The Eric Ries Show

Turning down $200 million and the big bets that led to powering 40% of the internet

22 snips
Jun 20, 2025
Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic and co-founder of WordPress, shares insights from his two-decade journey in building open-source software. He discusses the pivotal moment of turning down a $200 million acquisition, emphasizing commitment to mission over money. Mullenweg delves into the evolution of trust in open source and its mainstream acceptance, even by giants like Microsoft. He also highlights Automattic's early embrace of remote work and innovative compensation strategies, alongside his excitement about AI's future potential.
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ANECDOTE

Turning Down $200 Million Offer

  • Matt Mullenweg turned down a $200 million acquisition offer when Automattic had about 20 employees.
  • He realized he wanted to keep building WordPress and commit to its long-term growth instead.
ANECDOTE

WordPress Beginnings as Fork

  • WordPress started as an open source fork of B2 Cafe Log after its lead developer disappeared.
  • Matt collaborated with Mike Little, sparked by a blog post and a comment, to create WordPress.
INSIGHT

Power of Open Standards

  • Embracing open web standards and interoperability was a key part of WordPress's ethos.
  • Supporting multiple RSS standards helped enable podcasting infrastructure and broad accessibility.
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