			<svg fill="none" height="12" viewBox="0 0 12 12" width="12" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
				<path d="M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z" fill="#fff">
			</svg>
		</button><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Centennial Pool found near the start of the trail on Mount Willard.</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<p class="">Our work isn’t measured only by the splash of large contributions, but by the steady trickle of small acts that feed a thriving ecosystem. If we want future contributors to drink from the same basin, we need to show them how every small drop matters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-judging-effectiveness-by-noise">Judging Effectiveness By Noise</h2>



<p class="">As we got close to the end of the hike, we started hearing cars on the highway again. The trail we took was an out and back loop. In this situation, it meant we were in the right place. But when we started the hike, the opposite was true.</p>



<p class="">When participating in a community, the level of “noise” can be used to gauge whether your work is on target. </p>



<p class="">When beginning to work on a foundational task that only a few people can advise on, that often means you’re in the right space. But once you’ve shared that idea with the wider community, silence could mean you’ve missed the mark.</p>



<p class="">Still, silence isn’t always failure. Sometimes it’s just the sound of others listening, considering, and preparing to walk their own part of the trail that you’ve created.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-right"><em>Featured image credit: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/">CC0</a> licensed <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/photo/1056619c2d/">photo</a> by <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/soycelycruz/">soycelycruz</a> from the <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/">WordPress Photo Directory</a>.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/07/the-ghosts-of-unactivated-contributors/">The Ghosts of Unactivated Contributors</a> appeared first on <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 11 Jul 2025 01:55:36 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:19:"Jonathan Desrosiers";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:29;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"WordPress.org blog: Introducing WordPress Credits: A New Contribution Internship Program for University Students";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=18913";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:127:"https://wordpress.org/news/2025/07/introducing-wordpress-credits-a-new-contribution-internship-program-for-university-students/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4768:"<p>The WordPress Foundation is proud to launch WordPress Credits, a contribution-focused internship program that brings university students into the heart of the WordPress open source project. While WordPress thrives on contributions from a global volunteer community, many students and newcomers face barriers to entry, such as a lack of structured guidance or real-world experience in open source projects. This new program is designed to bridge that gap, nurturing future contributors and ensuring WordPress remains innovative, inclusive, and sustainable for years to come.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://gamma.app/docs/EN-WordPress-Credits-vz0k2vr1ulg91qq?mode=doc">pilot program</a>, developed in partnership with the University of Pisa, was announced on stage at WordCamp Europe 2025 by Matt Mullenweg and Mary Hubbard. Since then, it has attracted interest from students across various fields of study, including humanities, computer science, and communication. Companies in the WordPress ecosystem have also expressed support and interest in contributing to the project. In response to the growing interest from both community members and academic institutions, we are now inviting more universities to join the initiative.</p>



<p>Open to students from all fields of study, the program blends structured onboarding with a personalized contribution project. Activities are adapted to each student’s degree program and familiarity with WordPress, aiming to develop transferable skills, academic-related competencies, and active participation in the WordPress community. Internship durations may vary depending on the university or educational institution. Some may align with academic semesters (typically 3–4 months), while others, like the University of Pisa, allow students to sign up year-round with a requirement to complete a set number of contribution hours (e.g. 150 hours). Flexible arrangements can be discussed to meet the specific requirements of each institution.</p>



<p>Foundational Training includes:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>An introduction to open source principles and the WordPress Foundation</li>



<li>Getting familiar with community tools (Slack, Make blogs, Learn platform, GitHub)</li>



<li>Setting up a personal WordPress site and publishing content</li>
</ul>



<p>Each student will choose a contribution area and design their own personal project within that area. Examples of possible projects include:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Translating interfaces or documentation</li>



<li>Creating multilingual subtitles for educational videos</li>



<li>Contributing code or performing testing</li>



<li>Supporting product development or design</li>



<li>Writing or editing content</li>



<li>Assisting with community event organization</li>



<li>Developing training materials for Learn WordPress</li>



<li>Creating open source tools</li>



<li>And much more…<br /></li>
</ul>



<p>Interns are guided by an experienced mentor specific to their chosen area and supported by a dedicated WordPress Foundation contact person throughout the program. All student contributions, whether code, translations, documentation, or educational materials, will be publicly visible and integrated into official WordPress projects and resources, directly benefiting the wider community.</p>



<p><strong>Interested universities and educational institutions</strong> interested in participating can reach out by filling <a href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/wordpress-credits-educational-institution-interest-form">the interest form</a>.</p>



<p>We also invite companies in the WordPress ecosystem to support this initiative by sponsoring mentors who will guide and empower the next generation of contributors, or by providing tools and resources that help students succeed in their contribution journey. </p>



<p><strong>If your company is interested in getting involved</strong>, please visit the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/handbook/wordpress-credits-contribution-internship-program/get-involved-company-guide/">Company Guide</a> to learn more and <a href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/wordpress-credits-%E2%80%93-company-interest-form">fill out the form</a> to join the program.</p>



<p><em>By welcoming students, mentors, sponsors, and volunteers into this initiative, we are building a stronger and more connected WordPress community. Each person who takes part, whether they guide a student, share their experiences, provide sponsorship, or simply help spread the word, helps ensure that open source remains vibrant and accessible for all. Together, we are not just supporting individual contributors; we are shaping the future of WordPress and open source itself.</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:56:52 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Isotta Peira";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:30;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"Open Channels FM: Generalists, Pricing Advice, and AI’s Role in Development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:33:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=101131";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:94:"https://openchannels.fm/beyond-hosting-generalists-pricing-advice-and-ais-role-in-development/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:197:"In this episode of Dev Pulse, hosts chat with Jason Cosper about the challenges and humor in infrastructure, consulting rates, communication, and the evolving role of AI in tech work and workflows.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 10 Jul 2025 10:54:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:31;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:52:"Tammie Lister: First props and contribution journeys";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://binatethoughts.com/?p=2374";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:65:"https://binatethoughts.com/first-props-and-contribution-journeys/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7370:"<p>This post was inspired by the awesome posts from <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/07/12-years-contributing-to-wordpress/">Jonathan Desrosiers</a> and <a href="https://felix-arntz.me/blog/10-lessons-from-10-years-of-contributing-to-wordpress-core/">Felix Arntz</a>, who celebrated their contribution anniversaries with reflection. It made me muse on how critical those first points, the initial steps in a contribution journey, are. I began reflecting on my own &#8216;firsts&#8217; and the people who helped me achieve them.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img alt="" class="wp-image-2379" height="1024" src="https://binatethoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/openart-ea520274-880f-4365-ac51-784abc7802b1.png" width="1024" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Reflecting</h2>



<p>I am never one to celebrate anniversaries in general, and as a result, I admit I let my slide, both personally and professionally. That isn&#8217;t a pattern I suggest anyone should follow, though; it&#8217;s essential to acknowledge where you have been and who helped you get there.</p>



<p>In open source, those who have been involved in the project for a longer time may have always known what they are doing. This is far from the truth. Those who enabled my first props also had their own. Often, though, the first prop isn&#8217;t the first entrance into the project. It can be an incredible moment that empowers someone, though, by recognising their work. Often, props can come after a few stages in a contribution journey, and we might forget that. That path was one I followed, taking time to explore adjacent spaces before even finding my way around the space.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">My first props</h2>



<p>I admit I don&#8217;t recall ever looking up my first props before and I found mine this time but it took a bit. It was a nice moment that aligned with my contribution story to see my props split across core and BuddyPress. It also reflected how I took time before props to get settled in.</p>



<p>My first appearance in this space was in core, and then I rapidly ended up in adjacent areas, such as the theme review team and BuddyPress. On reflection, this could have been a different story. It could have been one of the contributor who pivoted out, never finding their space. So, I am grateful for finding a space and to those contributors who caught me.</p>



<p>My first BuddyPress props was by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/djpaul/">Paul Gibbs</a>, and it was on <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3462">11/12/2010</a>. My first core props came a few years later, and it was by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/helen/">Helen Hou-Sandi</a> on <a href="https://binatethoughts.com/?page_id=2375">03/01/2013</a>. By each of these props, I was already settled into those spaces as a contributor. Props might come later because you&#8217;re working on other things or the role you&#8217;re contributing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A welcome</h2>



<p>I had the pleasure of being asked to share my thoughts on contributing to <a href="https://maintaine.rs">maintaine.rs</a>, along with other open source contributors, including the ever-awesome <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>. This is an incredible project telling stories across open source, and I encourage checking it out. In it, I was asked about welcoming contributors and how to see value.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>If you want contributions, be sure to show how and where they are wanted. It&#8217;s one thing to say &#8216;all contributions are welcome&#8217;, but that&#8217;s open-source theatre because honestly, it&#8217;s likely not all are in every area as welcome as others. There are always more areas needed than some. Highlight these and make sure someone gets off to a contribution success from the start.</p>
</blockquote>



<p>My journey could have been very different if I hadn&#8217;t found a place to contribute. Empowered by those people, I was led to the props and supported in my first tickets. Our projects are full of the ghosts of contributors we never activated, and that fuels me to see potential in every person who gives up their time.</p>



<p>When I arrived at the project, I wasn&#8217;t sponsored; I was giving my own time because this project was providing me with a blog and client work. My journey in open source began before WordPress, starting with Linux. When I joined the project, I already understood the concept of contribution and came to it with that in mind, looking to find a way to balance what I was gaining.</p>



<p>I wasn&#8217;t aware of all the options to contribute to the project; there were fewer than there are today. I had to be shown my options, where I could be helpful. My path was one so many have followed. I ended up staying here for so long because of the people who caught up with me along the way and helped empower me as a contributor, so thank you.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Props is just one of the firsts</h2>



<p>Whilst these are &#8216;first&#8217;, they are just the public ones. There are so many firsts in a contribution journey. I was in these projects before my props. My first experience with core was that it was too overwhelming, which is why my first props is in BuddyPress. My first solo theme review was also pivotal to my journey <a href="https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/3022">14 years ago</a>. </p>



<p>Every conversation, particularly in the first few stages, was pivotal to my journey as it set the tone for where I ended up adventuring. They could also have been points that led me to leave the project because I couldn&#8217;t find a way to contribute. I hold onto this point when interacting with others, as each contribution is so significant. You never know what someone will do in a project if they are given the opportunity, and it starts with them knowing they can do things. It&#8217;s essential always to acknowledge and recognise everyone who contributed. You never know whose first props those might be and what impact each of us might have on someone&#8217;s journey of contribution. </p>



<p>Someone might also travel this project and never get props, because perhaps of the contribution area they are in or the work they are doing. That&#8217;s a key thing to consider, and actually, my own journey has public and non-public recognition due to different roles. As a project, WordPress needs to be better at recognising and measuring all types of contributions so the pride we all feel in props can be given to anyone contributing significantly.</p>



<p>If open source contribution works, it&#8217;s a journey. This point is demonstrated by the adventures I have travelled and those of others within these projects. We have grown up, changed jobs, and moved locations, but we stayed with the project and our contributions. You do that because you want to, because you are getting something from doing it, as contribution has to be a two-way street to become a part of someone&#8217;s life. Props and other recognition are a boost to help you on that journey. It works because it acknowledges the work being done, and in its simplest form, it is a way of saying thank you.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:14:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"binatethoughts.com";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:32;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"Open Channels FM: The Future of WordPress and AI: Open Protocols, Agentic Workflows, and Industry Transformation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=99251";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:116:"https://openchannels.fm/the-future-of-wordpress-and-ai-open-protocols-agentic-workflows-and-industry-transformation/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:220:"As AI advances, WordPress must choose between cloud-based tools or local agent workflows. Emerging protocols allow dynamic communication, influencing automation, privacy, and the future control of web content management.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:01:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:33;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"HeroPress: The Remote Team Who Raised Me";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=8032";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:132:"https://heropress.com/essays/the-remote-team-who-raised-me/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-remote-team-who-raised-me";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11486:"<img alt="Pull Quote: Through WordPress, I learned that staying — quietly, kindly, steadily — can be its own kind of success." class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/3025/07/070825-min.jpg" width="1024" /><section class="wp-block-newsletterglue-group" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">
<figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio controls="controls" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/3025/07/cathy_mitchell_heropress.mp3"></audio><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Here is Cathy reading her own story aloud.</figcaption></figure>
</section>




<p>In 2004, I was at home with one baby, having just left a career that I loved. Being at home with a baby full-time was shriveling up my brain. Before WordPress I tried gardening, sewing, painting, preserving and cooking. I was desperate to fill the void left by my career. </p>



<p>My husband at the time, was a tech genius and had heard of a new get rich quick scheme: &#8220;blogging&#8221;.</p>



<p>I didn’t know what that meant &#8211; I had to research what the internet was! But I was desperate and the evening news was featuring these &#8220;mommy bloggers&#8221; who were making small fortunes!</p>



<p>&#8220;If they can do it&#8221;, I thought, &#8220;So can I!&#8221;</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>I made a whole $0.82 that year.</p>
</blockquote>



<p>I am not easily dissuaded though. I decided that a new theme would get me more revenue.</p>



<p>To build themes circa 2007, you had to learn the template system, the file structure, and the hooks baked into WordPress. </p>



<p>It was like a giant puzzle and I was so excited to be using my brain &#8211; I jumped in.</p>



<h3 class="kt-adv-heading8032_2a57d0-1a wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Learning to Swim</h3>



<p>I read every single page in the WordPress.org docs. I spent 10–20 hours a week in the support forums, mostly asking for help &#8211; not giving much! </p>



<p>I learned to code by fixing real problems &#8211; it was challenging and the internet was full of quality resources.</p>



<p>I made big mistakes &#8211; I crashed countless sites! And in doing so, I learned what not to do. </p>



<p>I was in heaven. </p>



<p>Except for those all-nighters trying to fix something that I broke on a client&#8217;s site. </p>



<p>I learned from the best in the community &#8211; because back then, they were in the forums with me. I learned from friends and other bloggers. I learned from online articles (pre-YouTube days).</p>



<p>Along the way, I met a fellow mommy blogger who had a side business called Desperately Seeking WordPress. (Her blog was Desperately Seeking Sanity and she has the best sense of humour!) She needed help. I was available. </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>At the time, our offer was simple: we would install WordPress, a theme, and a few plugins &#8211; and make it look nice &#8211; for $20. </p>
</blockquote>



<p>Eventually, she stepped back, and I got to take the reins. </p>



<p>That’s when I realized I hadn&#8217;t the foggiest idea how to run a real business. I started reading books like *E-Myth*, *Duct Tape Marketing*, and *Purple Cow*. I had no MBA, no startup capital. Just the desire to help other mommy bloggers not get ripped off by tech &#8216;gurus&#8217;.</p>



<h3 class="kt-adv-heading8032_f21016-32 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Building a Business While Falling Apart</h3>



<p>I’ve struggled with depression for my entire adult life. By 2006, I had three young children. By 2012, I was divorced. The work that had been a fun puzzle, now had to pay the bills.</p>



<p>I couldn’t disappear on bad days &#8211; my fledgling company had to be reliable! The clients needed stuff. So I hired my first contractor. She made more than I did most months.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>But I needed to know someone would be there for my clients when I couldn’t be. That was the first step toward building a team that would be better than any of us could have imagined.</p>
</blockquote>



<p>The behind-the-scenes work we do stays the same whether it is for celebrities or tiny fledgeling bloggers. And when we were kind, didn&#8217;t talk down to them, and were honestly helpful, they talked about us. And we became 100% referral-based.</p>



<p>So how do YOU get referrals? </p>



<p>I can&#8217;t tell you that &#8211; but &#8211; I know what works for us: radical honesty (even when it hurts our bottom line), genuine kindness and respect, and being the best at what we do. I believe with all my heart that our clients are in good hands.</p>



<p>And that honesty requires owning my mistakes. I wish I could say I don&#8217;t make them anymore but… radical honesty! </p>



<p>We always do what’s in the client’s best interest, even when it costs us money.</p>



<h3 class="kt-adv-heading8032_612593-f3 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">The Invisible Work</h3>



<p>After about seven years, I made an intentional decision to hire women. I grew up in West Africa, and I’ve seen firsthand how empowering women lifts entire families and communities. </p>



<p>So we began funding microloans for women entrepreneurs in developing countries. The research shows that supporting women has a multiplier effect &#8211; and I’ve always had a soft spot for hard-working entrepreneurial free spirits.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>From the very beginning, we were a remote team. I&#8217;ve never been on my own &#8211; being reliable is a non-negotiable &#8211; I need the team.</p>
</blockquote>



<p>One of those teammates is Diane. I met her 14 years ago, just after she got married. She’s quiet, steady, avoids the spotlight &#8211; and she’s been one of the most important people in my life. We’ve built a business together through births, illness, life transitions &#8211; and I trust her completely.</p>



<p>That trust, that stability, is part of what we offer our clients. And it’s rooted in one simple idea: be kind. Treat everyone with dignity. Respect whatever expertise they bring, even if it’s not technical. Our job is to help their business succeed &#8211; not to impress them with ours.</p>



