Matt Mullenweg – Wild Business Growth Podcast #179: Co-Founder of WordPress, Founder and CEO of Automattic

Is your site powered by WordPress? If so, you can thank this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Matt Mullenweg. Matt is the Founding Developer of WordPress and Founder & CEO of Automattic. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 179: Matt Mullenweg – Co-Founder of WordPress, Founder and CEO of Automattic

Matt Mullenweg, the Founding Developer of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, joins the show to share his journey developing the Open Source software used by over 43 percent of the web. Hear what made WordPress take off, how to start thinking big, start a new habit, stay warm in Antarctica, and switch to a different keyboard layout. This episode covers everything from alternate keyboards to alternate sleep schedules. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Why doesn’t Matt drink coffee
• What was his family’s reaction when he dropped out of college for work
• When did he start to see an uptick in users
• How did he decide WordPress would be free for users
• What hobby would his younger self be surprised by
• How do you communicate clearly through writing
• What steps helped WordPress look like what it does today
• How did Matt eat 104 Chicken McNuggets in one sitting

Connect with Matt at Ma.tt and on social media @PhotoMatt.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro, Coffee, and College
  • [0:31] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:41] Connect with Matt at Ma.tt and on social media @PhotoMatt
  • [2:45] Sorry!
  • [2:47] Why doesn’t Matt drink coffee
  • [3:23] Vice City
  • [4:05] What was Matt’s family’s reaction when he dropped out of college for work
  • [4:20] CNET
  • [4:34] Google
  • [4:37] Public Company
  • [5:18] Say it: “Pure Work Worllsdlldleldd”
  • [5:21] Did Matt ever consider returning to college
• The WordPress & Automattic Story
  • [6:33] AutoMaxic
  • [6:40] b2 codebase
  • [6:41] How did Matt start building websites
  • [7:03] Small Businesses, Income
  • [7:21] O’Reilly Books
  • [7:43] Mike Little
  • [8:02] WordPress
  • [8:06] Market Share
  • [8:56] What steps helped WordPress look like what it does today
  • [9:31] Code
  • [9:47] The Famous 5-Minute Install
  • [10:32] When did Matt start to see an uptick in users
  • [10:44] Movable Type
  • [11:07] Movable Type Importer
  • [11:23] How did Matt decide WordPress would be free for users
  • [11:38] Open Source
  • [12:11] Automattic
  • [12:13] What helped Matt start to think big
  • [13:02] Compound Interest
  • [13:12] Rule of 72
  • [13:22] Nice one, Max
  • [13:28] Companies with puns in their name always appreciated
  • [13:38] How did Matt start thinking of Automattic as a holding company
  • [13:48] eCommerce
  • [14:01] WooCommerce
  • [14:14] Executives
  • [15:04] Investors, Board
  • [15:28] How does Matt decide what companies to invest or acquire
  • [16:12] How has his role as CEO (Chief Executive Officer) changed over time
  • [16:32] This is true!
  • [16:57] How do you communicate clearly through writing
  • [17:32] wink wink
  • [17:52] Editing
  • [18:28] How does editing parallel to what Matt’s building with WordPress and Automattic
  • [18:55] Entrepreneurship
  • [19:36] How do you know what your business was meant to grow and provide for people
  • [19:49] Got me
  • [20:31] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [21:37] To stay screative
  • [21:50] Entrepreneurs
  • [22:05] Who are Matt’s biggest business influences
  • [22:15] Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett
  • [22:21] Nassim Taleb, Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, Antifragile
  • [22:30] Dan Pink
  • [22:33] Dan Ariely
  • [23:01] Tim Cook
  • [23:17] Jack Dorsey, Product Management, Marketing
  • [23:37] Press
  • [23:52] What does Matt’s structure look like
  • [24:42] How do you know business is running smooth again
  • [25:07] Revenue
  • [25:52] Billing, Pricing Models
  • [26:03] Margin, Profit
  • [26:54] How do you start a new habit
  • [27:03] Streaks
  • [27:05] Seinfeld calendar
  • [27:12] Record time
  • [28:14] Marathon
  • [28:55] What hobby would Matt’s younger self be surprised by
  • [29:10] RV (Recreational Vehicle)

• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [31:01] How do you stay warm in Antarctica
  • [31:51] REI
  • [32:12] A Christmas Story
  • [32:28] Casa Dragones
  • [32:42] Sotol
  • [33:12] Desert Door
  • [33:14] How did Matt eat 104 Chicken McNuggets in one sitting
  • [33:49] Giannis 50 Chicken Nuggets
  • [34:17] What’s Matt’s biggest takeaway from the Uberman Sleep Schedule
  • [35:07] Why should you try out a Dvorak Keyboard
  • [36:08] Connect with Matt at Ma.tt and on social media @PhotoMatt
  • [36:28] What are Matt’s Final Thoughts
  • [36:37] Colemak Keyboard, QWERTY Keyboard
  • [37:09] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast (especially on Pocket Casts) and tell a friend about the podcast. And 5 stars on Apple Podcasts & Spotify if you dare
  • [37:17] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [37:22] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [37:27] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Matt Mullenweg on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And try to eat 105 Chicken McNuggets (in very many, spread out sittings). Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!