Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress, not too long ago held a question-and-answer session at WordCamp Asia 2025, the place he confronted a number of powerful questions. Subjects included whether or not he was open to discussing change, the steep studying curve of WordPress, and whether or not he would rethink lowering Automattic’s contributions to WordPress core.
As powerful as these questions had been, Matt answered every of them gracefully and targeted on staying constructive, even when he was saying no.
Mullenweg Says Being Adaptable To Change Is Necessary
In one in every of these exchanges somebody requested what WordPress can be like in 5 years and he couldn’t reply it. He defined it that not having a plan past Gutenberg was primarily a function and never a bug, explaining {that a} shorter time period perspective is sweet for staying agile in a quickly altering technological surroundings.
He mentioned:
“Outdoors of Gutenberg, we haven’t had a roadmap that goes six months or a yr, or a pair variations, as a result of the world modifications in methods you may’t predict.
However being responsive is, I believe, actually is how organisms survive.
You recognize, Darwin, mentioned it’s not the fittest of the species that survives. It’s the one which’s most adaptable to alter. I believe that’s true for software program as properly.”
Change Is Not Coming To WordPress
In a seeming about face concerning the significance of WordPress being adaptable to alter, Matt Mullenweg drew the road at being adaptable to alter in terms of governance.
Taco Verdonschot (LinkedIn profile) stood as much as ask the query.
“I’m Taco, co-owner of Progress Planner. I used to be questioning, you had been speaking about adaptability earlier than and survival of the fittest. Meaning being open to alter. What we’ve seen within the final couple of months is that individuals who had been speaking about change bought banned from the mission. How open are you to discussing change within the mission?
Matt answered:
“Certain. I don’t need to go too far into this however I’ll say that speaking about change is not going to get you banned. There’s different behaviors… however simply speaking about change is one thing that we do just about each day. And we’ve modified quite a bit through the years. We’ve modified quite a bit prior to now yr. So yeah. However I don’t need to communicate to anybody personally, . So maintain it constructive.”
Calls For Change In Governance
There have been many excessive profile requires a change in how WordPress is ruled, most notably by Joost de Valk, the creator of Yoast search engine marketing software program and at present a co-owner of the Progress Planner WordPress plugin.
“Rather a lot has occurred over the previous couple of months, that I believe all comes right down to the above. I’ve usually thought of how the WordPress world “labored” unhealthy. I’ve spoken to many barely exterior of our business over the previous months about what was occurring and a number of other folks, impartial of one another, described WordPress as “a cult” to me. And I perceive why.
I believe it’s time to let go of the cult and alter mission management. I’ve mentioned it earlier than: we want a “board”. We will’t wait with doing that for the years it should take for Automattic and WP Engine to battle out this lawsuit. As was already reported, Matt mentioned not too long ago in Submit Standing that “it’s laborious to think about desirous to proceed engaged on WordPress after this”. A number of days later, he gave a very conflicting message within the State of the Phrase. But he by no means got here again on that first assertion or clarified that he’d modified his thoughts. He additionally didn’t come again to speak to the group he turned his again on.”
Joost de Valk was supposed to talk at WordPress Asia 2025 however the co-owner of Progress Planner was there and requested the laborious query.
Mullenweg Challenged To Adapt To Change
His assertion about being adaptable to alter arrange one other awkward second on the 6:55:47 minute mark the place Taco Verdonschot, co-owner of Progress Planner, stood as much as the microphone and requested Mullenweg if he actually was dedicated to being adaptable.
Taco Verdonschot is previously of Yoast search engine marketing and at present sponsored to work on WordPress by Emilia Capital (owned by Joost de Valk and Marieke van de Rakt).
Taco requested:
“I’m Taco, co-owner of Progress Planner. I used to be questioning, you had been speaking about adaptability earlier than and survival of the fittest. Meaning being open to alter. What we’ve seen within the final couple of months is that individuals who had been speaking about change bought banned from the mission. How open are you to discussing change within the mission?”
Mullenweg responded:
“Certain. I don’t need to go too far into this however I’ll say that speaking about change is not going to get you banned. There’s different behaviors… however simply speaking about change is one thing that we do just about each day. And we’ve modified quite a bit through the years. We’ve modified quite a bit prior to now yr. So yeah. However I don’t need to communicate to anybody personally, . So maintain it constructive.”
Featured Picture by Shutterstock/StarLine
