a Give Dinner on Friday night, co-sponsored by Media Temple.

I organized and hosted this one, and we ran our first AWP TriviaPress, a WordPress version of Jeopardy. WordImpress sponsored.

Matt and I talked with Jonathan Atkinson about whether WordPress themes are still a viable business.

How to fork open-source code the right way, with attribution and without charging for what was free. I used Give as the case study. WordImpress sponsored too.

Matt and I caught up on progress with Julep and Maps Builder Pro.

My talk on creating WordPress products and services that are truly valuable.

Matt Medeiros announced me as his co-host for Season 2 of the Matt Report, right after we launched Give.

I joined the WPwatercooler panel to talk about when, why, and how to launch your own WordPress plugin.

I built WP Rollback for the first-ever WordCamp Plugin-a-Palooza, presented it on stage, and took first place.

I went to Miami with Matt Cromwell, who was speaking.

Matt Cromwell and I presented Give, our new donation plugin for WordPress.

Adam Silver interviewed me about my background, organizing WordCamp San Diego, the tools I use, and Give, which was about to launch.

I joined the WPwatercooler panel to talk about WordCamp San Diego 2015.

I helped organize WordCamp San Diego and built the camp website. It was also where we first showed Give in public, which I count as GiveWP's launch.

I covered the WordPress news and introduced the beta of Give, our new donation plugin.

After Matt Mullenweg's State of the Word, Matt Cromwell and I came up with the idea for Give over drinks.

I organized and hosted a summer hackathon for the group at Thought House.

I joined the WPwatercooler panel to talk about the best and fastest ways to build a custom theme.

I joined the WPwatercooler panel to talk about how to add some polish to your WordPress website.

I presented on the ins and outs of WooCommerce.

I talked about building a custom functionality plugin and CMB Wizard.

I organized this one, WordImpress sponsored, and I led a round-table talk on TGM Plugin Activation.

I attended WordCamp Los Angeles at Cal State LA.

My first WordCamp talk. I covered plugins, hosting, and front-end and back-end techniques for faster WordPress sites.

Jason Tucker, Chris Lema, Patrick Rauland, and I shared our WordPress resolutions for 2013. Mine was to ship my first premium plugin.