<h3 class="kt-adv-heading8032_4343ee-e9 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Burnout, Boundaries, and Pricing with Purpose</h3>



<p>In 2014, I burned out — hard. I had thrown myself into social media marketing. I spent $1000&#8217;s on courses and really tried to implement the suggestions. Guest post twice a month? Check. Two hours connecting on Facebook every day? Check. Write three posts a week? Check. </p>



<p>I did all the things. &#8216;Cause they told me to.</p>



<p>I think it only took me three months to crash and burn. I got so sick, my body was done. I spent two full weeks in bed.</p>



<p>That’s when I learned my limits. And it’s when I learned to stay focused. </p>



<p>Today, all decisions go through a, &#8220;What does this do to the bottom line?&#8221; framework. And by bottom line &#8211; I mean money, of course, but without sacrificing service, honesty or the trust of our clients.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>Part of our growth meant making pricing decisions that felt terrifying. </p>
</blockquote>



<p>We raised prices from $20/setup to $40/hour. We lost 20% of our clients — and I expected to lose more. But the ones who stayed? They valued us. They paid happily. They referred us to others.</p>



<p>Later, we raised it again — to $75/hour. I braced for another drop. It never came. </p>



<p>Instead, I got emails thanking me! Clients said they were glad we were finally charging what we were worth! I&#8217;m still shocked about it. Who knew I&#8217;d have warm fuzzy stories on the day we raised our prices?</p>



<p>Eventually, we raised it to $89/hour. Still below the $110–$120 that custom coders charge. Because we’re not &#8220;true coders.&#8221; We’re *practical coders.* We solve real problems, fast, for people who trust us.</p>



<p>And that trust is priceless.</p>



<h3 class="kt-adv-heading8032_3e2391-b7 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">On Staying True in a Shifting World</h3>



<p>Through all of this &#8211; the growth, the pivots, the grief and healing &#8211; this little WordPress agency has offered me survival.</p>



<p>The ability to work from home. To be present for my kids. To build something real while living with depression. To build a team based on trust, not hustle.</p>



<p>I can only recommend something that I truly believe is the best option for my clients. That’s why WordPress matters to me. It’s extensible, open-source, secure, supported, owned and portable. Currently it is the best option for my clients. And I can stand behind that.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>A sign sits on my desk. It reads: &#8220;Who can I serve today?&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>



<p>That’s the constant. That’s the compass.</p>



<p>Today, I volunteer in the WordPress support forums &#8211; the same ones I learned from. I volunteer in the community to give back. I’m sharing my story, not to teach anyone how to succeed, but to say: it’s okay to build slow. To price based on value, not hype. To grow into leadership without chasing fortune.</p>



<p>There are still chapters unfolding in my story. Some endings haven’t revealed themselves yet. But I know this much:</p>



<p>I stayed.</p>



<p>And through WordPress, I learned that staying — quietly, kindly, steadily — can be its own kind of success.</p>


<section class="wp-block-newsletterglue-group" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div class="kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id8032_debf65-8f alignnone kt-row-has-bg wp-block-kadence-rowlayout"><div class="kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top">

<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column8032_e460f1-bd"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<h2 class="kt-adv-heading8032_9cab8b-2f wp-block-kadence-advancedheading" id="work-environment">Cathy&#8217;s Work Environment</h2>



<p>We asked Cathy for a view into her development life and this is what she sent!</p>


	<div class="hotspots-image-container">
		<img alt="Cathy&#8217;s Desktop" class="hotspots-image skip-lazy" height="1540" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cathy_mitchell_desk.webp" width="2330" />
	</div>




<p class="kt-adv-heading8032_4d55ad-0f wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-9-background-color has-background">HeroPress would like to thank <a href="https://wpdrawattention.com/">Draw Attention</a> for their donation of the plugin to make this interactive image!</p>
</div></div>

</div></div></section>

<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/the-remote-team-who-raised-me/">The Remote Team Who Raised Me</a> appeared first on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Cathy Mitchell";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:34;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:98:"WPTavern: #176 – Héctor de Prada on the Power of Local WordPress Meetups in Community Building";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"https://wptavern.com/?post_type=podcast&p=197433";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:110:"https://wptavern.com/podcast/176-hector-de-prada-on-the-power-of-local-wordpress-meetups-in-community-building";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45483:"<details>Transcript<div>
<p>[00:00:19] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Welcome to the Jukebox Podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley.</p>



<p>Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case the power of local WordPress Meetups in community building in Spain.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast player of choice, or by going to wptavern.com/feed/podcast, and you can copy that URL into most podcast players.</p>



<p>If you have a topic that you&#8217;d like us to feature on the podcast, I&#8217;m keen to hear from you and hopefully get you, or your idea, featured on the show. Head to wptavern.com/contact/jukebox, and use the form there.</p>



<p>So on the podcast today we have Héctor de Prada.</p>



<p>Héctor is one of the founders of Modular DS, a tool for managing multiple WordPress websites. But his contributions to the WordPress community go far beyond his day job. Based in Spain, he&#8217;s been involved in creating and developing websites for years, and has immersed himself in the WordPress community, attending numerous WordCamps and Meetups in various cities.</p>



<p>More recently, he&#8217;s been co-organizing the WordPress Meetup in Leon, a city in northern Spain, which has seen impressive growth and engagement since its revival after the pandemic.</p>



<p>Héctor shares why he volunteers his free time to organize these community events, and the impact Meetups can have, not only for individual learning, but for revitalizing local tech ecosystems.</p>



<p>We discuss what makes a successful Meetup, how his team approaches event planning, rotating roles so nobody feels the pressure to attend every time, and how sponsors and local venues help make it all happen.</p>



<p>Héctor explains how their Meetup group draws diverse attendees, from students and marketeers, to business owners and agencies. And how they&#8217;ve experimented with differing formats and topics to keep things fresh and inclusive. Whether it&#8217;s inviting guest speakers from digital businesses, running panel forums, or focusing on networking opportunities for job seekers and entrepreneurs, he highlights the power of community in building connections that exist beyond WordPress.</p>



<p>We cover everything from the practicalities of finding venues and sponsors, to managing team workflows and keeping the events welcoming and approachable.</p>



<p>If you ever thought about starting a WordPress Meetup in your city, or want to bring new energy to an existing group, this episode is for you.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re interested in finding out more, you can find all of the links in the show notes by heading to wptavern.com/podcast, where you&#8217;ll find all the other episodes as well.</p>



<p>And so without further delay, I bring you Héctor de Prada.</p>



<p>I am joined on the podcast by Héctor de Prada. Hello, Héctor.</p>



<p>[00:03:20] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Hello, Nathan. A pleasure to be here.</p>



<p>[00:03:22] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> We&#8217;re at WordCamp EU. It is in Basel. We are on the contributor day. And you are going to be giving a presentation about an experience that you have, I guess, on a monthly basis running an event. Let&#8217;s get into that in a moment. First of all, just introduce yourself, who you work for, what you do in the WordPress community outside of Meetups.</p>



<p>[00:03:41] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Okay, so I am Héctor de Prada. I am one of the founders of Modular DS, which is a tool to manage multiple WordPress websites. So that&#8217;s like my main occupation. But thanks to that, and also since way before, I have been involved with WordPress, creating websites, developing websites.</p>



<p>And for the past couple of years, or three years I could say, I have been also involved in the community. I&#8217;ve been in many WordCamps in Spain because as you know, in Spain, we have a lot of WordCamps. I&#8217;ve also been in many Meetups in different cities. I try to stay as much connected as I can to the community.</p>



<p>I also write a newsletter about the WordPress ecosystem in Spanish. And since a year and a half ago, I am also one of the co-organisers of the Meetup, and that&#8217;s what I&#8217;m going to talk about, well, Saturday in the WordCamp Europe in the talk I have.</p>



<p>[00:04:39] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> This is going to seem like a strange question because you know, on a very visceral level, you really understand why you do it, but I&#8217;m kind of keen to explain that to the audience. Why do you use up your free time organising WordPress events on a sort of voluntary basis? You know, you&#8217;ve given up lots of your free time, there&#8217;s no financial gain, you&#8217;re just doing it. Why do you do that?</p>



<p>[00:05:02] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Okay, well, I was thinking a lot about this question before and I came up with two different answers.</p>



<p>The first one is that since, like I said, I have been kind of part of the community for a few years, and I have been in many events outside of my city. I saw how the WordPress communities, how it feels, all the good things that come out of it. And then one of the main things I was always thinking when I was going to these events was like, why can&#8217;t we have this in our city for the people in our city to experience this, to have this type of connections, inspiration, learning, and so on? So that&#8217;s one of the first things.</p>



<p>And then it was also mixed with, I come from a small city in the north of Spain, and one of the things, many people say inside the city and outside of the city is that we don&#8217;t have many things anymore, okay. So it&#8217;s hard to explain, but like there is not much to do, a lot of young people leaves the city. So it&#8217;s kind of like depressing mood a little bit.</p>



<p>So it was also like, why don&#8217;t we try to do something in our city to try to start creating an ecosystem? And WordPress gave us the perfect excuse to also do that. Try to get people together, people in the tech world, which is what we do, talking about me and my partner, my friends, we are always talking about websites, technology, design. So it kind of all got together and we said, okay, let&#8217;s start doing the WordPress Meetups. And it&#8217;s been great so far.</p>



<p>[00:06:31] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> How long have you been actually involved in the one that you&#8217;re doing now?</p>



<p>[00:06:34] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> The meet up in our city, we have been doing it for around year and a half now. So after the summer, we&#8217;ll do two years.</p>



<p>[00:06:40] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I should probably say to the listeners that a Meetup, if you&#8217;ve never attended one, WordPress has a whole community outside of the software, who help create the software, but they also show up for social events and things like that. And the ones that you may have heard of are WordCamps, and they&#8217;re the big ones. That&#8217;s where we&#8217;re at right now. So they tend to be an annual thing, perhaps in a city or, we are at WordCamp Europe, which is an annual thing, which moves around Europe.</p>



<p>But the Meetups, which is what we&#8217;re talking about, that&#8217;s usually bound to a city or a town or something like that, and it&#8217;s much more regular and it&#8217;s probably happening in an evening. It&#8217;s not a whole day. It&#8217;s maybe, I don&#8217;t know, six o&#8217;clock till nine o&#8217;clock, something along those lines. And presumably using local talent, using the people in the community that you&#8217;ve got, drawing them in and trying to get them to do the presentations and all of the bits and pieces.</p>



<p>So if you don&#8217;t know anything about that dear listener, now you do. If there&#8217;s something close to you, if you actually log into your WordPress dashboard, there will be an area in the dashboard, if you put all of the panels on, if you turn them on, you&#8217;ll be able to see, hopefully it will geographically locate you and give you some intel as to that.</p>



<p>So tell us a little bit about the one that you&#8217;ve been doing. You said it&#8217;s been going for 18 months, or at least you have been involved for 18 months.</p>



<p>[00:07:53] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Actually it was already working before Covid, so for a couple of years before Covid. Then it was shut down. I wasn&#8217;t involved before Covid. I didn&#8217;t even know the WordPress community before Covid. And then it was like three years stopped. Yeah, like 18 months ago, we kind of restarted the Meetup.</p>



<p>[00:08:13] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So how many people typically would attend your Meetup? Because yours is quite a big one. The one that we are at at the moment is ridiculously big. You know, it&#8217;s going to have several thousand. Nobody can expect those kind of attendance numbers. That would be extraordinary. What are the kind of numbers that you are seeing on a monthly basis?</p>



<p>[00:08:28] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yes, so I was checking this for the presentation I&#8217;m giving on Saturday, and we have, in this 18 months, we don&#8217;t do it every month, okay, it is more like every couple of months, because we don&#8217;t do it in the summer or during Christmas, for example, in December. So it&#8217;s kind of like six, eight, a year. And we have an average attendance of 60 people.</p>



<p>I know it&#8217;s pretty big because like I said, I&#8217;ve been in many other places where having like 25 people, 30 people, is already like a huge success. And that&#8217;s what we were trying to accomplish at the beginning. Like, okay, let&#8217;s try to get 20 people here, 25 people, get together. And since the beginning it&#8217;s been like, yeah, like sometimes it&#8217;s 50 people, sometimes it&#8217;s like 75 people. And for us it&#8217;s like, sometimes we don&#8217;t even know, how is it possible? But sure, it&#8217;s very fulfilling and we&#8217;re very happy about it of course.</p>



<p>[00:09:16] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> And how do you sort of account for that? Do you email people? Do you have like a system? So for example, a lot of the Meetups will use a platform, which is called Meetup. You can go to meetup.com, and figure all of that out. But do you use a system like that to keep in touch with people and notify them that there&#8217;s a new one coming in June or July or whatever it may be?</p>



<p>[00:09:35] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yeah, we use meetup.com to create the events and send the email communications to all the people that is subscribed to the group, or has been in one of the previous Meetups. And also, we always try to get people to follow us on social media because it is where, we have like a Twitter and Instagram account. It&#8217;s where we try to advance the new Meetups and give all the information and stuff.</p>



<p>And then we try different things also to get more people to come in. For example, we go kind of old school and we print some big flyers, okay, to put it on the walls. And we put it, for example, in the university, in the buildings the city hall has for technology companies. So we put them over there just for people, when they go to work or students, when they go to the university, they will just check it out. And maybe they will feel like going. So that&#8217;s also something we do.</p>



<p>[00:10:25] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> And where do you actually do it? Do you have the same venue every single time, or do you tend to move around?</p>



<p>[00:10:30] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> No, we move around. This is very important because it, I think it&#8217;s one of the most important things when you are organising any kind of event, the venue where you&#8217;re actually doing it. And we are very lucky because, even when I was telling you that in our city it seems like not many things are being done. When you actually try to do something, everybody tries to help you.</p>



<p>So we have been offered many different venues from City Hall, from the university, from private companies, from the government, public buildings they have. So what we have tried to do is to do the Meetup in different places. So in case, at some point, we can do it in one of them, we will always be able to go to any of the other ones. And that has worked very well for us.</p>



<p>[00:11:12] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Oh, nice, yeah. I think that&#8217;s not typical. I think usually it&#8217;s done in kind of the same venue and what have you.</p>



<p>My understanding also, and I could be wrong about this, but my understanding is that the Spanish WordPress community is actually one of the healthier ones, for want of a better word. It seems to be kind of thriving. I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;ve just heard a story and that&#8217;s not true, but is that true?</p>



<p>[00:11:33] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> No, I think it is. I think it is definitely, well, I was talking with somebody that is organising here at WordCamp Europe, and we were accounting for WordCamps made in Spain last year. And I think it was like 12 WordCamps in one year, only in Spain, which I could say is what the rest of Europe has in one year.</p>



<p>So it&#8217;s like pretty crazy. I think, we Spanish people, we just like to gather a lot and just meet each other. But also I think there are many Meetup groups in Spain that are doing a great job and have great numbers and do a lot of Meetups with really great speakers. So yeah, I would say in Spain there is a lot of community movement.</p>



<p>[00:12:14] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I&#8217;m quite jealous. The part of the world where I live in the UK, Covid really had a profound impact. The Meetups kind of disappeared, and in some cases came back, but in most cases they didn&#8217;t. I think maybe the year 2025 was a bit of a watershed. There&#8217;s a few I think that maybe are on the cusp of returning.</p>



<p>So it can&#8217;t just be you. I&#8217;m presuming that there&#8217;s a whole bunch of people, a team, if you like. And how does that work? How many people regularly are helping you out, and do you have, I don&#8217;t know, different roles that you perform? Like, you&#8217;re in charge of the emails, you&#8217;re in charge of the venue, you&#8217;re in charge of the snacks and whatever it may be. How many people on the team and how do you manage all that?</p>



<p>[00:12:49] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> We are six people currently, and what we tried since the beginning was to find other people that could be complimentary to us. And like you said, we try to split responsibilities. So one of us, who is very good with social media, is the one taking charge of posting everything in social media so everybody sees what we are doing.</p>



<p>Other person is always in charge of the networking we do afterwards to get the catering, even the venue we have to change somewhere, because it&#8217;s somebody who has a lot of contacts in that space.</p>



<p>Also somebody&#8217;s in charge of sponsors. Somebody&#8217;s in charge of creating the Meetups. Somebody&#8217;s in charge of the design.</p>



<p>Okay, so we try to split the responsibilities, but at the same time, and this is not so obvious, I think what we have also found very important is that, even when each one has a responsibility, we also try to rotate every once in a while. So, for example, when we started, everybody thought or supposed I was always going to be the one presenting, because I&#8217;m kind of more used to speaking in public. One of the first things we decide is that every day one of us was going to present the Meetup. So in case I&#8217;m missing or anybody else is missing, the Meetup will work exactly the same.</p>



<p>Because we don&#8217;t want this to feel like an obligation, like every member of the team has to be every single Meetup no matter what, because it&#8217;s not a job. You said it. This is like a volunteer thing. We do it for the community. So if at some point something happens with life, you have to take your kids to school or anything, well, the rest of the team will be able to take charge.</p>



