Matthew Mullenweg is the founder of WordPress, a popular blogging and website platform used by one-third of the internet. Although WordPress is a free product, Mullenweg has still been able to create a thriving business. Mullenweg, being a blogger himself, saw a lack of free blogging platforms. He previously used b2/cafelog, which was free but outdated. Upon seeing this problem, the idea of WordPress was born. Mullenweg, alongside Mike Little, took the codebase of b2/cafelog and began the first version of WordPress in 2003. As other blogging platforms increased their pricing, consumers began looking for alternatives. Many flocked to WordPress because it was free and highly customizable. Once WordPress started to grow, Mullenweg added new features that would attract even more users. Examples include forums, moderation, spam prevention, and themes.
Although WordPress gained massive adoption, Mullenweg did not have a way to gain revenue. Eventually, he created Automattic: a for-profit company that now oversees WordPress. Automattic is a collection of different subsidiaries; however, their most prominent is a premium version of WordPress. They will host your blog, ensure it is secured, maintained, and fast. Automattic also owns various paid extensions for WordPress. A big one is WooCommerce, which allows WordPress sites to have e-commerce capabilities. It is used by a variety of companies that wish to have an online storefront that is feature-rich and customizable. By introducing these innovations, Mullenweg began to attract companies from all industries to move their sites to WordPress.
Mullenweg has also been innovative in how he runs his business. For many years, he has chosen to operate remotely. Even with 1,747 employees, Automattic continues to be remote first. Mullenweg believes this strategy allows for better productivity and cultivation of talent. He has previously stated:
“It’s one of my life missions to have more companies be distributed. It’s good for the environment. It’s good for opportunity. It’s good for the economy.”
Clearly, Mullenweg has proven himself to be a capable entrepreneur that is able to adapt and innovate. His practice of running a remote business has inspired others to do the same, especially amid the recent pandemic.
Sources:
https://www.yourtechstory.com/2018/08/24/matt-mullenweg-founder-ceo-wordpress/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/12/business/matt-mullenweg-automattic-corner-office.html
That’s so cool that Mullenweg runs his business remotely, that seems unconventional but very effective – I bet his employees are more content with their work life than a lot of other employees who work for corporations that operate out of the stereotypical cubical in an office building. That kind of business model must work very well during pandemics too.
Hi Liam! I appreciate the irony of writing about the founder of WordPress on a WordPress blog! It was fascinating to learn about how the company developed. As someone who has used WordPress in the past, I can wholeheartedly agree with the appreciation for its accessibility and level of customization. Furthermore, I like how you highlighted the innovation within the company format as well rather then just talking about the innovation in the company product. It’s interesting to see innovation being applied at all levels and in all forms!