"World of DaaS" Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg: WordPress vs WP Engine
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Oct 11, 2024 
Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic and the visionary behind WordPress, discusses the trademark dispute with WP Engine and its implications for the open-source community. He clarifies misconceptions surrounding the conflict and the influence of private equity on tech. The conversation delves into negotiation dynamics in the industry, focusing on fostering genuine collaboration. Mullenweg also emphasizes the importance of direct communication and navigating public relations, while highlighting the values of open-source technology vs. proprietary solutions.
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WP Engine's Trademark Confusion
- WP Engine built a $400M+ business while confusing customers into thinking they were affiliated with WordPress.
- Matt Mullenweg tried for years to get WP Engine to license the WordPress trademark but was delayed repeatedly.
Automattic vs WP Engine Contributions
- Automattic contributes significantly to open source with 100+ full-time engineers maintaining millions of lines of code.
- WP Engine does not contribute to WordPress open source; they only use the code and brand it as their own.
Open Source Contribution as Payment
- Companies can credit contributing engineer hours to the WordPress open source project instead of paying licensing fees.
- Donating to open source can substitute financial payments for trademark licensing.