<p>[00:14:27] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So everybody kind of rotates things around so that if somebody&#8217;s, I don&#8217;t know, unwell during that day, somebody can slot in. Yeah, that&#8217;s kind of an interesting approach.</p>



<p>[00:14:35] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Exactly. Yeah, the same with like organising the networking and the catering afterwards, taking charge of cleaning everything up afterwards. We try to rotate everything.</p>



<p>[00:14:44] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> There&#8217;s so much that goes into these events. So let&#8217;s just go through the little laundry list of things that you have to achieve. Now, you may do some of these, you may not. But I guess it&#8217;s things like booking the venue has to be done. Maybe there&#8217;s a payment that needs to be involved with that. You have to presumably have an email list. You&#8217;ve got social media accounts. You&#8217;ve got ordering the food, tidying up at the end.</p>



<p>[00:15:03] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> You need to talk with the sponsors as well to get any merchandise they might send to you to give to the attendees. Also, you have to select the speakers and then prepare it with the speakers.</p>



<p>[00:15:14] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So do you work with the speakers as well? Because my experience is that often speakers can be, if they&#8217;re new to it, they can be a little bit nervous. And so having some sort of, coaching is maybe the wrong word, but some intuition as to, yeah, you&#8217;re on the right lines. That, I think, is what our audience will like.</p>



<p>[00:15:27] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> It depends a lot on the speaker, because it&#8217;s true that there are some speakers that are very, I&#8217;m not going to say professional, but they&#8217;re like very used to, they are experts in something and they&#8217;re very used to give talks about it. So you basically can&#8217;t tell them anything because they already know more than you do, okay, about how to do it right.</p>



<p>But it&#8217;s true that one thing that we like to do a lot is that we don&#8217;t only try to do like the normal talks you might see in a WordCamp, where somebody is an expert on a field, and they just give you a talk trying to allow you to learn something. But we also like to do more experience stuff like trying to look for inspiration instead of learning.</p>



<p>So for example, like you do with the podcast, nowadays I think podcasts are a trend because we like to listen and understand the stories behind people, how they are doing something, or how did they come to this? So for those kind of talks, it&#8217;s true that we kind of give them a guide. So, we would like you to talk about this.</p>



<p>Or sometimes if we do, the last meeting we did, it was like a forum with three different businesses, and we wanted to just talk about their experience. And what we did is try to get like the main questions we wanted them to answer. And we gave them to them previously so they could kind of prepare a little bit of what we wanted to talk about. Because they didn&#8217;t have any presentation or anything, it was just like a normal conversation, like an interview more. So in those cases, it takes much more work than if it&#8217;s just somebody with a presentation and they do their thing.</p>



<p>[00:16:58] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, i&#8217;ve been to Meetups where they&#8217;ve done a whole variety of different things, not all at the same evening. So for example, they might do two presentations of, I don&#8217;t know, 45 minutes each, and then have a bit of networking in the middle.</p>



<p>Some places do social things where it&#8217;s just, maybe there&#8217;ll be an hour where you just do the networking and hang out. I&#8217;ve been to Meetups where they do prize giveaways and quizzes and things like that.</p>



<p>So there isn&#8217;t just one model. You can sort of mix it around a little bit and offer things which the audience, I don&#8217;t know, it&#8217;s a bit more entertainment, if you like.</p>



<p>[00:17:29] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Of course. I think it&#8217;s very nice to try different formats, different things. Because also people, when we have a lot of, I guess like many Meetups, we have many regular people, they go to almost every Meetup, so I think it&#8217;s also good for them to try different things so it&#8217;s more like, a little bit unexpected. You get a surprise of what you are getting out of it, and it&#8217;s not always the same thing.</p>



<p>[00:17:51] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Have you had things which you&#8217;ve tried maybe recently in the last six months or something that you just thought, oh, let&#8217;s give that a go. And if so, maybe you could share that.</p>



<p>[00:17:59] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Well, the last one we did, at the beginning it was a little, it wasn&#8217;t so much about the format because we had already tried that because it was like, yeah, like four people from three different businesses talking about how they achieved what they have done. But the crazy thing is it was the topic about it. Because it was three different gastronomic business, which at the first time you could say, okay, so what does this have to do with WordPress?</p>



<p>But it was very interesting because those three businesses, it was a social media influencer only talking about restaurants, a food influencer. Then it was a restaurant that has digitalised all the experience inside the restaurant. So you get to the restaurant and you order the food with your phone, everything, so no people around you or anything.</p>



<p>And then the other one was an e-commerce site made with WooCommerce of one of the biggest meat sellers in Spain. It&#8217;s a big restaurant just to eat meat. The type of meat, like you pay a lot for that. And they are really crushing it, like with their e-commerce made with WooCommerce.</p>



<p>So it was all very digital, but at the same time, the topic was like gastronomic and at the beginning people was like, doesn&#8217;t feel like a WordPress Meetup. It was amazing. People loved it.</p>



<p>[00:19:08] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> It worked.</p>



<p>[00:19:08] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yes, yes. Because their stories were so interesting and how they kind of mixed with the technology and how it started, the pains they had at the beginning, trying to introduce that technology and how it has now changed their business. It was super interesting.</p>



<p>[00:19:23] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> How did you come up with the idea of that particular one? Because that&#8217;s so curious. Because usually it is, there&#8217;s a strong WordPress focus to the ones that I&#8217;ve been, you know, there&#8217;s a presentation, it&#8217;s WordPress, there&#8217;s a Lightning Talk, it&#8217;s WordPress, there&#8217;s another presentation, it&#8217;s WordPress.</p>



<p>But that one, there&#8217;s a thread running through it, which is technology. Sounds like the audience really liked it. And there was obviously that WooCommerce bit at the end that you mentioned. How did you even conceive of that topic?</p>



<p>[00:19:47] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yeah. Well, it wasn&#8217;t only that WooCommerce, like the three of them had started somehow the business with some WordPress, a WordPress website, a WordPress blog, a WooCommerce, okay. It wasn&#8217;t the main focus of the talk, but they all had something to do. And that wasn&#8217;t intentional, like it just came out because I guess WordPress, you want it or not, it is behind most of the worldwide web. So it was very nice.</p>



<p>But one thing talk about in the presentation here at WordCamp Europe is that I think that WordPress is what unites us, but I don&#8217;t think it should be what separates us. So I think, thanks to WordPress powering like 40 something percent of the worldwide web, it allows us to talk about almost everything related to the digital world. It will always be somehow related to WordPress.</p>



<p>So it&#8217;s true that we don&#8217;t go too deep into the technical WordPress part. It&#8217;s always somehow related, but we feel like our audience is not like WordPress experts, to say it like that. We have a lot of students, marketing students, marketing agencies, entrepreneurs. And then we talk more about like the digital business part, the online marketing. It&#8217;s always somehow related to WordPress, but it has worked for us very well to kind of get a broader view and not go so specific, to get also like more attendees coming, and they all feel like they understand, that they can apply that to themselves.</p>



<p>Of course we always talk a lot about WordPress. It&#8217;s a WordPress Meetup. But I think that&#8217;s also important because even us that we are so deep in the community, I feel like WordPress is like my main thought like 24/7 almost. But for most people outside the community, it is not like that. And I think one important thing in WordPress is that we try to get as many people to the community as possible, and they don&#8217;t have to be such experts.</p>



<p>[00:21:36] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, it&#8217;s kind of interesting because if you show up and you did two presentations back to back and it was all about, I don&#8217;t know, WP-CLI, followed by some other very technical thing, it may be that half of the audience, maybe more, maybe 70% of the audience would think, I don&#8217;t really understand that. And managing that is quite difficult.</p>



<p>So mixing it up a little bit and making sure it&#8217;s not too technical for one of the evenings. Maybe you have a technical one now and again, but you&#8217;ve got to think a lot about the audience and what they are prepared to consume.</p>



<p>So, pivoting slightly, I guess this cannot be entirely free. So I know that you give your labour for nothing. But presumably there is a cost somewhere along the line, whether that&#8217;s for snacks or whether it&#8217;s for hiring of the venue. How do you finance your Meetup? How does that work?</p>



<p>[00:22:22] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yeah, we have sponsors that help us with the cost. We basically, our costs are only the flyers, which is like almost nothing because we don&#8217;t do that many, and then the food and drinks for the networking. So we always try to have two sponsors. One, it&#8217;s always a local company, and then one is a workers community company.</p>



<p>I think in Spain at least, because I don&#8217;t know outside of Spain, but there are many companies, mostly hosting companies that really want to sponsor these kind of events. And since the beginning, we have had a lot of offers of companies trying to sponsor. I guess it&#8217;s also important that we have good attendee numbers and stuff. But I think they sponsor most of the Meetups in Spain. That&#8217;s what we use to cover the cost.</p>



<p>[00:23:08] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> How does the sponsorship actually work? Because obviously they couldn&#8217;t realistically be paying you directly and then you then move the money to buying the snacks and the pizzas or whatever it may be. How does that sponsorship actually work? Who is the person that&#8217;s receiving the money and distributing it and so on?</p>



<p>[00:23:23] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Well, normally what we do is that, since our costs are very located in, I would say 90% or maybe 95% of the budget goes to the food and drinks for the catering, which we have also tried different companies and different stuff. So they give us a bill and then we&#8217;ll send it to the sponsors so they pay the bill. I know it&#8217;s not the easiest way. Sometimes because of the company requirements of the food, we have to give the money first and then ask the sponsor to give us the money.</p>



<p>Well, I guess as long as you are, for example, us of course, in the team, as long as you are completely transparent and you show where all the money goes and what is being spent. At least for us, I&#8217;m sure for you guys in London, for example, it has to be way different because it&#8217;s another city, other kind of prices and everything. But for us, the money sums are really, really small. Even when we have a 60 person Meetup, the money is really small. It just gives you for that, for like the food and that. We are still waiting to try to do some T-shirts for the team, but we haven&#8217;t still gotten the money for that.</p>



<p>[00:24:27] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So you tend to get a sponsor on board to sponsor a thing, a component of the Meetup. So it might be that this week hosting company X is sponsoring the food. Or such and such a company is sponsoring the venue. It&#8217;s like in one door out the other. Somebody on your team will pay for the food, but then send the receipt, the bill if you like, to the sponsor, who will then reimburse them for all of that.</p>



<p>[00:24:50] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yeah, could be. For example, we have never paid for the venue. We have always had agreements, it&#8217;s always free for us so far. Yeah, it&#8217;s basically always the food. And the sponsor, even the local company has changed a few times.</p>



<p>But for example, I would say the WordPress community company, that for us is a hosting company, that also sponsors many WordCamps in Spain, we have always had the same one because since the beginning they told us, we want to sponsor, and as long as you keep doing it, we will send you the money or give us the bills.</p>



<p>And also the sponsors we&#8217;ve had, they always give us gifts or merchandise for the attendees or maybe to give something like a raffle and then somebody can win a prize or something better. Or they even give us gifts for the speakers as well. So they always treat us very good.</p>



<p>[00:25:37] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So is there like a magic number that makes the event work? So you said that sometimes 70, sometimes 55, something like that. I mean, they seem like pretty good numbers. If you stand in front of that many people, that can be quite intimidating, you know, that&#8217;s a lot. Obviously other places will have smaller numbers. Maybe some places will have bigger numbers.</p>



<p>Is there some feeling in your head about, if the numbers dipped down to 20, it&#8217;s not worth doing it anymore or anything like that? Do you have any of those thoughts? Because I know that a lot of people who&#8217;ve put these events on before, they get quite demoralized because they begin it, three people show up and they do it again, and then two people show up and maybe five people show up. And it kind of seems like a lot of effort. There&#8217;s not much interest. I&#8217;m trying my hardest, I&#8217;m doing all the things which I think are the right things to do. Any thoughts on that?</p>



<p>[00:26:22] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yeah, well, I think it&#8217;s definitely challenging because I&#8217;ve seen, like you said, many cities where this is the case. It&#8217;s really hard for them to get people to attend. I think the main focus for us, when we got all the team together, we always try to think about new things to bring new people in. Maybe talking with the teachers at the university, or maybe going to a business group to present them the Meetup, or maybe get a collaboration with a social media influencer in the city, so he can talk about the Meetups, even be a speaker and then post it on socials. So it is definitely, I think it&#8217;s the most important thing.</p>



<p>In my experience, i&#8217;ve been in many Meetups and when you are more than 20 people, I could say, it already feels pretty good. Because more than 20 people, it&#8217;s already a good number of people to network, to talk, to give a presentation in front of. So more than 20 people, I think it&#8217;s already a good number. When you go below 20, below 10, I guess it&#8217;s pretty hard.</p>



<p>[00:27:19] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> You sort of feel that it&#8217;s a lot of work and, you know, it&#8217;s difficult to justify that work if the interest is not there.</p>



<p>So speaking of that then, is there a support, like a wider WordPress Meetup support network? So where you can go and dip in for ideas, advice. Obviously if you&#8217;re listening to this podcast, that&#8217;s one avenue you might get it. But is there a place that you can go, like a Slack channel or a wordpress.org forum or something like that where you could go and gain advice, or some leadership from people like you who&#8217;ve been doing this before?</p>



<p>[00:27:48] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yeah, well, there are different places. In the day to day, we have the Slack channel, for example, in the Spanish community inside the WordPress Slack, we have a channel for the Spanish Meetups. So every time we have a problem, we had one a few weeks ago with the Meetup platform, for example, or things like that. We always go there and there is always somebody from the community team replying, and telling you, and helping you, whatever you need.</p>



<p>Also I think it&#8217;s very important. It was huge for us at the beginning, before we started doing the Meetup of our city, again, when we started now 18 months ago, it was very helpful to go to WordCamps and in the Contributor Day, like today, go to the community tables and talk with the people that has experience organising Meetups. And they were the ones, for example, when we started it was like super easy because people like Rocío Valdivia, Juan Hernando, who are very deep into the community team for many years, they have been there. They just help us do all the process, all we needed to know. They gave us all the basic advice to know, screwed up at the beginning.</p>



<p>So I would say, if somebody&#8217;s looking to organise a Meetup, the first thing they should do is to go to a WordCamp event, or maybe a Meetup in a different city, and talk with people that is organising a Meetup to just get some of the real experience, because I think that&#8217;s invaluable.</p>



<p>[00:29:08] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> How do your team actually meet up then? Do you have like a regular weekly gathering, like a session where you all gather on zoom or something like that?</p>



<p>[00:29:16] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> It&#8217;s more like on a monthly basis. So since we do Meetups every two months, let&#8217;s say on average. So one month we do the Meetup, and then the next month we got all together. It may be all together on the same place, because since it&#8217;s a small city, we are all kind of close to each other, or it might be on Zoom. And then we do like the feedback of the previous Meetup to talk about what went well, what could be improved, and at the same time to prepare the next Meetup.</p>



<p>So it&#8217;s kind of one month, Meetup, one month, all get together to talk about it. Next month, Meetup, next month, get together to talk about it.</p>



<p>In one hour we can talk about the previous Meetup and organise the next one. And I&#8217;m not talking about organise everything, I&#8217;m talking about kind of like divide the responsibilities and say, okay, so I&#8217;m going to do this, you&#8217;re going to do this. And then on a WhatsApp group, we are just letting each other know like, okay, I already booked the venue. Okay, I already talked with the speaker, and he said, okay. Okay, I already designed the flyer or the image and we are good to go, and things like that.</p>



<p>[00:30:14] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> From what you&#8217;re saying, it sounds like it&#8217;s kind of got a homely, family sort of vibe to it.</p>



<p>[00:30:20] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yes. We try to have that casual vibe, like friendship vibe. Like, even in the Meetups, when people come at the beginning when other people on the team was speaking at the beginning, like presenting the Meetup, and talking a little bit about what is the WordPress community, or what do we do here, what type of events are in the WordPress community and everything. They were a little bit nervous about it because they haven&#8217;t done it before or seen it as many times as I have seen it.</p>



<p>And I would always tell them, this is like a friend group. If you say something wrong, you just say naturally, okay, this is my mistake. I should have said that this way and not that way, okay. And just do it in a casual vibe. Like, most of the people, like I said, since they&#8217;re regular people, we kind of know everybody. We all know each other because we do, if we do like one hour talk, then we always have like one hour, or hour and a half, of networking. So almost everybody knows each other.</p>



<p>So it&#8217;s kind of more like, yeah, like friendship, not family, but friendship. We try to do that also so everybody who comes feels comfortable and not afraid to speak with anybody or even to ask something during the Meetup or anything. Because it feels really like it&#8217;s just a group of friends and you are part of those friends and everybody&#8217;s welcome.</p>



