Grit

How WordPress Became a Web Giant | Automattic Founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg

50 snips
Sep 22, 2025
Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, shares his extraordinary journey that transformed web publishing. He explains how WordPress powers 43% of the internet while remaining open-source. Mullenweg recounts challenges, including public backlash and trademark disputes, revealing valuable lessons learned. He emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, highlighting Automattic's unique sabbatical policy and the impact of remote work. With a blend of personal anecdotes and inspiring insights, Mullenweg showcases the future of democratizing online commerce.
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ANECDOTE

Humble Origins Of WordPress

  • Matt explains WordPress began as a personal open-source project with few users and no clear monetization path.
  • That early humility shaped the project's open-source philosophy and long-term growth.
INSIGHT

Unmatched Market Scale

  • WordPress powers over 40% of websites and is ten times larger than the second-place platform.
  • That scale created both opportunity and responsibility for the project and company.
INSIGHT

The Cycle Of Public Opinion

  • The founder journey is cyclical with public praise and deep troughs that all companies face.
  • Returning to core principles and customers is what carries teams through downturns.
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