James Kemp, the Core Product Manager for WooCommerce and founder of IconicWP, shares insights from his journey in the e-commerce space. He discusses the future of WooCommerce, emphasizing the 'More in Core' initiative, which integrates essential plugins directly into the core product. James highlights the importance of community feedback in deciding core features and maintaining a balance between functionality and extensibility. He also touches on WooCommerce's ongoing efforts to enhance user experience, making 2025 a pivotal year for merchants.

Join us in a fun conversation with plenty of learnings for everyone with Rytis Lauris, co-founder and CEO of Omnisend. In this episode of 'Within WordPress,' Rytis shares insights into Omnisend's journey from a digital marketing agency to a leading marketing automation platform. We discuss the importance of focusing on solving problems rather than pushing marketing speak, effective use of automation in marketing, and the nuances of integrating with WordPress and WooCommerce. Learn about Rytis' vision for the future of WordPress in competing with DIY site editors, the challenges and opportunities of UX, and the essential components of a successful marketing strategy. Whether you're a developer, marketer, or WordPress enthusiast, this episode offers valuable takeaways on business growth, customer engagement, and the evolving landscape of WordPress. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:09 Setting the Conversation Tone04:15 Introduction to Rytis and Omnisend06:44 Omnisend's Journey and WordPress Integration08:52 Company Culture and Team Dynamics12:08 Goal Setting and Achievements15:08 Community Engagement and Learning29:51 WordPress Community Insights35:23 Business Mindset in WordPress Community36:19 WordCamp Experiences: US vs Europe38:23 Navigating Market Specializations41:35 Cultural Differences in SMS Adoption49:51 The Power of Marketing Automation01:06:07 Challenges in WordPress Integration01:09:06 Future of WordPress and WooCommerce01:12:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Join us in this comprehensive Within WordPress episode as we explore the journey behind NitroPack with co-founder Mihail Stoichev. We talk about NitroPack's evolution from its beginnings in 2013 to its significant leap into WordPress optimization in 2019. We delve into NitroPack's core philosophy, the importance of user-friendly design, sustainability, and its commitment to open source. We talk about the exceptional customer support and lessons learned from experiences in both open-source and closed systems like WordPress and Shopify. Mihail also shares notable experiences with high-profile clients, best practices for user-centric design, and the strategic growth that led NitroPack to industry leadership, including its successful exit and the exciting launch of UXify. This episode is packed with entrepreneurial insights, strategic planning tips, and the continual push for innovation and improvement within the WordPress ecosystem. 00:00 Introduction and Sound Check00:38 Meet Mihail Stoichev from NitroPack01:02 The Origins of NitroPack02:38 Early Challenges and Solutions04:28 Naming and Branding NitroPack06:10 Launching NitroPack for WordPress12:38 The SaaS Approach and Customer Support24:31 Lessons from Shopify and SMS Bump35:56 A Proud Soccer Enthusiast's Encounter36:54 Working with Blackboard: A Different Kind of Rockstar37:52 The Joy of Working with Big Brands38:30 Building a Global Business from Bulgaria39:14 The Importance of Community and Learning40:29 Continuous Improvement in Software Development41:55 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs46:19 The Journey of Exiting a Company49:39 Transforming NitroPack and Strategic Growth53:13 Developing NitroPack OneClick57:36 The Second Exit and New Beginnings01:00:15 Introducing UXify and Future Plans01:06:01 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude

In this episode of Within WordPress, we explore the journey and experiences of Jean Baptiste Marchand-Arvier, JB for short, co-founder and CEO of WP Media, renowned for their WordPress performance solutions such as WP Rocket. Our discussion delves into the evolution of caching plugins, the philosophy of making web performance seamless and user-friendly, and the challenges of integrating SaaS solutions in open-source environments. The conversation also touches on the impact of technological advancements like the REST API and the changing landscape of WordPress plugins, offering insights into the strategic direction of WP Media and its commitment to user-centric performance improvement. 00:00 Introduction 00:08 Meet Jean Baptiste: The Performance Expert 01:00 The Birth of WP Rocket 01:49 Challenges with Existing Caching Plugins 03:49 WP Rocket's Philosophy and Simplicity 07:42 Evolution of WordPress and Its Impact 11:33 The Importance of REST API 16:17 Redesigning the WordPress Dashboard 20:20 Adapting Plugins to New WordPress Standards 25:18 WP Media's Acquisition and Growth 29:27 The Shift from Cowboy Coding to Structured Development 31:17 Implementing Sprints for Better Workflow 32:38 Balancing Bug Fixes and Feature Enhancements 35:29 The Role of Developers in Product Evolution 36:59 Challenges and Solutions in Plugin Development 43:18 The Future of SaaS in WordPress Plugins 45:59 Open Source vs. SaaS: The Ongoing Debate 53:35 Vision and Goals for Product Improvement