<p>[00:31:35] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, that feels really nice. The Meetup that I attend, we also have this idea of kind of networking and that seems to be quite a powerful thing as well. So people don&#8217;t just show up to make friends, which is nice. They don&#8217;t just show up to watch the presentations. Again, it&#8217;s nice, but they also show up, and there&#8217;s an opportunity to share stories about, I&#8217;m looking for work, I&#8217;ve got a job that I need to be filled.</p>



<p>And just the other month we had a story about somebody who, you know, started a new job because of a conversation that had happened at that event. Just wondered if that kind of thing was something that you have noticed happens with yours as well?</p>



<p>[00:32:09] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Definitely, definitely. One of the first things I was telling, for example, in the first Meetup we have, I think a few students came from the university. And I was like, this is where you have to be because you&#8217;re studying for marketing, and here there are like, I don&#8217;t know, like seven or eight agency owners that are going to be looking for the next people to work on their marketing team. So this is the perfect place. You are not going to meet them any other place. You&#8217;re not going to go on the street and just cross them all. So you have a marketing agency. I want to work on a marketing agency. No, it&#8217;s not going to happen.</p>



<p>But here you just come here for free, you learn something, and also you can talk to these people directly. You can tell them about your life. They can tell you about theirs. Maybe there is a match. So yeah, I hope, I know a couple of stories that have worked, but I hope, I really hope it will be like the best thing for the Meetup that a lot of good things, it&#8217;ll either be collaborations, hirings, partnerships, anything come out of the Meetup. Because that would be great for the ecosystem, for the people in our city, for the people attending the Meetups. So that would make us so, so happy.</p>



<p>[00:33:11] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> It&#8217;s one of those things that I think many people might find it a little bit nervous to go for the first time. You know, just the idea of sitting in a room full of strangers. You can do just that. You can sit at the back and you don&#8217;t have to contribute. You don&#8217;t have to put your hand up and say anything. So the idea of just showing up, lurking maybe a few times, just seeing what the whole situation is like. And you never know, something completely revolutionary might happen.</p>



<p>[00:33:33] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Yeah. There is always, sometimes when you go to the networking part, and you don&#8217;t know anybody, the normal thing is that you probably go to a corner just by yourself, okay. Or just close to a wall and just stay there. But the normal thing in this type of events, or I would say almost any event, is that you&#8217;re going to find other people next to the wall, next to you, because they also don&#8217;t know anybody.</p>



<p>And those are the first people you&#8217;re going to meet. And you&#8217;re going to create that relationship. And from that you&#8217;re going to start moving to other groups. Somebody&#8217;s going to come that knows one of you. And that&#8217;s how it starts. So it might feel intimidating at the beginning, but then once you get into it, also, this is especially in the WordPress community, it&#8217;s very easy to start to know people.</p>



<p>[00:34:17] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. It&#8217;s just occurred to me, Héctor, that we&#8217;re sort of 40 minutes in and I haven&#8217;t said, where is it? Where is your Meetup?</p>



<p>[00:34:24] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Okay, yeah, true. Well, it&#8217;s in the city of León, which is in the north of Spain. It&#8217;s a small city in the north of Spain.</p>



<p>[00:34:31] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> And I will make sure, when I put the show notes together for this episode, if you go to wptavern.com and search for the episode with Héctor in it, I&#8217;ll make sure to link any resources that you put in my way. I&#8217;ll make sure to link so that if you are in that neck of the woods, you can check it out, but also I&#8217;ll make sure to link to other more wider resources.</p>



<p>[00:34:50] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> If somebody that listens to this at any point thinks that me or anybody on our Meetup group can help them, if they are trying to create a Meetup, or doing a Meetup and trying to change something, please reach out to us and of course we&#8217;ll be happy to talk with anybody, if our experience can help in any way.</p>



<p>[00:35:10] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That&#8217;s perfect. I will make sure to put some links to your bio as well. That&#8217;s absolutely wonderful. Héctor de Prada, thank you so much for chatting me today.</p>



<p>[00:35:17] <strong>Héctor de Prada:</strong> Thank you, Nathan.</p>
</div></details>



<p>On the podcast today we have Héctor de Prada.</p>



<p>Héctor is one of the founders of Modular DS, a tool for managing multiple WordPress websites, but his contributions to the WordPress community go far beyond his day job. Based in Spain, he’s been involved in creating and developing websites for years, and has immersed himself in the WordPress community, attending numerous WordCamps and Meetups in various cities. More recently, he’s been co-organising the WordPress Meetup in León, a city in the north of Spain, which has seen impressive growth and engagement since its revival after the pandemic.</p>



<p>Héctor shares why he volunteers his free time to organise these community events, and the impact Meetups can have, not only for individual learning, but for revitalising local tech ecosystems.</p>



<p>We discuss what makes a successful Meetup, how his team approaches event planning, rotating roles so nobody feels the pressure to attend every time, and how sponsors and local venues help make it all happen.</p>



<p>Héctor explains how their Meetup group draws diverse attendees, from students and marketers to business owners and agencies, and how they’ve experimented with differing formats and topics to keep things fresh and inclusive. Whether it’s inviting guest speakers from digital businesses, running panel forums, or focusing on networking opportunities for job seekers and entrepreneurs, he highlights the power of community in building connections that extend beyond WordPress.</p>



<p>We cover everything from the practicalities of finding venues and sponsors, to managing team workflows and keeping the events welcoming and approachable.</p>



<p>If you’ve ever thought about starting a WordPress Meetup in your city, or want to bring new energy to an existing group, this episode is for you.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Useful links</h2>



<p>Héctor&#8217;s presentation at WordCamp Europe 2025: <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2025/session/tips-for-hosting-a-successful-wp-meetup-in-your-city/">Tips for hosting a successful WP meetup in your city</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.meetup.com/es-ES/leon-wordpress-meetup/">WordPress León meetup</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hectordeprada/overlay/about-this-profile/">Héctor on LinkedIn</a></p>



<p><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hdeprada/">Héctor on wordpress.org</a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 09 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Nathan Wrigley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:35;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:49:"Open Channels FM: What Is Fractional Sponsorship?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=99195";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:55:"https://openchannels.fm/what-is-fractional-sponsorship/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:386:"As described by longtime contributor Tammie Lister in a recent episode of Open Talk on Open Channels, fractional sponsorship is when a contributor is sponsored part-time by multiple organizations (or individuals). Rather than being fully funded by one company or acting as a purely unpaid volunteer, fractional contributors assemble support from several interested parties. As [&#8230;]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:46:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:55:"Jonathan Desrosiers: 12 Years Contributing to WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:38:"https://jonathandesrosiers.com/?p=5028";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/07/12-years-contributing-to-wordpress/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10205:"<p class="">Twelve years ago today, I received <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/24588">my very first props for contributing to WordPress Core</a>. I had no idea at the time, but it turned out to be a transformative milestone in my career.</p>



<p class="">In WordPress, community participants receive credit for contributing to a given change or deliverable by receiving “props.”</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="">Props should be given to all those who contributed to the final commit, whether through patches, refreshed patches, code suggested otherwise, design, writing, user testing, or other significant investments of time and effort. Usernames are parsed for the credits list and WordPress.org profiles.</p>



<p class="is-style-text-subtitle is-style-text-subtitle--2"><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/best-practices/commit-messages/#props">WordPress Core Handbook</a></p>
</blockquote>



<p class="">Before each release, the names of all contributors to that version are collected and added to the Credits API, which powers the Credits page in the WordPress dashboard. I&#8217;m proud to have been listed on that page for 22 consecutive releases starting with 4.7, and 27 of the 33 releases overall since my first credited contribution in <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2013/10/basie/">WordPress 3.7 “Basie,”</a> alongside 210 other contributors.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container"><img alt="" class="wp-image-5292 not-transparent" height="2560" src="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WordPress-6.8-Credits-Screen-scaled.png" width="2560" /><button class="lightbox-trigger" type="button">
			<svg fill="none" height="12" viewBox="0 0 12 12" width="12" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
				<path d="M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z" fill="#fff">
			</svg>
		</button><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The WordPress 6.8 Credits page.</figcaption></figure>



<p class="">To celebrate my <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2023/07/10-years-of-contributing-to-wordpress/">ten year anniversary</a>, I started publishing a blog post each year. In past editions, I&#8217;ve focused a <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2023/07/10-years-of-contributing-to-wordpress/">bit on my WordPress origin story</a> and looking at <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2024/07/11-years-contributing-to-wordpress/">some &#8220;props&#8221; related data</a>.</p>



<p class="">This year, I&#8217;m excited to commemorate the day by announcing something new!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-stage-to-essay">From Stage to Essay</h2>



<p class="">At the end of May, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickvidal">Nick Vidal</a> from the <a href="https://opensource.org/">Open Source Initiative</a> reached out to me. To celebrate <a href="https://maintainermonth.github.com/">GitHub’s Maintainer Month</a>, he had been working to compile a collection of contributor stories for a book about the maintainers behind Open Source projects. He asked me if I&#8217;d be willing to submit something.</p>



<p class="">I was honored! I read through the dozen or so questions he sent and wrote answers for a handful that resonated with me. The next day I flew out to <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/04/speaking-at-wordcamp-europe-2025/">attend WordCamp Europe</a>. Between the whirlwind of travel, attending sessions, and preparing to give my talk, I completely forgot about it.</p>



<p class="">A few days after speaking, I received another email from Nick.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="">While doing some research about you, I fell in love with your recent talk at WordCamp Europe.</p>
</blockquote>



<p class="">He had <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/06/how-a-core-committer-thinks-making-decisions-for-millions/">seen the recording of my talk</a> and asked me to incorporate the subject matter with the answers I had already sent over for the book. My speaker notes captured the core ideas, but they needed a lot of refinement and proper citations before they could stand alone as a publishable essay. I also included some thoughts from my recent post about the <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/06/the-impact-of-open-source-work/">impact of maintaining Open Source projects</a>.</p>



<p class="">I&#8217;m excited to share that thanks to the many hours Nick put into the project, the <a href="https://maintaine.rs/">maintaine.rs</a> website showcasing this project is live. <img alt="🎉" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f389.png" style="height: 1em;" /> You can read my <a href="https://maintaine.rs/desrosj">essay on the website</a>, or download the full book in PDF or EPUB format.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-on-the-ideas-of-others">Building On The Ideas Of Others</h2>



<p class="">My good friend and fellow Core Committer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball">Felix Arntz</a> celebrated the 10 year anniversary of his first contribution to WordPress late last month. He <a href="https://felix-arntz.me/blog/10-lessons-from-10-years-of-contributing-to-wordpress-core/">wrote about 10 things he’s learned in 10 years of contributing</a>.</p>



<p class="">As far as I know, Felix hadn’t seen my WCEU talk or heard about the Maintainers project. Despite that, we ended up exploring many of the same themes and principles.</p>



<p class="">While the ideas I explore in my talk and essay aren’t novel, they’re rooted in lessons I’ve learned from others and foundational Open Source concepts. A key part of participating in any Open Source community is learning from your predecessors. How should we conduct ourselves? How should we structure our communities? How should we make decisions? You can earn the respect of your peers by demonstrating that you thoughtfully consider these questions through your day to day actions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-submit-your-own-story">Submit Your Own Story</h2>



<p class="">I&#8217;m grateful to be included in the book among many other amazing maintainers, but I was also glad to find out I was not the only maintainer representing the WordPress project: <a href="https://maintaine.rs/karmatosed">Tammie Lister also submitted her maintainer story</a>.</p>



<p class="">While it&#8217;s good to see WordPress represented in the book, the project is maintained by many people, not just two.</p>



<p class="">On the landing page for the project is a call out to &#8220;Share Your Story&#8221; for consideration in future editions. The <a href="https://heropress.com/">HeroPress</a> site does an amazing job of surfacing the stories behind members of the WordPress community. But there’s value in sharing those stories with the broader Open Source community too. If you help maintain WordPress in some way, I hope you’ll consider sharing your story for a future edition of the book, they all deserve to be heard.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-closing-thoughts">Closing Thoughts</h2>



<p class="">Over the past 12 years, I’ve done my best to contribute in ways that don’t just solve problems, but make the project more approachable, more sustainable, and more human.</p>



<p class="">I recently received this DM from someone.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="">“Watched your talk on my way home. You did a fantastic job explaining core and the committer role. Reminded me why I’m still around and invigorated to do more. Thanks!”</p>
</blockquote>



<p class="">It came from someone I deeply respect, someone I’ve learned a great deal from over the years.</p>



<p class="">It’s easy to underestimate the <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/06/the-impact-of-open-source-work/">impact even our most routine contributions can have on others</a>, especially in Open Source, where so much of the work happens asynchronously and behind a screen.</p>



<p class="">Messages like this remind me why I do this work. I hope others have found value or inspiration in what I’ve shared. And if my story, my talk, or my essay helps even a few people feel more connected or inspired to stay involved, then it’s all been worth it.</p>



<p class="">Here&#8217;s to year 13 and beyond. <img alt="❤" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2764.png" style="height: 1em;" /></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator alignwide has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<p class="">&#8220;Props&#8221; Anniversaries: <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2023/07/10-years-of-contributing-to-wordpress/">Ten</a>, <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2024/07/11-years-contributing-to-wordpress/">Eleven</a>.</p>



<p class="">Commit-iversaries: <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2020/11/two-years-my-wordpress-commit-iversary/">Two</a>, <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2023/11/five-years-my-wordpress-commit-iversary/">Five</a>, <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2024/11/six-years-a-committer-my-wordpress-commit-iversary/">Six</a>.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-right"><em>Featured image credit: &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/photo/56633defe8/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">A couple of bookshelves with colorful books on a stone wall</a>&#8221; by <a href="https://mburnette.com" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">mdburnette</a>/ <a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CC0 1.0</a></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/07/12-years-contributing-to-wordpress/">12 Years Contributing to WordPress</a> appeared first on <a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 08 Jul 2025 11:52:32 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:19:"Jonathan Desrosiers";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:37;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"Open Channels FM: How to Pitch Stories That Matter in the WordPress Community";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:33:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=100715";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"https://openchannels.fm/how-to-pitch-stories-that-matter-in-the-wordpress-community/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:208:"In this Media Playbook episode, Rae Morey and Adam Weeks discuss effective pitching for WordPress stories, covering what makes a story newsworthy, and providing practical advice for successful media outreach.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 08 Jul 2025 08:27:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:38;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"Open Channels FM: With Your New Site, Start With Content, Even if the Plan is Messy";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:33:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=100410";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:88:"https://openchannels.fm/with-your-new-site-start-with-content-even-if-the-plan-is-messy/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:333:"When a business first starts creating content, it often looks chaotic. There’s not always a strategy. You try a few blog posts, maybe some tutorials or listicles, toss in a few keywords you think matter, and hope something sticks. And that’s okay. In fact, that messy start is what helps shape your future strategy. The [&#8230;]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:17:58 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:39;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"Tammie Lister: What if we paused default themes?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://binatethoughts.com/?p=2346";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"https://binatethoughts.com/what-if-we-paused-default-themes/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5710:"<p>Before I begin this post, I am writing it not expecting change, but rather sharing my opinion. It is the opinion of someone who has themes both default and working with them from agencies to exploration, threaded through their life. I say this with a passion for what themes were, are, and I see evolving into. I am also focusing on a pause, not a stop or hard point. This is a suggestion, a thought I am working through myself.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The past</h2>



<p>The default themes worked for us as a project in WordPress. They were both a call to unify in work, and also allowed us something to focus on testing the features of the year. They were also a way to close out the year; historically, many switched to them to showcase.</p>



<p>Another thing the default themes have done well is showcase different aspects of WordPress. One could argue that having a theme focus is key for everyone. Similarly, many writers use it as a basis for their content, drawing on it as fuel. It was an end to the year for many, although I would self-reflect, as the years have gone by, this has waned. Again, this is a personal reflection.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Today</h2>



<p>For a long time, whether we like to admit it or not, the default theme process has been more complex and disjointed. It hasn&#8217;t been as much about testing features as many weren&#8217;t theme visible. </p>



<p>Each default theme currently incurs a high maintenance cost. This goes over the code in support. I am reluctant to recommend anything in core that adds to the bundled theme debt at this time, considering there is still a backlog. To be clear, I want to see significant product benefits before recommending it as a course of action.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Themes have changed</h2>



<p>Themes are a sliding scale of complexity, ranging from the quick brew weekend, a few hours of JSON for a personal site, to the large-scale enterprise theme founded on a complex design system, an extensive pattern library, and variations. Themes today are different, and anyone who is creating them knows this. Anyone not creating them also knows this, which is where the next bit comes in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The education piece</h2>



<p>One of the loudest comments in favour of having a default theme is that it brings education. Whilst this is true, education once a year isn&#8217;t useful. We need to consider the themes that are relevant today, and to do that, we need to examine all the pieces and their respective use cases. How are different people making themes? How are individuals experimenting? How are agencies scaling? How are people using themes today, and where are they stuck?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What a theme is needs to be reconsidered</h2>



