Post Status Draft – Jake Goldman of 10Up on Merging + WP and the Web

In this podcast episode, Cory Miller interviews Jake Goldman, the President and Founder of 10Up, a WordPress company. They discuss the progress and good work that 10Up has done in the WordPress community over the years. Jake talks about his experience in web development and the journey leading up to forming 10Up. They also discuss the recent merger between 10Up and Fueled, and the opportunities it presents in the digital transformation space. Jake shares his thoughts on the future of WordPress, including exciting projects like their AI plugin called ClassifAI. They also discuss the challenges and tensions faced by organizations using WordPress, the changing landscape of open-source software, and the importance of maintaining an open web. Overall, they express optimism about the future of WordPress and its ability to adapt to the changing needs of its users.

Top Takeaways:

• Challenges in Open Source vs. Closed Platforms: Jake highlighted the challenge of open-source platforms like WordPress in competing with closed platforms like Squarespace and Wix. While open source provides transparency and flexibility, it can be harder to deliver seamless user experiences for consumers and prosumers.
• WordPress's Positioning: Jake expressed concerns about WordPress's positioning in the market. He mentioned that WordPress seems to be trying to cater to various user segments simultaneously, from beginners to enterprise-level users. This could potentially lead to being less competitive in specific use cases.
• Accessibility and Approachability: Jake raised the question of whether WordPress remains as accessible and approachable as it was in the past for newcomers. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that WordPress continues to be a welcoming platform for those who want to experiment and build websites without extensive technical knowledge.
• The Evolving Open Web: The conversation touched on the changing landscape of the open web, especially in light of the dominance of social media platforms. While open-source technologies remain strong in certain areas, the user-facing experiences on social media have evolved significantly, making it more challenging for open-source solutions to compete.

🔗 Mentioned in the show:

• 10Up
• Fueled
• ClassifAI
• ElasticPress
• Warby Parker
• Deloitte
• Accenture
• WordPress
• Squarespace
• Webflow
• Wix
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Photoshop
• Pantheon
• Mastodon
• Twitter
• IBM
• Linux
• Apache
• Nginx
• IIS
• WP Engine
• GoDaddy

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🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Jake Goldman (Founder, 10Up)
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status Draft podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

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