Join us in this episode of 'Within WordPress' as we chat with Cristian Raiber, a prominent figure in the WordPress community. Cristian shares his journey from starting a local agency in Romania to founding the WPChill brand, which now runs several successful WordPress plugins. Discover how he navigated the challenges of the market, his pivot from themes to plugins, and his transformative journey from avid gamer to dedicated entrepreneur. Along the way,Cristian offers valuable insights on business strategy, team management, and his vision for the future of WordPress. Don't miss this deep dive into the mind of a WordPress innovator! 00:00 Introduction to Cristian Raiber00:58 Christian's Early Career and Business Ventures02:16 The Shift to Plugin Development03:32 Balancing Gaming and Business04:20 Breakthrough with Modula06:36 Personal Growth and Business Strategy13:24 Challenges in Managing a Team18:35 Embracing the CEO Role26:32 Empowering Your Team27:25 Hiring Passionate Developers28:22 Acquiring Download Monitor32:45 The Unsung Heroes of WordPress39:19 Challenges and Improvements in WordPress48:10 The Future of WordPress52:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode of Within WordPress, we sit down with Marc Benzakein, a familiar name to many in the WordPress community. Marc and I discuss his journey from ServerPress, creators of the popular Desktop Server, through its closure in 2022, to his current role at MainWP. We delve into the challenges and triumphs of product development, the impact of COVID on the WordPress community, and the innovation happening at MainWP. Additionally, Marc shares insights on fostering mentorship within the WordPress community and previews his soon to be introduced new podcast, which aims to bridge generational gaps through respectful dialogue. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:14 Meet Marc Benzakein00:37 Mark's Journey in the WordPress Community01:52 The Impact of COVID on WordPress Events03:47 Challenges and Changes in WordPress Meetups06:31 Reviving the WordPress Community Spirit08:05 The Evolution of WordCamps14:00 The Rise and Fall of Desktop Server30:34 The Evolution of Local Development Environments31:40 Challenges and Limitations of Local Development34:13 The Future of Development Tools40:17 Introduction to MainWP42:04 Innovative Features of MainWP47:41 The Importance of Community Feedback53:03 Ethical Alignment in Professional Partnerships56:25 New Podcast Venture: Bridging Generational Gaps01:02:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Welcome to 'Within WordPress,' the podcast that delves into the vibrant WordPress community! In this episode, we sit down with Maciek Palmowski, Security Community Manager at PatchStack, as we explore his journey from development to developer relations and his passion for various CMS technologies. We discuss the multifaceted uses of headless CMS and static site generators like Statemik, Astro, and Frontmatter CMS, comparing their innovative features to those of WordPress. We also touch on the future of WordPress with exciting projects like WordPress Playground. Join us for an insightful conversation on WordPress, its community, and beyond! 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:51 Meet Maciek: From Developer to Security Community Manager01:35 WordCamp Europe Experiences01:56 Exploring Other CMSs and Nostalgia for Old WordPress03:14 The Evolution and Challenges of WordPress06:51 The Complexity of Gutenberg Development12:10 Headless WordPress: When Does It Make Sense?23:40 Static WordPress Sites with Simply Static24:25 Smarter Solutions for Headless Problems26:34 The Simplicity of Static Sites 30:38 Exploring Alternative CMS Options36:07 Markdown and Modern CMS Approaches43:13 WordPress Playground: A New Frontier48:54 Concluding Thoughts and Future Events

Join us in this episode of 'Within WordPress' as we sit down with Alex Standiford to explore his innovative Siren Affiliates plugin. Alex shares his fascinating journey through the WordPress ecosphere, emphasizing his work with Siren Affiliates and how it's transforming affiliate marketing within WordPress. We'll also touch on his extensive networking at WordCamps, his unique four-year adventure living in a camper across the U.S., and his passion for the open web and platforms like Mastodon. Additionally, we delve into his work with GoDaddy on WooCommerce products and his approach to refactoring technical debt. Whether you're a WordPress enthusiast or curious about remote work and digital nomad life, this podcast is packed with insights and stories that you won't want to miss!

Join us on the Within WordPress podcast as we talk with Emma Young, Head of Content at Hostinger. Emma shares her fascinating journey from personal blogs to leading a content team, her upbringing in a tech-savvy family, and insights into the WordPress community. We explore her experiences at various WordCamps, organizing WordCamp Europe, the importance of open source, and the excitement around new WordPress features. Get ready for an engaging discussion filled with humor, tech insights, and Emma's unique adventures!

This comprehensive conversation delves into the world of WordPress security through the lens of Tom Raef, a seasoned security expert with a history dating back to the inception of personal computing. The podcast covers Tom's journey into website security, emphasizing his manual approach to cleaning infected websites and the evolution towards automation to enhance efficiency. The discussion pivots to the most common hacking methods, including the surprising predominance of stolen session cookies over more traditional vulnerabilities like outdated plugins. Tom provides a deep dive into how hackers leverage session cookies to bypass security measures like 2FA, offering insights into the mechanics behind these attacks and strategies for prevention. Additionally, the conversation explores the broader landscape of web security, touching on various attack vectors and the importance of comprehensive, layered security strategies to protect against the increasingly sophisticated techniques employed by hackers. This episode is a treasure trove of knowledge for anyone interested in the nuances of web and WordPress security, packed with expert insights and practical advice for safeguarding websites.