<p>The strongest point for pausing this year is to take a moment as a project and consider what a theme is today. What design tools are missing that we need first? What pieces do we have, and how do they go together? Where do they not go together and need to? Fix those flows first, then build amazing &#8216;themes&#8217; or whatever we settle on.</p>



<p>The future of a theme might be a &#8216;kit&#8217; where you have a style you share. It might be something else. We haven&#8217;t paused long enough to think about it, and it&#8217;s not the same format we keep reworking in default themes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What else could we do instead?</h2>



<p>Here are a few things that could be done with all the people and effort a theme release typically takes. It&#8217;s worth noting that they require a lot, which is why these are in much greater demand at this time.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Education: </strong>Many people still don&#8217;t understand or haven&#8217;t fully explored the potential of block themes. Taking time for this collectively could be a powerful experience. It also helps the ecosystem, agencies and products.</li>



<li><strong>Improve the design tools for themes:</strong> By adding features such as adaptive controls and other missing pieces, redirecting the effort that would have gone into the default theme into the core editor itself. This benefits everyone and all themes.</li>



<li><strong>Rejuvenate the community theme project:</strong> This moves it beyond being a one-time event and could include various types of experiments. Allow exploration of what a theme is.</li>



<li><strong>Identify the areas where the themes are not working out:</strong> Improve this with tools and also within the core itself. This goes beyond the design tools and into the system of themes themselves.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A pause is not a stop</h2>



<p>I chose this title because I am suggesting a pause, although I struggle to see &#8216;when&#8217; we would need them, but of course, things change. As a project, WordPress should also release more experiments on what a theme should be today. That&#8217;s been the issue, and as a result, the default theme has become such a hot topic for people. </p>



<p>This is just my thought, though. If a default theme were to happen, it would be amazing and welcome. I also know it will be done incredibly well. I often reflect on the logistics and the limited resources required for incredible contributions. I always want to put them in the space where they will be most effective and move the project forward. I also think that, as a product, it makes sense to have focus, and I can&#8217;t see a default theme that fits right now. I&#8217;m open to evidence, as always, to counter that. For that, it&#8217;s up to the project to decide, not me.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sun, 06 Jul 2025 16:57:52 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"binatethoughts.com";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:40;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"Tammie Lister: June in WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://binatethoughts.com/?p=2340";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"https://binatethoughts.com/june-in-wordpress/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4972:"<p>Another month has passed and what a month this was, it started with WordCamp Europe and ended with a new sponsor.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Areas of contribution</h2>



<p>My focus continued in the areas it had before, but I also began trying to work more product work into this. I also attended the contribution day at WordCamp Europe, as well as the event itself. I had many great conversations that fueled me throughout the month.</p>



<p>Some stats this month (it&#8217;s worth noting I also did a lot of commenting, feedback and other activities outside of ticket numbers but they are good to refer to):</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Commits: </strong>4</li>



<li><strong>Closed tickets:</strong> 44</li>



<li><strong>Gave indepth feedback:</strong> 32 (this is worth calling out as often requires time around product and design).</li>
</ul>



<p>I have also been exploring how to optimise flows, such as rapid note-taking, and speed up more triage processes.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Backlog</strong>: My focus was on closing tickets and also on the ancient list which is to clear down.
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Another focus on the Gutenberg repo and clearing up the &#8216;needs design&#8217; to be a true reflection of that state.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><strong>Extensibility</strong>: Reviewing and verifying if issues are still valid, while also engaging in conversations about next steps.</li>



<li><strong>Bundled themes</strong>: Cleared out things for potentially including in next release.</li>
</ul>



<p>I also explored limits with dataViews and other areas of the editor, and as a result, encountered issues. This is always beneficial to do, as I learn each time where the boundary problems lie.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sharing the journey</h2>



<p>This month saw the opportunity to share my journey in contribution in a conversation with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/marcelbootsman_wordpress-wordcampeurope-wceu-activity-7343241379021570048-u6pT?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAABgcPcBKRyyxU2pJqS1IueElA37k3FWJGw">Marcel Bootsman at WCEU for Kinsta</a>. I also got to be on the <a href="https://openchannels.fm/the-evolving-landscape-of-core-contribution-and-company-sponsorship/">OpenChannels.fm</a> talking about the evolving landscape of core contribution and company sponsorship, with Tim and Zach from BigScoots with the amazing Adam Weeks joining us.</p>



<p>I continued to reflect on the learnings from the work I am doing. I wrote about &#8216;<a href="https://binatethoughts.com/?p=1858">Defining Roadmaps in the Open</a>&#8216; and &#8216;<a href="https://binatethoughts.com/?p=1826">Optimising Triage and Review Processes in WordPress using AI</a>&#8216;.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Upcoming plans for contribution</h2>



<p>I am allowing July to take shape as it unfolds, but to start with, this work will form the foundation. I also want to explore how I can incorporate some of my outside product management experience a bit more.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Backlog</strong>:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Focus on <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/ancient">ancient and inactive</a> trac log.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><strong>Core editor:</strong>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Continue on making sure &#8216;needs design&#8217; label is a true indicator.</li>



<li>Move on to the triage of the components label.</li>



<li>Components: see where can help with documentation &#8211; for example how can things be surfaced on make easier.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sponsors this month</h2>



<div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<p>I now have these sponsors: <a href="https://www.bigscoots.com">BigScoots</a>, <a href="https://greyd.io">Greyd</a>, <a href="https://kinsta.com">Kinsta</a>, <a href="https://servmask.com">ServMask</a>, <a href="https://github.com/aaronjorbin">Aaron Jorbin</a>, <a href="https://github.com/timnashcouk">Tim Nash</a>, <a href="https://github.com/jeffpaul">Jeffrey Paul</a>, <a href="https://github.com/foosantos">Felipe Santos</a> and <a href="https://github.com/scotrumery">Scot Rumery</a>. To everyone who sponsored me and helped me secure sponsorship, thank you.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">New sponsor ServMask</h3>



<p>Those of you who are keen-eyed will notice that a new sponsor has been added to that list. I want to thank ServMask for their sponsorship. It makes a difference to the work I can do to have companies and individuals support me.</p>



<p>Want to sponsor me? You can through <a href="https://github.com/sponsors/karmatosed">GitHub</a>.</p>



<p>There is always sponsorship, of course, that is volunteered, and I&#8217;ll do as much as possible whilst still keeping things flowing – let&#8217;s get contributing!</p>
</div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sun, 06 Jul 2025 15:37:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"binatethoughts.com";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"Gravatar: User Profile Page Examples to Inspire Your Website’s Design";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"http://blog.gravatar.com/?p=1496";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:64:"https://blog.gravatar.com/2025/07/04/user-profile-page-examples/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32841:"<p>A winning profile page requires two things working in harmony: </p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>First, a compelling design that showcases user identity. </li>



<li>Second, frictionless onboarding that gets users to actually complete their profiles.</li>
</ol>



<p>Most teams nail the design but fumble on the experience. Users abandon beautifully crafted pages because they&#8217;re tired of uploading the same photo and entering the same bio for the hundredth time. Your conversion rate flatlines while you wonder why your pixel-perfect interface isn&#8217;t working.</p>



<p>We analyzed 15 top-performing profile designs. The winners combine great design with smart data integration. Here’s a snapshot:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://github.com/">GitHub&#8217;s</a> contribution graphs turns coding into a game, while using <a href="https://gravatar.com/">Gravatar&#8217;s</a> data to instantly populate developer avatars.</li>



<li><a href="http://wordpress.com">WordPress.com</a> creates consistent profiles across millions of sites by tapping into existing user data.</li>



<li><a href="https://app.slack.com/">Slack</a> eliminates redundant profile setup by recognizing users&#8217; existing information.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The pattern: </strong>These platforms skip building avatar systems from scratch. They focus on features that actually differentiate them, like GitHub&#8217;s contribution graphs or WordPress.com&#8217;s activity streams.</p>



<p><strong>What you&#8217;ll discover:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The components of winning profile pages.</li>



<li>15 profile examples that actually convert.</li>



<li>Why top platforms use existing infrastructure instead of reinventing the wheel.</li>
</ul>



<p>Ready to fix your profile problem? Let&#8217;s dive in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What Actually Makes Profile Pages Convert</strong></h2>



<p><strong>What Actually Makes Profile Pages Convert</strong></p>



<p>A converting profile page transforms visitors into engaged users through strategic design decisions.</p>



<p>Four core elements separate winning profiles from the rest:</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Visual Hierarchy That Works</strong></h3>



<p>Profile photos positioned prominently drive immediate recognition.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/product-tips/tips-for-taking-professional-linkedin-profile-pictures"> Research shows profiles with photos receive 14x more views</a> and make users 36x more likely to receive messages.</p>



<p>Smart platforms leverage this psychology. Photos anchor the layout. Essential information clusters nearby. Secondary details push down or hide behind tabs. The result? Users find what they need instantly.</p>



<p><strong>Example:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/">GitHub</a> positions avatars in the left column where Western readers naturally start scanning. LinkedIn&#8217;s mobile app leads with the profile photo, capitalizing on the fact that<a href="https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/mobile-desktop-internet-usage-statistics"> 63% of web traffic comes from mobile devices</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Purpose-Driven Design</strong></h3>



<p>Single-purpose profiles outperform feature-bloated alternatives. Pick one primary goal. Execute flawlessly. Everything else becomes secondary or disappears.</p>



<p>Portfolio showcase? Show the work. Professional networking? Highlight credentials. Community building? Surface engagement metrics.</p>



<p><strong>Example:</strong> <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/">Stack Overflow</a> focuses solely on technical reputation &#8211; no social features, no messaging, just pure expertise visualization. This laser focus helped them become the de facto Q&amp;A platform for developers.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>User Control = User Retention</strong></h3>



<p>Customizable profiles keep users engaged. When people shape their digital presence, they invest emotionally. That investment translates to return visits.</p>



<p><a href="https://analyzify.com/statsup/linkedin#stat-linkedin-profiles-that-are-fully-completed-receive-30-more-views-on-a-weekly-basis">Complete LinkedIn profiles receive 30% more profile views</a> than incomplete ones. The best implementations balance flexibility with constraints – too many options overwhelm, too few feel restrictive.</p>



<p><strong>Example:</strong> <a href="https://discord.com/">Discord</a> allows custom status messages and per-server avatars, letting users express different facets of their personality across communities.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Three-Click Rule</strong></h3>



<p>Every profile action needs to be accessible within three clicks. Each additional click loses users.<a href="https://baymard.com/blog/ecommerce-checkout-usability-report-and-benchmark"> </a></p>



<p>Successful platforms use either tabbed interfaces or single-scroll designs. Both help users to quickly find the information they need. The choice depends on your content density and mobile constraints, not designer preference.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Essential Profile Components (Ranked by Impact)</strong></h2>



<p>Profile components are user interface elements that directly impact engagement metrics and conversion rates.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. Profile photo</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="Upload a profile picture" class="wp-image-1499" height="427" src="https://blog.gravatar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image.jpeg?w=660" width="660" /></figure>



<p>The trust anchor of any profile. No photo means no trust. Poor quality photos perform almost as badly.</p>



<p><strong>Technical requirements that matter:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Optimal size:<a href="https://docs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/setting-up-and-managing-your-github-profile/customizing-your-profile/personalizing-your-profile"> 500&#215;500 pixels recommended, 400&#215;400 minimum</a>.</li>



<li>Format: WebP with JPEG fallback.</li>



<li>Implementation: Lazy loading for performance.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The shortcut major platforms use: </strong><a href="https://gravatar.com/">Gravatar</a> handles all of this automatically. Users upload once, and their photo appears everywhere. No image processing pipeline to build. No storage costs. No optimization headaches. Just add their email hash and move on to features that actually differentiate your platform.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Bio section</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="Bio section " class="wp-image-1501" height="426" src="https://blog.gravatar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-2.jpeg?w=660" width="660" /></figure>



<p>The narrative that connects. Optimal length varies by platform, but the principle remains: force clarity through constraints.</p>



<p><a href="https://blog.replug.io/instagram-character-limits/">Instagram&#8217;s 150-character limit</a> drives concise, impactful bios. LinkedIn allows 2,000 characters, but best practices suggest <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/what-ideal-length-personal-bio-skills-personal-branding">keeping profile summaries to 300 words</a> or less for maximum engagement.</p>



<p><strong>Winning bios include:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Clear value proposition (first 50 characters).</li>



<li>Credibility markers.</li>



<li>Personality touches.</li>



<li>Call-to-action.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Connection Mechanisms</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="Contact information button" class="wp-image-1502" height="459" src="https://blog.gravatar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-3.jpeg?w=660" width="660" /></figure>



<p>Where engagement becomes action. Make it obvious how to connect. Make it easy to execute.</p>



<p><strong>Core features:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Follow/connect buttons above the fold.</li>



<li>Clear messaging options.</li>



<li>Permission controls.</li>



<li>Export capabilities.</li>
</ul>



<p><a href="https://blog.photofeeler.com/perfect-photo/">Professional headshots increase perceived competence by +0.94 points</a> and influence by +1.29 points. Yet most platforms still make users jump through hoops to connect.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Infrastructure Reality</strong></h2>



<p>Building these from scratch takes weeks. Database schemas, image optimization, and privacy compliance – each component requires specialized expertise.</p>



<p><a href="https://blog.gravatar.com/2024/06/03/profiles-as-a-service/">Gravatar already serves billions of avatars</a> for WordPress.com, Slack, GitHub, and OpenAI. Their evolution brings a complete profile solution: one integration, full identity system. While competitors build profile systems, smart platforms leverage existing infrastructure and focus on unique value.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>15 Profile Examples that Actually deliver</strong></h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Developer Platforms</strong></h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. GitHub &#8211; The Contribution Graph Pioneer</strong></h4>



<p><img height="380" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdTW9hUkNj9OAzWfe-RbA2F4GE8JR0pvu5Rfr2JTWcWXMGZK7Xz2qsdDOe9p6F-AZpwoai53du6y6Tj1gVcKLmc3qcPToaafsdJD7Klop8rVrvobjSYZE5wIiMWNNDDu4x7orwtow?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" width="624" />GitHub&#8217;s green contribution squares changed developer behavior. The visual representation of daily commits gamifies consistency without explicit rewards.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="github contirbutiom graph " src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXecRnGaKYp-S3vS82NVJTjXuWa019s2f4KI0aprqFajf5Ld9YWvZ-8XS_15iDyCy1E6EcFcV646abg60MDQtD2Q_njBp-up0KKaW3dcSbYpZ1Vx9RafgYqTeto-gF9-DqrZD5y11g?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Hero element:</strong> 365-day activity visualization.</li>



<li><strong>Conversion driver:</strong> Pinned repositories (6 maximum).</li>



<li><strong>Mobile optimization:</strong> Collapsible sections preserve space.</li>



<li><strong>Technical note:</strong><a href="https://docs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/setting-up-and-managing-your-github-profile/customizing-your-profile/personalizing-your-profile"> Uses Gravatar for avatar fallback</a>.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Visual activity drives engagement.</li>
</ul>



<p>The Profile README feature lets developers create dynamic showcases with real-time stats and custom content. Markdown + APIs = living portfolios. This single feature spawned an entire ecosystem of profile enhancement tools.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Stack Overflow &#8211; Gamification Done Right</strong></h4>



<p>Stack Overflow proves single-metric focus works. Everything revolves around reputation points.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="Stack overflow gamification features" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcTiGphKSmTkENm5WlroDFuVkB3RjdoqF_V-98miMcpNREL-mnNPsqIzF-EVP1qsuhCnYUeU_1OzLtfR2zivma6Yleign_Wy29CqjJMfp2W1s5vyzCfN7HZz7wb_OS07spj4EOR?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Scoring system:</strong> Clear value exchange (answers = points).</li>



<li><strong>Badge collection:</strong> 95 distinct achievements.</li>



<li><strong>Information hierarchy:</strong> Reputation dominates visually.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> One clear success metric.</li>
</ul>



<p>Their discontinued &#8220;Developer Story&#8221; feature proved that even successful platforms overcomplicate. Returning to reputation-first design re-engaged their core audience. Sometimes less truly is more.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. GitLab &#8211; The Everything Dashboard</strong></h4>



<p>GitLab emphasizes team collaboration over individual achievement. Every contribution is visible, and every interaction is tracked.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="gitlab dashboard" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf5bUQ7NJb5dnmPT-BfACUWE03O9pp9fbuBgirTeLbSC-jn3mPqzJIQ6__gESULIn9eduQ1npCVmblzAELlFgvJeDLaivt_zAdA4uDpznFplL4XiXXMZ7_7xAtwASBC5yo7bN5dgw?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Activity feeds:</strong> Complete transparency.</li>



<li><strong>Project integration:</strong> Seamless repository connection.</li>



<li><strong>Team visibility:</strong> Organizational context is clear.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Transparency builds trust.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Creative Showcases</strong></h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Dribbble – Visual-First Excellence</strong></h4>



