The WP Minute+

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Alex Panagis, CEO of digital growth agency Scalemath, on my podcast The WP Minute+. As a leader in the WordPress space with deep roots in the ecosystem, Alex had plenty of insightful perspectives to share.A big topic we dug into was WordPress vs. closed platforms like Webflow. As you might expect, Alex is firmly in the open source WordPress camp. He sees the flexibility of WordPress as superior for most uses, allowing users to control more of their site without getting locked into a proprietary ecosystem.That said, Alex doesn’t believe Webflow is necessarily bad if it enables someone to build a better site than they could with WordPress. The choice comes down to what works best for each user and their goals. The concern is more about avoiding vendor lock-in down the road.We also discussed the impact of AI on digital marketing and content creation. While useful in certain applications, Alex believes AI raises the bar in terms of the quality and originality needed from human creators and strategists. Essentially, it forces everyone to up their game, which is ultimately a good thing.Several other highlights that WordPress professionals may find interesting:How Scalemath builds deep, long-term partnerships vs. the typical agency/client relationshipThe importance of product development in scaling a services agencyWhy most smaller WordPress firms don’t make economic sense for an agency to work withAlex’s take on Basecamp’s upcoming Slack competitor and “pay once” software modelIt was a wide-ranging and insightful chat with Alex!Chapter Markers[00:00:00] Introduction[00:02:00] Alex’s background and Scalemath[00:05:00] Working with clients and pricing[00:10:00] Ideal client criteria[00:15:00] Building the Scalemath brand[00:19:00] Pricing and value[00:25:00] Open source vs closed source CMS[00:30:00] SaaS pricing models[00:35:00] Basecamp’s new “pay once” model[00:37:00] The impact of AI[00:42:00] Disclosing AI written content ★ Support this podcast ★

Mike Stott, one of the leads behind Jetpack Creator, discusses the goals and competition of Jetpack Creator. The podcast also explores the challenges and effort required for creators to monetize their content through WordPress. The wide range of use cases for Jetpack in the WordPress creator space is highlighted, along with different monetization strategies for podcasters such as cryptocurrency payments and microtransactions.

I recently had an insightful discussion with Rytis Lauris, co-founder and CEO of the email marketing platform Omnisend, on the WP Minute+.Even after nearly 10 years in business, Rytis described Omnisend as still being in "startup mode." He credits staying bootstrapped with helping maintain their agility to pivot based on customer feedback, rather than getting bogged down in bureaucracy like many older companies.Omnisend is a Pillar Sponsor of the WP Minute. Part of the sponsorship agreement is to host an interview like this, in an effort to have a candid conversation about their company. We covered a wide range of topics relevant to any WordPress Professional, from competition to company culture to leveraging new technologies like AI. Here are 5 of my key takeaways from our conversation:Laser focus on a niche is critical - By specifically targeting ecommerce merchants early on, Omnisend set itself apart from more generic marketing platforms. Really understanding customer pain points lets you build solutions tailored to their needs.Community delivers long-term stability - Rytis believes platforms like WordPress have an advantage over solitary gatekeepers like Shopify thanks to open source's distributed model where no one entity controls the ecosystem.Go where the customers are - Though initially focused on Shopify, Omnisend expanded into WooCommerce after seeing impressive organic traction there. Value creation trumps personal preferences.Startup mindset stems from leadership - Maintaining ambition and efficiency despite company maturity comes from the top. Rytis still drives Omnisend's vision decade later.AI should enhance abilities, not replace jobs - Omnisend judiciously uses AI to help humans be more productive. But Rytis believes strategic thinking still requires human creativity and intuition.Beyond the key insights, here are 5 reasons why you should tune into our conversation:We have 20+ years combined building digital companies so share informed perspectives on the industry.Gain insider knowledge of the WordPress vs Shopify ecosystems from someone operating within both.Learn how to scale your startup without sacrificing agility or customer centricity.Hear a thoughtful approach to leveraging promising innovations like AI without going overboard.Enjoy an insightful dialogue with the candid yet focused Rytis Lauris about business and personal growth.I thoroughly enjoyed my talk with Rytis - his uniq ★ Support this podcast ★

Read the full blog post and get the transcript here.Here are 5 key takeaways from the interview with Adrian of Groundhogg:Groundhogg started as a plugin to help integrate Infusionsoft (now called Keep) with WordPress. It has evolved into a full-featured CRM and marketing automation platform for WordPress.Groundhogg is focused on flat-rate pricing with no “success tax,” unlike some CRM competitors that charge based on metrics like number of contacts.Self-hosting gives users control over their data. Adrian believes people are tired of getting “shafted” by SaaS providers in terms of pricing and potential data/account issues.Most people switching to Groundhogg are surprised by how comparable it is to HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, etc. despite being a WordPress plugin. The data integration across WordPress plugins is a key differentiator.Adrian is passionate about keeping Groundhogg self-hosted but is considering selective SaaS integrations in the future while still allowing self-hosting. An eventual exit is likely but he’d love to open a winery someday too.Important linksAdrian on Twitterhttps://groundhogg.io ★ Support this podcast ★

Learn how WPTurbo integrates AI into WordPress development, the benefits for developers, and how it ensures high coding standards. Explore the efficiency AI brings to developers and the future of AI in web development. Also, discover upcoming features and improvements for WPTurbo.