<p>Dribbble&#8217;s 400×300px shot grid maximizes visual impact. Their 2023 redesign philosophy was: &#8220;less noise, less clutter – more beautiful pixels.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="Alt: dribbble john oliver profile photo resizing" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXepn8KFR3eNHG2KXr1KCWIdaX8eMXQwNloxBgpoXOfUv-WrFbrUhryI924_H-D2IUJHoBUt2utO7U_vkOWank-eb2nuHsy90Cw7aasBUH7AuHP-xOhdlUDUp9_MIk9kHKhHUX7VEw?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Grid optimization:</strong> Rapid visual scanning. </li>



<li><strong>Hover interactions:</strong> Preview without commitment.</li>



<li><strong>Social proof:</strong> View and like counts are visible.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Minimize UI, maximize content.</li>
</ul>



<p>Pro accounts unlock customization &#8211; header images, welcome messages, and shot reorganization. Monetization through enhancement, not restriction.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. Behance – The Case Study Master</strong></h4>



<p>Behance champions comprehensive project stories over individual images. Adobe integration made it the default for Creative Cloud users.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="example behance profile" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdp8C9lQS5v3wfL1uCq2Ljol8NKrSwyUDvRI7WB3iV5gLnW0zFvVapzFp32VMEiGGAfLIMtYLtpCneV5_Lvv8xC1-4y4TrjtUPgfOVn61jbc3v5FJW14fCWlsnNeea7nzeMO3KSFg?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<p><strong>Project depth:</strong> Multiple images per entry.<br /><strong>Rich media:</strong> Video, 3D, animation support.<br /><strong>Context provision:</strong> Process documentation encouraged.<br /><strong>Steal this:</strong> Show the journey, not just the destination.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6. ArtStation &#8211; Industry-Specific Focus</strong></h4>



<p>ArtStation owns game and film portfolios through specialized features. Generic platforms can&#8217;t compete with niche expertise.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt=" artstation game portfolio" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeCPW5f41p13fN2nHSCdkZURiOkgV0qgA2PCoMGpCQYFFAfTr9x4EWD6o_BW7qOgr63gA9LmpFVObJEq8HYMQM4CucIqls_JNwfxVnPXyKSGdbjxlDgWLreMPJlhUdWD4IhGmXw0w?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<p><strong>4K image support:</strong> Industry-standard quality.<br /><strong>Software tags:</strong> Tools and workflows are visible.<br /><strong>Marketplace integration:</strong> Direct monetization.<br /><strong>Steal this:</strong> Deep specialization wins.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Content Platforms</strong></h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>7. Medium &#8211; Minimalism That Converts</strong></h4>



<p><a href="https://medium.com/">Medium</a> profiles strip away everything except what matters: your words and your audience.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="Alt: substack member article" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd5RpD7PfN7PlIsge5iKId1Ld50LydRhNJOKaLoFzfkhI43T2enn0rcqdA4kcA6lOSy0GiUsnyQzuSwlot-FLwODLOoAUxSM4J8bAasKYhrJ44Ta7ZRdx2t7dw7EFQMrTE7HV0LFA?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Typography focus:</strong> Clean reading experience prioritizes content. </li>



<li><strong>Clap engagement:</strong> A Simple appreciation system that actually works.</li>



<li><strong>Clean metrics:</strong> Followers, following, nothing else cluttering the view. </li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Radical simplicity drives engagement.</li>
</ul>



<p><a href="https://medium.com/write-a-catalyst/highlights-of-what-happened-on-medium-in-2024-what-to-note-2900f2a01426">Medium achieved profitability in 2024</a> by doubling down on human storytelling. Their profile pages offer header customization and infinite scroll, but the real lesson? Sometimes less truly is more. No vanity metrics. No feature bloat. Just writers and readers connecting through stories.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>8. WordPress.com – The Network Effect</strong></h4>



<p><a href="http://wordpress.com">WordPress.com</a> leverages<a href="https://blog.gravatar.com/2024/12/10/how-to-use-gravatar-in-wordpress/"> Gravatar for network-wide consistency</a>. One avatar, thousands of sites.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdzacXkdKWlQ3ed6Oy2qrkLxOPMtVEC9cWg0jhO_X8ii4yuE6pIMuVphw7tmgO54wOXc0Zn7dp1LE8JNPjFcjQorr99BpURTMl7NALL6raolXCt0F_qWa72HxHzuw37o4g2uaqfpA?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<p><strong>Multi-site integration:</strong> Activity aggregation<br /><strong>Universal identity:</strong> Single sign-on benefits<br /><strong>Cross-platform recognition:</strong> Comments tracked globally<br /><strong>Steal this:</strong> Reduce friction everywhere</p>



<p>The <a href="https://blog.gravatar.com/2024/09/11/gravatar-enhanced/">Gravatar Enhanced plugin</a> adds privacy features including no referrer information by default and an opt-in proxy service. It includes a Gravatar Profile Block for displaying user information dynamically. Hovercards are enabled by default to increase engagement. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>9. Dev.to – Community-Centric Profiles</strong></h4>



<p>Dev.to prioritize collective learning over individual achievement. Participation matters more than perfection.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="dev.to learning" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeMH27CmH6oOHWyL4EXeolayThYKeMvFEaCFl-GMXsjRYsk7lRNl4YtahwssrG3us2DuEwNiO_EE82lE4CCli56bUocUbtC6ziGnKDpXcKVUQzBTn1rE4unavsWhRgQz6qcrZr8QQ?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Discussion highlights:</strong> Best contributions featured.</li>



<li><strong>Learning transparency:</strong> Reading lists are public.</li>



<li><strong>Reaction diversity:</strong> Beyond simple likes.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Community value over vanity metrics.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Social Platforms</strong></h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>10. Discord &#8211; Personality-Driven Design</strong></h4>



<p>Discord&#8217;s per-server profiles let users wear different hats in different communities. One account, multiple personalities.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="discord per server profile options" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXefkU1ewEdWCU8naVMF54K6rdNA8f4WSYjo3qg-_fVJeJeuqURpMz59sZlbF5ZzUVDVhyitDR-0QfJSs9i9rx4TZyZL91wqvPNoDORIbqwiAZt8ssrMljdBFmGqe3WkdRT4QoJq?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Custom statuses:</strong> 128-character expression.</li>



<li><strong>Server showcase:</strong> Community membership visible.</li>



<li><strong>Nitro features:</strong> Premium customization options.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Context-aware identity.</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>11. Spotify &#8211; Data as Identity</strong></h4>



<p><a href="https://support.spotify.com/uk/article/spotify-wrapped/">Spotify Wrapped</a> proves people love sharing their data through their user profiles when presented beautifully. Listening history becomes a form of social currency.</p>



<p><img alt="spotify wrapped
" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeUGsPbW-77ZCx5McjFoS1FmWUrNO0P-rCE7Vn7D06R3gWqai2VFw6sqLlt-diA8cxht6s9oDG2aezU04vgUveg5jsZ5ptnhbGD-QxiFGrZDb4-e860TDa2sEKECKDAFe6TUYeNYQ?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" style="width: 625px;" /></p>



<p></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Data visualization:</strong> Musical taste graphs.</li>



<li><strong>Playlist curation:</strong> User as tastemaker.</li>



<li><strong>Sharing optimization:</strong> One-click social posts.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Make data shareable.</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>12. Twitch &#8211; Revenue-Focused Profiles</strong></h4>



<p>Twitch optimizes for creator monetization without apology. Money matters, design supports it.<img alt="twitch" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfMcyPLD3k3CVkwxJVJ8EMcBAf4Zezs5DPLrcx5DYOFx06hUfiKAC9J3uR2k9e3cu1LHp4QNoA0CBRH_aYUtYtLAW3GXM23hhQLkWlh-qrgZWpaumntWxaV-VzqRbMBK-8rtvXzvg?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" style="width: 600px;" /></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Subscribe prominence:</strong> Can&#8217;t miss the CTA.</li>



<li><strong>Schedule display:</strong> Reliability builds an audience. </li>



<li><strong>Clip showcase:</strong> Best moments surface automatically.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Business goals drive design.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Business Tools</strong></h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>13. LinkedIn &#8211; The Professional Standard</strong></h4>



<p>LinkedIn profiles work because they&#8217;re discoverable within the platform. Every field functions as a searchable element for recruiters and connections.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="linkedin profile" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcj9Cz7-4Em_4a4rdTtwrBbFfOJmJJCW3HVb26RgTnRcMP6A846_BpFStL7Jj2wD-ElJk1u5W2ojYOa4EWU03Z0LpDLIJSz2th15s4nBBj_hiSsXR2S0e9uL3ZYe3N0gYuTlR8W8w?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Keyword integration:</strong> Natural optimization.</li>



<li><strong>Skill validation:</strong> Peer endorsements.</li>



<li><strong>Content platform:</strong> Native publishing power.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> Make profiles search-friendly.</li>
</ul>



<p><a href="https://www.jobscan.co/linkedin-optimization">LinkedIn optimization tools show an average 132% increase in profile views</a>. Strategic profile optimization drives real opportunities – <a href="https://www.cognism.com/blog/linkedin-statistics">candidates with comprehensive profiles have a 71% higher chance of job interviews</a>.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>14. ProductHunt – Maker Credibility</strong></h4>



<p>ProductHunt profiles display your complete launch history with upvote counts, creating a track record that builds credibility for future product launches.</p>



<p>.<img height="337" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdgAUs8SSJwa8xMckKU1Ino6SEn4f0WfqCeYIczlQz131dmUPEHg6o3sVKG19A8NJtI13yABpnkOKuGQ7MCU3zhWuksBZzDy6hJrnn5UYFHHP9qUpaNA4HHnij7vXN6W_HpsKmELg?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" width="430" /></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Launch timeline:</strong> Track record visible.</li>



<li><strong>Upvote accumulation:</strong> Social proof currency.</li>



<li><strong>Collection curation:</strong> Tastemaker status.</li>



<li><strong>Steal this:</strong> History builds credibility.</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>15. Figma – Collaboration Visualization</strong></h4>



<p>Figma profiles showcase collaborative work by default – files display team ownership, not just individual creators. This reflects how modern design actually happens.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="Figma collaboration" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeP7ABU8f5lPpJlwsixf36K3n0FKOgfYb1coYw-DQCNlifcSzhK0WdNLisYpJoJHwOUeELoS_5ryvXUpY50nCEpGNZn8dLkCodXs5KQ4V10tdTIJWA1KyBLt9RgiS_KPwOKNSIA?key=g3Vs1-oIvhXl3o64xetJ4g" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>File previews:</strong> Automatic portfolio generation.</li>



<li><strong>Team context:</strong> Collaborative credentials.</li>



<li><strong>Plugin development:</strong> Technical skills showcase.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Steal this:</strong> Modern work is teamwork.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why Mobile Profile Optimization is a Must</strong></h2>



<p>Here&#8217;s the reality check: Your beautifully designed desktop profile? <em>Most</em> users will never see it.</p>



<p>It differs between segments like age group and industry, but <a href="https://research.com/software/guides/mobile-vs-desktop-usage">96.3% of internet users access via mobile phones</a>. Yet most profile pages still treat mobile as an afterthought &#8211; cramming desktop designs into smaller screens and wondering why engagement tanks.</p>



<p><strong>The paradox:</strong> Desktop users spend <a href="https://www.semrush.com/blog/mobile-vs-desktop-usage/">~77.8% longer per visit</a>, while mobile users generate 81% higher visit volume. This isn&#8217;t about choosing sides. It&#8217;s about understanding each platform&#8217;s strengths and designing accordingly.</p>



<p>Mobile profile optimization prioritizes thumb-zone interaction and vertical information architecture. Get this wrong, and you lose the majority of your audience before they even engage.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mobile Constraints That Matter</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Touch Targets</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-ios/">44x44px minimum (Apple HIG)</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://m3.material.io/">48x48dp minimum (Material Design)</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/target-size.html">20% spacing prevents mis-taps</a>.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Information Architecture</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Progressive disclosure by default.</li>



<li>Expand on explicit intent only.</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2019/10/31/proposal-a-consistent-spacing-system-for-wordpress/">Vertical rhythm consistency using 8px grid system</a>.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Performance Requirements</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>3-second maximum load time.</li>



<li>Lazy loading below the fold.</li>



<li>Image optimization is critical.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Platform Solutions Worth Stealing</strong></h3>



<p><strong>LinkedIn:</strong> Card-based sections create digestible chunks. Each card is self-contained, swipeable, and complete.</p>



<p><strong>GitHub:</strong> Collapsible sections preserve desktop density. Critical info visible, details on demand.</p>



<p><strong>Discord:</strong> Native gestures for navigation. Swipe between servers feels natural, reduces cognitive load.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Implementation Without the Headache</strong></h2>



<p>Efficient profile implementation leverages existing infrastructure to reduce development time and maintenance burden.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Build vs. Buy Reality Check</strong></h3>



<p><strong>DIY Timeline:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Week 1-2: Database schema and API.</li>



<li>Week 3: Frontend components.</li>



<li>Week 4: Image handling and optimization.</li>



<li>Ongoing: Security updates and maintenance.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The Gravatar Approach:</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://blog.gravatar.com/2024/06/03/profiles-as-a-service/">Gravatar already powers avatars across WordPress.com, Slack, GitHub, and OpenAI</a>. Their evolution brings a complete profile solution:</p>



<p><strong>Current Gravatar Reality:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Billions of avatars are served monthly.</li>



<li>Email-based identity system.</li>



<li>Zero license keys required.</li>



<li><a href="https://blog.gravatar.com/2024/10/30/introducing-native-integrations-for-gravatar-mobile-sdk/">Native mobile SDKs released in October 2024</a>.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The Gravatar Approach:</strong></p>



<p>Gravatar&#8217;s <a href="https://docs.gravatar.com/">Profile-as-a-Service API</a> provides: </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Full profile data access (avatars, bios, interests, verified accounts) </li>



<li>Open API with no licensing requirements </li>



<li>80+ million existing profiles </li>



<li>Automatic profile syncing across platforms </li>



<li>Native mobile SDKs for iOS and Android </li>
</ul>



<p>Learn more: <a href="https://docs.gravatar.com/">https://docs.gravatar.com/</a> </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Critical Technical Decisions</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Image Handling</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>A CDN is required for global performance.</li>



<li>Multiple size variants are needed.</li>



<li>Format detection and serving.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/target-size.html">WCAG 2.2 compliance for accessibility</a>.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Privacy Compliance</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>GDPR consent mechanisms.</li>



<li>Data portability options.</li>



<li>User-controlled sharing (Gravatar&#8217;s approach).</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Performance Optimization</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Edge caching strategies.</li>



<li>Progressive enhancement.</li>



<li>Core Web Vitals compliance.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What&#8217;s Next for Profile Design</strong></h2>



<p>Three trends reshape profile architecture:</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Unified Identity Systems</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Gravatar&#8217;s vision: </strong>One profile, updated everywhere. Email becomes the universal identity anchor.</p>



<p>Users demand control. They own the data, and platforms display it. The winning platforms embrace this shift.<a href="https://blog.gravatar.com/2024/06/03/profiles-as-a-service/"> 85% of adults worldwide want additional steps to protect online privacy</a> – unified systems deliver both convenience and control.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Privacy-First Architecture</strong></h3>



<p>Granular sharing controls become a competitive advantage. Users specify what shares are where. Trust drives retention.</p>



<p>Gravatar&#8217;s model: Users decide what&#8217;s shared, and platforms respect those decisions. This approach aligns with evolving regulations while building user confidence.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stop Building. Start Converting.</strong></h2>



<p>Profile pages fail when built in isolation. Each platform reinvents the wheel, users suffer through repetitive onboarding, and developers waste weeks on solved problems.</p>



<p>The solution is clear: Study these 15 examples. Steal what works. Then decide – build from scratch or leverage existing infrastructure?</p>



<p><strong>Your Next Move:</strong></p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Audit your current profile system against these examples</li>



<li>List the gaps costing you conversions</li>



<li>Calculate the real cost of DIY development</li>



<li>Consider unified identity solutions like Gravatar</li>
</ol>



<p>Using the <a href="https://blog.gravatar.com/2024/08/26/gravatar-api-tutorial-for-app-developers/">Gravatar API</a> for importing profile data helps establish attractive and consistent profile designs. This improves the overall look of your application and guarantees the accuracy of profile information. </p>



<p>Gravatar&#8217;s profile integration is already revolutionizing user profile design for leading websites such as <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/">Pocket Casts</a> and WordPress.com. These platforms use Gravatar&#8217;s features to enhance user engagement and provide a more dynamic profile experience to users worldwide.</p>



<p>Stop building profile systems. Start building profile experiences that convert Join the thousands of people customizing their unique profiles today with <a href="https://docs.gravatar.com/">Gravatar</a>!  .</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 04 Jul 2025 15:38:51 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"Ronnie Burt";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:42;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:73:"Open Channels FM: Emojis, Exclamation Marks, and Reading the Room in Text";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:33:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=100417";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"https://openchannels.fm/emojis-exclamation-marks-and-reading-the-room-in-text/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:173:"Tone in writing significantly influences communication, especially in async messages, where emojis, punctuation, and warmth affect how messages are received and interpreted.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:28:24 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:42:"Aaron Jorbin: My May And June in WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://aaron.jorb.in/?p=208437";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:51:"https://aaron.jorb.in/my-may-and-june-in-wordpress/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5288:"<p>My May and June in WordPress focused on helping get 6.8.2 set up for success and gardening old trac tickets. </p>



<p>This was my first time putting together the squad for a minor release that I wasn&#8217;t going to be a member of. I coordinated with a few active committers, team reps, and the 6.8.0 release coordinators to review the folks who volunteered to help lead a maintenance release. The first step was identifying from the volunteers one person who could be the primary lead. This involved reaffirming that people could still make the commitment. Once the first person was identified, we looked for folks to compliment them and I confirmed their availability. After that, I announced it and the 6.8.2 team got off to a quick start getting ready for the next release of WordPress.</p>



<p>I&#8217;ve also been spending some time looking at some long neglected tickets.  In order to not feel stuck, I&#8217;ve moved between a few reports on trac. The <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/close">close report</a> (which is now under 200), one looking at <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=accepted&amp;status=assigned&amp;status=new&amp;status=reopened&amp;status=reviewing&amp;keywords=~has-patch&amp;col=id&amp;col=summary&amp;col=status&amp;col=owner&amp;col=type&amp;col=priority&amp;col=milestone&amp;col=changetime&amp;order=changetime">tickets with a patch that haven&#8217;t received</a> attention in a long time and <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/ancient">the ancient report</a>. Over half the tickets I touched during this span of time are now closed.</p>



<p>Another task I did was once again participate in the <a href="https://lgbtqpress.com/2025/05/share-your-pride-photo-drive-is-back-for-2025/">Share Your Pride photo drive</a>. I added a total of <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/jorbin/">32 photos</a> though not all are in the photo drive. One of my favorites is used as the featured image on this post <img alt="☺" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/263a.png" style="height: 1em;" /></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">By the numbers</h2>



<p>During these two months, I contributed to 131 tickets on trac, made 4 commits to core, received 10 props, put together the squad for a minor release, wrote 1 make/core post, added 32 photos to the photo directory, and led one bug scrub.</p>



<p>I had 20 sponsors these months: <a href="https://github.com/jeffpaul" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Jeffrey Paul</a>, <a href="https://github.com/philipjohn" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">philipjohn</a>, <a href="https://github.com/zstepek" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Zach Stepek</a>, <a href="https://github.com/kkoppenhaver" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Keanan Koppenhaver</a>, <a href="https://github.com/Mamaduka" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">George Mamadashvili</a>, <a href="https://github.com/kingkool68">Russell Heimlich </a>, <a href="https://github.com/austinginder">Austin Ginder</a>, <a href="https://github.com/adamsilverstein">Adam Silverstein</a>, <a href="https://github.com/felixarntz">Felix Arntz</a>, <a href="https://github.com/desrosj">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>, <a href="https://github.com/bacoords">Brian Coords</a>, <a href="https://github.com/mklute101">mklute101</a>, <a href="https://github.com/timnashcouk">Tim Nash</a>, <a href="https://github.com/jayhoppie">Jay Hoppie</a>,<a href="https://github.com/dknauss"> Dan Knauss</a>, <a href="https://github.com/kcristiano">Kevin Cristiano</a>, <a href="https://kinsta.com/">Kinsta</a>, <a href="https://github.com/whyisjake">Jake Spurlock</a>, <a href="https://github.com/afragen">Andy Fragen</a> and one who wishes to remain anonymous. Thank you for believing in and supporting my contributions to Open Source.</p>



<p></p>



<p>Previous: <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-march-and-april-in-wordpress/">March/April 2025</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-february-in-wordpress-2/">February 2025</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-january-in-wordpress-2/">January 2025</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-2024-in-wordpress/">2024 as a whole</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-october-in-wordpress/">October 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-september-in-wordpress/">September 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-august-in-wordpress/">August 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-july-in-wordpress/">July 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-june-in-wordpress/">June 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-may-in-wordpress/">May 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-april-in-wordpress/">April 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-march-in-wordpress/">March 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-february-in-wordpress/">February 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-january-in-wordpress/">January 2024</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-december-in-wordpress/">December 2023</a>, <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-november-in-wordpress/">November 2023</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in/my-may-and-june-in-wordpress/">My May And June in WordPress</a> appeared first on <a href="https://aaron.jorb.in">Aaron Jorbin</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 03 Jul 2025 19:02:58 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6:"jorbin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"Open Channels FM: Clarity Beats Brevity in Async Work";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:33:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=100390";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"https://openchannels.fm/clarity-beats-brevity-in-async-work/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:195:"In async work, short messages often lead to confusion. Being clear and detailed helps everyone understand without endless back-and-forth. Good communication is about being useful, not just quick.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:38:47 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:45;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:51:"Peter Wilson: Unit testing WordPress plugin headers";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://peterwilson.cc/?p=6615";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"https://peterwilson.cc/unit-testing-wordpress-plugin-headers/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:656:"<p>WordPress plugins require a number of headers to be included in the plugin file for them to render correctly in the dashboard. If releasing a plugin on WordPress.org then a number of additional headers are required in the readme file.</p>



<p>The problem I have is that I can never remember which header goes where. Each time I write a plugin, I have to spend time reading the docs and making sure everything is in the correct location.</p>



<p>Continue reading <a href="https://peterwilson.cc/unit-testing-wordpress-plugin-headers/">Unit testing WordPress plugin headers</a> on <a href="https://peterwilson.cc" rel="nofollow">peterwilson.cc</a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:43:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Peter Wilson";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:46;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"bbPress: bbPress 2.6.14 is out!";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://bbpress.org/?p=245323";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:55:"https://bbpress.org/blog/2025/07/bbpress-2-6-14-is-out/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:726:"<p>bbPress 2.6.14 is a <strong>minor</strong> release that fixes <a href="https://bbpress.trac.wordpress.org/milestone/2.6.14">20 issues</a>. For everyone running bbPress 2.6, feel free to update at your earliest convenience. <img alt="🍯" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f36f.png" style="height: 1em;" /></p>



<p>This release improves Akismet, BuddyPress, and PHP 8.2 support, moderation terms, search, and more!</p>



<p>(All of these fixes have already been merged into trunk/2.7.)</p>



<p>Thank you to everyone who contributed to this bbPress release! <img alt="🙏" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f64f.png" style="height: 1em;" /></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:15:15 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"John James Jacoby";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:47;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"WPTavern: #175 – Jennifer Schumacher on Learning From Agency Mistakes";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"https://wptavern.com/?post_type=podcast&p=197160";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"https://wptavern.com/podcast/175-jennifer-schumacher-on-learning-from-agency-mistakes";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48363:"<details>Transcript<div>
<p>[00:00:19] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Welcome to the Jukebox Podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley.</p>



<p>Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress, the people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case, learning from mistakes in website development agencies.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast player of choice, or by going to wptavern.com/feed/podcast, and you can copy that URL into most podcast players.</p>



<p>If you have a topic that you&#8217;d like us to feature on the podcast, I&#8217;m keen to hear from you and hopefully get you, or your idea, featured on the show. Head to wptavern.com/contact/jukebox, and use the form there.</p>



<p>So on the podcast today, we have Jennifer Schumacher.</p>



<p>Jennifer has been working with WordPress and web development for over 15 years. Her journey began with a spark of curiosity in university, building her first WordPress website after a YouTube crash course. Then evolving into freelance gigs, team collaborations, and eventually running a white label agency working alongside other agencies around the world.</p>



<p>Jennifer&#8217;s experiences have exposed her to the highs and lows of agency life. Projects that run smoothly, but also cultures that can become toxic, people burning out, and the all too familiar frustration of unbillable hours, and broken processes.</p>



<p>This inspired Jennifer&#8217;s lightning talk at WordCamp Europe 2025, where she shared some of the most common, and painful, mistakes she&#8217;s seen agencies make, and what can be learned from them.</p>



<p>Jennifer walks us through her path in the WordPress world, and we discuss three real world mistakes agencies make. Web support that drains your soul, the design handoff from hell, and work more, bill less, and smile anyway.</p>



<p>We talk through support, bottlenecks, frustrating design to development handoffs, and the dilemma of over servicing clients without fair compensation.</p>



<p>Jennifer shares her candid perspective on why processes and honest communication matter, not just for the bottom line, but for the mental health and building sustainable teams. She also discusses how transparency, learning from failure, and continually improving processes can improve agency life.</p>



<p>Jennifer&#8217;s approach is refreshingly open about both the mistakes and the solutions, aiming to help others avoid repeating them.</p>



<p>If you found yourself frustrated with agency workflows, or are hoping to build a healthier business in the WordPress ecosystem, this episode is for you.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re interested in finding out more, you can find all of the links in the show notes by heading to wptavern.com/podcast, where you&#8217;ll find all the other episodes as well.</p>



<p>And so without further delay, I bring you, Jennifer Schumacher.</p>



<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Jennifer Schumacher. Hello, Jennifer.</p>



<p>[00:03:26] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Hello. Nice to be here.</p>



<p>[00:03:28] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> We&#8217;re here on Contrib Day. It&#8217;s WordCamp Europe 2025. Now, because it&#8217;s Contrib Day, that means you haven&#8217;t yet done what it is that you are going to do at WordCamp Europe. But you&#8217;ve got a presentation, like a lightning talk. So you&#8217;ve got 10 minutes to stand on the stage.</p>



<p>The idea is that you are going to be talking about agency, WordPress agencies, how they mess up, I&#8217;m going to use that word, and how they can learn from their mistakes.</p>



<p>So before we get into that, just tell us a little bit about you.</p>



<p>[00:03:56] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I started web development about 15 years ago, maybe a even more even. I was at university, no money, on a freelance platform, and somebody asked me if I could build a website. I checked on YouTube, okay WordPress. I said yes, and then I sold a website. No idea how to do it, honestly. But then YouTube helped me figure things out, and that&#8217;s how I started and fell in love with it. No way to turn back.</p>



<p>Went for it, did a couple of freelance gigs and then, you know, joining other team members, joining other people in the freelance world, building like groups, working on stuff together, working on projects. And then it grew, got bigger. We got bigger projects. We built a white label team working for the agencies, collaborating with other agencies. And that&#8217;s what I have done over the past years. So that&#8217;s a bit of my background.</p>



<p>[00:04:47] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, that&#8217;s perfect. Yeah, that&#8217;s great. I think your story sounds like a lot of people&#8217;s stories in that they, if you began 15 years ago, the web was still very much discovering what it was going to be. And you drop in and learn as you went along. I think maybe now that&#8217;s a little bit more difficult. I think if you drop in these days, it&#8217;s maybe more challenging. There&#8217;s so much more competition out there and things like that. yeah, your story kind of mimics mine except that you grew an agency and I didn&#8217;t, I just stuck as a one person, and that kind of worked out for me.</p>



<p>[00:05:15] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Yeah, it&#8217;s like the people network, right? You meet different people and then you get to know each other, and then you start learning, and then you think about the opportunities. And then either you say, okay, this is a path that I want to take, or you don&#8217;t, right?</p>



<p>[00:05:27] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> And have you ever worked for other people in website building? Have you worked for other agencies, or been an employee? Or has it always been you and the agencies that you have run?</p>



<p>[00:05:36] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I never have been like an employee per se, so it was more like a contractor, but either freelance or for the agency that we built. But the nice thing, and why I really loved this was it was in different roles, right? Sometimes I was the designer in the beginning, or I was the developer. Later on I did develop myself, but that was in the WP Bakery days. So I don&#8217;t do that anymore to be honest.</p>



<p>Yeah, so it was design then more development. And then later on I moved more into project management. And then in the most recent years, there&#8217;s so many things that I, after all those years, you know, it&#8217;s nice, I love WordPress, but certain things make me sick. I was like, God, no, I don&#8217;t want this anymore.</p>



<p>Certain stress levels that I&#8217;ve reached where I said, no, I don&#8217;t want to do it the same old way as usual. This is something that my talk will be about, to be honest.</p>



<p>And the last couple of years have been more about process improvement. Doing things faster, less stress, and then also all these unbillable hours that many people just hide below the table. So this has been my focus for the last couple of years.</p>



<p>[00:06:41] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay. Well, I&#8217;ve got to say it&#8217;s very, very nice to meet somebody who&#8217;s really open and honest about their successes, but also things that they consider they could do better. Let&#8217;s use the word failures. I think most people kind of hide that stuff, but it&#8217;s really interesting that you are doing a presentation where you are raising that as, okay, I messed this up, I messed this up, I messed this up, and here&#8217;s how I took it as a, you say learning opportunity, which I suppose is the best way to parse any of those kind of things.</p>



<p>Why are you doing a talk though at WordCamp? So this is kind of a more of a community question. It&#8217;s not really about the presentation itself. I&#8217;m just curious as to why, what is it that you get out of it? Do you just enjoy sort of hanging out at these events or, why have you decided to do it?</p>



<p>[00:07:20] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> How can I explain that in the best possible way? I&#8217;ve met many great people over the years, but I&#8217;ve seen many of them who got frustrated about certain things in part of the culture at the agency they worked at. I&#8217;ve seen toxic cultures as well. I&#8217;ve seen many projects that started off very nice and then it became frustrating over the time. And then towards the end, people were not getting paid according to what they actually delivered.</p>



<p>I&#8217;ve seen people that later on actually quit and they said again, I don&#8217;t want to do it anymore. That they were so frustrated, especially in project management, I&#8217;ve seen a couple of them just drop out. It&#8217;s like, you know what? Not doing it anymore. And I don&#8217;t think that that&#8217;s worth it.</p>



<p>If we don&#8217;t talk about what goes wrong, if we don&#8217;t acknowledge about stuff, these things that could be better, and then say, hey, you know what, let&#8217;s figure out a better path and resolve this kind of stress because we deserve a better team that&#8217;s in sync, then what are we doing? If we just continue and say, well, that&#8217;s agency life, you know? That&#8217;s how it is in agencies. No, it&#8217;s not supposed to be that way.</p>



<p>If you just accept it and just go with it, then it&#8217;s going to be that way. I think it&#8217;s worth sharing that, because if you don&#8217;t ask the question, how can it be better? You&#8217;re not making anything better to be honest.</p>



<p>[00:08:38] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay. Thank you. So let&#8217;s hope that the wisdom that you impart will land with the people. But you&#8217;ve got this idea of three real world agency mistakes. That&#8217;s what you&#8217;re going to focus on in your 10 minutes.</p>



<p>I have a question around that. So obviously you&#8217;re going to highlight the things that went wrong, explain how you tackled it. Do you ever get the sense though that there&#8217;s ever, and I&#8217;m doing air quotes, a perfect system? Have you ever landed on something where you think, okay, that&#8217;s it, I do not need to improve that thing anymore? Or is there always room for improvement?</p>



<p>[00:09:09] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Well, that&#8217;s a good question to be honest. I&#8217;m German. Many Germans try to be perfect to be honest. But I don&#8217;t think perfect exists, and isn&#8217;t imperfect perfect. Because the thing is like, learning is a journey, so if we set up a system and then we figure out, okay, let&#8217;s try that way, and then we work with it and then see, what can we tweak, what can we improve? And isn&#8217;t that what makes it perfect, right? Because we keep improving things.</p>



<p>There are new things coming out now, you know, AI is everywhere. So, are there certain things that we can use that help our system? We just keep tweaking it. So, no, perfect system. Do I want one? No. Is it fun to keep tweaking things? Yes. So I think you&#8217;re just trying to get started, build a certain setup and try to improve it over time.</p>



<p>[00:09:58] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. So that would&#8217;ve been the way I would&#8217;ve paraphrased it as well. You kind of get something which feels like it&#8217;s good for now and then the technology changes, WordPress adapts and you have to figure it out a new. Okay, that&#8217;s great.</p>



<p>So there are three things that you&#8217;re going to tackle. Maybe you could&#8217;ve done 5, 10, but the time was probably the limitation. What are the three things that you are going to mention? What are the three things which agencies make as mistakes that you have encountered?</p>



<p>[00:10:21] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> First of all, I had to think a lot about, okay, which kind of situations do I want to include, right? Because over the years, you know, you collect a lot of stories, and I think the most impactful is a story. You want to talk about a specific situation where you were in. And so I was thinking about, what should I cover?</p>



<p>For each story I made a nice headline. I can just quickly share those headlines, and then you think about what you think that that means.</p>



<p>[00:10:46] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Perfect.</p>



<p>[00:10:47] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> So the first one is, support that drains your soul. The second one is, the design handoff from hell. The third one is, work more, build less and smile anyway.</p>



<p>[00:10:59] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Let&#8217;s go back to the first one then. You&#8217;re going to have to say the exact wording, because I&#8217;ll probably get it wrong. What was number one again?</p>