From the early days of WordPress Media to the high-stakes game of balancing life, work, and passion; journey with us into the world of two WordPress veterans. Join Matt and Dustin as they reminisce about their beginnings, discuss the ever-evolving landscape of WordPress, and share insights about maintaining successful long-term projects. So buckle in, it’s time to dive deep into the riveting realm of WordPress.Matt asks Dustin about his consistent content contributions to the WordPress community and the non-monetary benefits he derives from it. They delve into the challenges of balancing content production with a full-time job, family responsibilities, and other life events. Dustin discusses his aspiration to monetize his YouTube channel to generate enough income to upgrade his personal Apple devices. He explores the idea of sponsorships and generating income indirectly by optimizing his wife’s online businesses.They also talk about the struggles of dealing with website management, as exemplified by Dustin's pain points in transferring their data from Sensei to LearnDash. Matt also commends Dustin for his maintenance of the Website Engineer brand and its informative value to the WordPress users. Toward the end, they soothe their creator challenges by reminiscing about the joy of being recognized and how they're influencing others because of what they do.Here are some key links they referenced:Your Website Engineer podcast: yourwebsiteengineer.comDustin’s YouTube: youtube.com/yourwebsiteengineerThree key takeaways:Consistency is crucial in content creation, whether it's a podcast, a YouTube channel, or a blog. You cultivate credibility and a dedicated audience over time.Monetizing content creation is possible, but it requires strategy, persistence, and sometimes, disruptive thinking. Connections and sponsorship can be avenues for income generation.Keeping up with the evolving nature of content creation tools and platforms is important, even if transitioning between them poses challenges. ★ Support this podcast ★

I recently caught up with Pippin Williamson, who as many of you know was a prominent figure in the WordPress world for over a decade. He founded Sandhills Development and created popular plugins like Easy Digital Downloads before selling to Awesome Motive a couple years back. (Watch my previous interview on YouTube.)I was curious to hear what Pippin’s been up to and also get his thoughts on the WordPress ecosystem since his exit. A few things stood out that I thought would interest you all:First off, Pippin was very clear that his reason for moving on from WordPress boiled down to prioritizing time with family. After so many years of plugin development, he felt burnt out from being on that relentless “hamster wheel” of building and maintaining products. He had zero regrets about leaving.When it came time to sell Sandhills Development, Pippin made finding the right steward for his team and products a top priority over price or other factors. He felt confident Awesome Motive was the best fit given their product focus. Although he does wish there had been less team turnover resulting from the acquisition.And while Pippin keeps a very casual eye on WordPress these days, he did note how interesting it was to return to using it purely as an end user rather than a developer. Even being removed for a couple years, he immediately noticed some of the lingering friction between core, plugins, and the overall user experience.Anyway, those were just a few WordPress-related nuggets I wanted to share. Let me know if you have any other thoughts or reflections on Pippin’s time in our community!Visit Pippin’s Brewery: Sandhills Brewing ★ Support this podcast ★

North Commerce is a new ecommerce solution built specifically for WordPress. I recently had the chance to speak with Kelley, founder of North Commerce, to learn more about his motivation for building the platform and how he aims to position it in the WordPress ecosystem.Kelley started developing North Commerce at the end of 2021 after recognizing limitations with existing ecommerce options like WooCommerce and Shopify. He was particularly inspired by the potential of the WordPress block editor and Gutenberg to enable fast, flexible ecommerce experiences.Over the past year, North Commerce has steadily built up a community of users and refined the platform based on their feedback. They now aim to be a premium all-in-one ecommerce solution for WordPress, with a pricing model starting at $99 per year. This recurring revenue will support continued development and help them deliver dedicated support and community for merchants at higher revenue tiers.Going forward, Kelley wants to optimize North Commerce as a block editor-first platform that takes full advantage of forthcoming advances like full site editing. He believes this approach will make it the fastest, easiest ecommerce solution available. At the same time, he wants to maintain simplicity and prevent “feature bloat”. Add-ons and extensions will be made available but not activated by default.Key TakeawaysNorth Commerce aims to be a simplified alternative, not a replacement, for WooCommerce. It wants to provide another competitive ecommerce option tailored for WordPress.The platform is built natively for WordPress, using PHP, JavaScript and WordPress best practices like a custom ORM system. This is to maximize flexibility, integration and avoid the limitations of off-the-shelf SaaS platforms.They chose a paid model starting at $99/year to support an all-in-one feature set and higher-touch support at higher revenue tiers. This contrasts with most free/open source WordPress plugins.North Commerce wants to be the fastest ecommerce platform by using the block editor, full site editing and modern WordPress capabilities. Simplicity is also a key goal.Links Mentioned:North Commerce site: https://northcommerce.comNorth Commerce pricing: https://northcommerce.com/pricing/North Commerce free demo: https://instawp.io/northcommerce ★ Support this podcast ★

WP Minute+ News Round Table Episode 1. This will be a monthly series on WP Minute+ Podcast.Read the full shown notes: https://thewpminute.com/?p=12987Get the weekly newsletter: https://thewpminute.com/subscribeSupport the show! https://thewpminute.com/support ★ Support this podcast ★

Building a thriving suite of digital products is no simple feat. In this episode of The WP Minute Plus, host Matt Medeiros dives into the challenges and opportunities with WordPress entrepreneur Christian Raiber.After getting his start by recognizing the potential of passive income through WordPress themes, Christian has built an impressive portfolio of niche plugins. He shares the method to his madness - how he identifies overlapping user segments to solve pressing problems. Christian also provides hard-won advice on balancing vision with user needs as products scale and evolve. Whether you're just getting started with your first commercial plugin, or looking to expand your product lineup, don't miss Christian's insights on the WordPress business landscape. Tune into the full episode to level up your product building game.Full show notes: https://thewpminute.com/?p=12929 ★ Support this podcast ★