<p>[00:11:04] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> It&#8217;s web support that drains your soul.</p>



<p>[00:11:07] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay, tell us, what went on here? What calamity befell you and your agency that led to that portion?</p>



<p>[00:11:13] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I&#8217;ve seen it in many, many agencies and if, for example, once I had a agency in Switzerland and they said, we manage one point of contact for our clients. So this was mainly the project manager, right? So whenever the client wanted something, they contacted this person.</p>



<p>Why was that not a good idea? Because pretty often the people that I met were just simply overworked, especially when it came to support staff. Because the client got in touch with them, they got in touch with the designer. The designer got in touch with them. They got back to the client and they were just in the middle on every little item.</p>



<p>And the more you have of this kind of support work, the stressier it gets. And this is something where I&#8217;ve seen a lot of things go wrong and where I&#8217;ve seen a lot of frustration just for being the person in the middle.</p>



<p>[00:11:58] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That was something which was commonly, I want to use the word taught. People often told me it would be better to always deal with this one person, because that one person at least is this single point of contact. You can build up a relationship with them. Just prize that open a little bit. Has that led to problems, and what were those kind of problems? Was it that that person, I don&#8217;t know, maybe they are not a good communicator or something like that?</p>



<p>[00:12:21] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Well, the thing is, that person doesn&#8217;t, it&#8217;s just a person most of the time that communicates. This person&#8217;s never resolving the issue. So for example, the client has something super simple, I want to change the position of that button. So the client asks their single point of contact. The single point of contact, they go to the developer, hey, they want to change that button. But then the developer goes back, but yeah, but this position we cannot do, it&#8217;s not recommended.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s like ping pong. And let&#8217;s say changing that button takes like maybe just 30 minutes, but the entire communication about where the button should go and why not there, why it would be more recommendable to go into that spot exactly, or which size or animation they want. These kind of details take maybe two and a half hours. But now the client doesn&#8217;t really want to pay for the communication about it.</p>



<p>And then in the end, I&#8217;ve seen many, many agencies, they just put this under the table, under the rug, or they say it and then just don&#8217;t admit it. And if you have a lot of these support items, you have a lot of unbillable hours. And is that sustainable? No. Is that frustrating? Yes. Especially if you&#8217;re a small team and you need to bill for the time. If you&#8217;re not able to bill for it, then what are we doing here?</p>



<p>[00:13:31] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So this is the idea then that in a company, let&#8217;s say that you as a freelancer are working with a company, I don&#8217;t know, maybe they&#8217;ve got a hundred employees or something like that. You&#8217;ve set it up so that you only speak with this one person in their company. But those other 99 people are funneling all of their bits and pieces through that one person.</p>



<p>You just get this backwards and forwards. That one person becomes a bottleneck because they&#8217;ve got to communicate with the 99 people. Any change has to go through them.</p>



<p>Okay, what was the second one? I&#8217;ve forgotten, I&#8217;m sorry.</p>



<p>[00:13:57] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> The design handoff from hell.</p>



<p>[00:13:59] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay, what&#8217;s that?</p>



<p>[00:14:00] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Have you ever worked, like you&#8217;re a developer and then you are working on a project where they say, okay, the design will be done by a design agency or by some other designer. And then you get the design, you&#8217;re like, well, that doesn&#8217;t fit anymore what I thought I would spend on time in the beginning. And then I get a file, it was not even clear like this page, what should be the H1?</p>



<p>And then inconsistent styles. And then suddenly on the mobile view, if the designer also did a mobile view, the designs do not match at all. Like, on this screen they use this size, on this screen, this size. Super inconsistent. And this is so frustrating. Because as a developer, in theory, then suddenly you have so many hours.</p>



<p>Then, again, you have to decide, do I log them? Do I tell them that this is not anymore a fit? And if I am not anymore making it a fit, do I look bad? And again, unbillable hours. And then either you bill them or you&#8217;re like hiding them. I don&#8217;t like that.</p>



<p>[00:14:57] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> This is the idea of if you are, I guess if you&#8217;re in a big agency where you&#8217;ve got a design team, and the design team is literally in the, you know, the cubicle next to you. That&#8217;s a fairly easy point to solve because you just stand up and have a chat about it. But if you&#8217;re a freelancer, or you&#8217;re dealing with a third party design agency or something like that, it&#8217;s a real bottleneck, isn&#8217;t it?</p>



<p>Because you get a design, it looks great, but suddenly you realise, well, yeah, it looks great, it would make a great magazine piece. Transferring that over to the web with H1s and paragraphs, and it&#8217;s got to be accessible and color contrast has got to be good and all of this kind of stuff, that suddenly becomes problematic.</p>



<p>And usually the client doesn&#8217;t have that same level of expertise. So you know, they might catch sight of that design and think, perfect, do that. Do exactly what we see and then you have to have this whole tennis again of explaining, well, actually we can&#8217;t do it quite like that. So, okay, that&#8217;s the second one.</p>



<p>[00:15:50] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> What I can tell you is that I&#8217;ve seen this happen nonetheless in big agencies too. I have worked also with agencies with more than 150 employees. And it always depends a lot on their internal processes and how they approve and the system, right?</p>



<p>Nonetheless, I&#8217;ve seen also like big design agencies, and it looked all fancy, but then it did not match up. Maybe you&#8217;re very good at selling, but if you internally do not have certain systems in place, this stuff can still happen.</p>



<p>[00:16:21] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. And I also feel that when I was doing this kind of work, when I was a freelancer, I had to be all the things. I had to be literally everybody. I had to be the designer, I had to be the developer, I had to be the communicator, I had to be the marketer, I had to be the SEO. I had to be all of these things. And with the best will in the world, I&#8217;m not the best at all of those things. Probably one or two things I&#8217;m pretty good at, but the rest of them fairly lousy.</p>



<p>And so that kind of fits in as well. And again, the process, getting a process exactly right. You are all about sort of saving money by having a process, saving time and money by having a process, yeah.</p>



<p>[00:16:54] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> To be honest, in my opinion, it&#8217;s mental health. Because if it goes on for too long that you&#8217;re charging less than what you are actually bringing to the table, that&#8217;s frustration. You bring that frustration to your home, that&#8217;s when you get stressed out. You share with your family what happened. You are like unloading the stress. You are not that much capable of being a good listener if you&#8217;re stressed. And you want to be a good listener with the people that you love. So, what are we doing here? You know?</p>



<p>[00:17:23] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> You also become like a double fronted marketplace a little bit. Because you&#8217;ve got the designer over here who&#8217;s giving you designs and you are sat in the middle. And then you&#8217;ve got the client over here and you are sat in the middle. And you become this person that has to communicate the ideas in both directions.</p>



<p>And when they say, we want this, you have to communicate that back to the designer. Do you have like a trusted designer or a design, like a network or a team or something like that, that you just more or less rely on that because you&#8217;ve figured out they know what I am typically going to want?</p>



<p>[00:17:52] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I give them guidance how I want it. Some have, you know, worked with me before, here and there, and then they already know. But I tell them exactly how we need things, and then I point things out, okay, hey, like a checklist. Okay, we need to check this, this, this, this, this. And this sometimes could take a lot of time too, depending on the people that, you know, I work with.</p>



<p>But it&#8217;s not that I have like a hundred percent go-to person per se. No. Maybe I can share that same thing. I did design many years ago, then development. And sometimes I need to also, you know, pause and say like, Jenny, no, don&#8217;t jump in and just do it yourself. You know, I could, but I just should not. So I just try to, let&#8217;s say, express how I need things to be done before going into development. If that&#8217;s not done, we&#8217;re not going into development.</p>



<p>[00:18:41] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I think designing for the web is really difficult because it is a real skill in and of itself. You know, if you&#8217;re designing for a magazine layout, I mean, obviously there&#8217;s a high level of skill required to do that in an effective way. But then being able to actually understand the semantics of that design, and how it might look, and especially now where we&#8217;re going into a web which is not three view ports. It&#8217;s not just mobile, it&#8217;s not just tablet, and it&#8217;s not just desktop.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s this much more kind of, we have no idea what you&#8217;re going to be viewing it on. We don&#8217;t know the width. I think this sort of Intrinsic Design, which people keep talking about, that makes the job even more difficult, okay. So there&#8217;s number two.</p>



<p>Number three, what was that one?</p>



<p>[00:19:23] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Number three was, work more, bill less and smile anyway.</p>



<p>[00:19:27] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay, go on. Did you say work more, bill less?</p>



<p>[00:19:30] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Yeah. Work more, bill less.</p>



<p>[00:19:32] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That seems counterintuitive.</p>



<p>[00:19:33] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Yeah.</p>



<p>[00:19:33] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Most people would say work less, bill more.</p>



<p>[00:19:36] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Well, everybody likes to say that, which is unfortunately, the truth is not always how it works, right? So, how about this? Have you ever been on a project where time goes by in the beginning, everybody&#8217;s excited? All fits, looks good. We&#8217;re progressing and then the client comes back with feedback and then there&#8217;s a change. Maybe it&#8217;s a change request, you know, okay, we add some extra hours.</p>



<p>But then there&#8217;s something that either we did not notice, for example, oh, this doesn&#8217;t work in the Safari. And suddenly we need to work a bit more to make it a fix. But the budget is really tight. Anyway, we need to fix this. Or the client wants something, oh, but this should also animate. You animated this, but also this needs to be animated.</p>



<p>Details. Detail here, a detail there. And then suddenly you notice like, well, the budget we had is not anymore available, but the client is still asking for things, and even saying stuff like, that should be included. How could you charge that extra? Or it was not communicated early enough like, hey, you know what, client, our budget is getting tight. If you are requesting more things, we will need to invoice you extra down the road.</p>



<p>Of course you want to say, okay, if there&#8217;s something wrong with our work, we will cover this internally. You don&#8217;t want to be somebody who says, okay, I did a mistake, but I&#8217;m not correcting it, haha. But if the client is requesting more stuff, you need to let them know in advance. Because if you let them know later, they also go like, huh? Where does that come from? Why didn&#8217;t you tell me that this has got more expensive?</p>



<p>And then suddenly you cannot charge them for that. And now you worked more, but you are effectively billing less if you take your effective hourly rate, what you actually delivered and work.</p>



<p>I&#8217;ve met agencies, freelancers, when they would really calculate their effective hourly rate, they would be crying, sitting in the corner of the room and crying. This is frustrating, right? And nobody likes that. But anyway, they expect you to sit there smiling and just pretend like everything was good.</p>



<p>[00:21:33] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Do you always do that with your clients though? Do you have that approach of, we must smile through this, even though things are not necessarily working out? Because that was one of the things that you wrote in your description. Let me just find it. You wrote, it&#8217;s about laughing, learning, and maybe even recognising a situation you&#8217;ve been in yourself.</p>



<p>So do you try to have that sort of humorous approach when things are not working out? Can you always laugh? Because sometimes these things can be so profoundly, well, annoying, let&#8217;s go with that. It&#8217;s difficult to laugh, I think.</p>



<p>[00:22:01] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I think it depends a lot on your personality. I can tell you something. So I live in Spain and in Mexico. I&#8217;m German, but I don&#8217;t live anymore in Germany. But I think when you meet different cultures and see how they react, how they treat certain situations, that made me open up my eyes and see like, okay, you know, you always have the choice. How do you react to this? This is your choice.</p>



<p>And if you get frustrated and you dwell into the pain and just continue again and again, and in the same cycle, then that&#8217;s your choice. What&#8217;s the other end, right? You can just say, hey, you know what? It was a mistake or this happened. I&#8217;m not happy about it, but the only thing I can do is appreciate that it happened because it gave me the opportunity now to learn from it. And that&#8217;s the super different perspective.</p>



<p>Some people are not capable of thinking like that, but I prefer to think like that, because it makes me feel better and it makes me look at possible solutions and focus on that. Instead of me looking at the situation, focusing on the issue and the problems.</p>



<p>[00:23:07] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I think it&#8217;s very difficult in the moment sometimes to be so, I&#8217;m going to use the word sanguine. Just to be so measured about it because you know, something doesn&#8217;t work out. Maybe the first reaction is a buildup of anger or something like that. But to have that, to be able to in your head, parse that and say, you know what? The anger probably won&#8217;t get me anywhere, but viewing that as a learning opportunity.</p>



<p>Because you go into pains, that&#8217;s what you say over and over again. Treat it as a learning opportunity. It&#8217;s almost like Zen Buddhism, or something like that, you know, it&#8217;s kind of trying to turn a bad situation into a good situation.</p>



<p>But you are also at pains to say, well, it feels like you&#8217;re at pains to say, just don&#8217;t keep repeating it though. You know, if something bad happened, learn from it, but then adapt the process. Make the process different so that it doesn&#8217;t happen a second or a third time because, well, that&#8217;s crazy making.</p>



<p>[00:23:57] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Yeah. But that&#8217;s, again, the reason why I think I really love the opportunity to be here and to be having that speech at WordCamp. Because, I get frustrated just thinking about it, I&#8217;ve seen so many great people just do the same thing over and over again, because they think that&#8217;s it and that&#8217;s how it is in agencies. It doesn&#8217;t matter if they work at this agency or that agency.</p>



<p>Maybe some do it a bit different here or there, but the same problems come up and they do not really think about, how can I resolve this? New project. Like, new projects will fix it, or let&#8217;s sell more. Let&#8217;s fix it in the next project. Let&#8217;s fix it in the next project.</p>



<p>But then they don&#8217;t think about a fix. And I have a couple of people who I really think like, God, you&#8217;re so good at what you do, but why do you do this to yourself? Why don&#8217;t you think about how to get out of this mess? And I think that&#8217;s what I want to do, what I want to share because you have to focus on how to solve this. Otherwise, if you don&#8217;t make it a priority, you&#8217;re stuck where you are.</p>



<p>[00:24:50] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I guess also, each one of us really genuinely does have, so I&#8217;m focusing on a freelancer at the minute, you know, so you&#8217;re not in an agency, it&#8217;s just you. We all really genuinely do have a unique set of attributes which make us the way we are. And it may be that you just have to lean into those. You&#8217;re good at this thing, you&#8217;re not so good at that thing, so maybe that gets outsourced, or maybe you just have to approach it in a different way. But it&#8217;s very, very hard.</p>



<p>I also think that over the last 10 years, we&#8217;ve lived through a cycle of YouTube videos where people are trying to pitch us the perfect solution. In 10 minutes I&#8217;ll teach you how to revolutionise your agency. Some of that works, I&#8217;m sure, but there seems to be quite a bit of snake oil there as well.</p>



<p>And what i&#8217;m trying to say is, just because it&#8217;s in a YouTube video or somebody is shouting from the rooftops that they&#8217;ve got the answer, it may be that that answer actually won&#8217;t work for you because that&#8217;s not who you are.</p>



<p>[00:25:43] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Yeah. Well, that can be too. The thing is like, if you see those fancy videos on YouTube with these nice titles, they put them because that gives them a better click rate because people are more like, okay, well, I want to see if I just say like I have something that&#8217;s way high work. If you think that that&#8217;s a good idea or not, that&#8217;s up to you. It&#8217;s not a big selling point, right?</p>



<p>So they write it that way just because of the enticing title makes you click. So that&#8217;s also, you know, it&#8217;s your human brain that follows this kind of direction. Yeah, so I think a big part, just as you mentioned, resources, YouTube. For me, the biggest part has been asking. And that&#8217;s why I loved, we started white labeling, working with other agencies, I learned so much from them. So much.</p>



<p>And just sharing, I have one CEO that I once asked, he had built an agency with over two hundred employees, and they started out as four many years ago. I asked him for lunch. I asked, I would love to know how you did it. What was your motivator? How did you decide who to hire? How did you find the right people? What were the big decisions or risks that you took.</p>



<p>And I think that is so important. Why not? What do we have to lose? I think, why not open up conversations and just ask, how are you approaching this? And I think this kind of stuff gets lost a lot. It&#8217;s not just only just sitting there and looking at YouTube videos. Who else could I ask? How do you deal with this?</p>



<p>[00:27:12] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I have a question, which is maybe one that you don&#8217;t want to answer because it&#8217;s quite vulnerable. But what is your biggest mistake? What&#8217;s the thing that if you look back over your career you think, oh boy, that was a calamity?</p>



<p>[00:27:23] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I have one and I think I&#8217;m not, well, it is embarrassing. Yes, it is. But why not? It&#8217;s like a learning opportunity, right?</p>



<p>So when I was younger, oh God, I don&#8217;t know how many years ago, it was like 10 years maybe. So I thought, okay, I want to build a team, I want to do this. Let&#8217;s make it at an agency. We have clients, we have projects, okay, cool.</p>



<p>So I searched for people. I got an office and we were all there. And I thought, okay, I also want to be great with our culture because I think, you know, the team is what matters because only if the team is happy, we can make great work. I wasn&#8217;t going to be the one that&#8217;s sitting there with a whip, you know, like, do this, do this, do this. That was not how I envisioned myself.</p>



<p>But I focused so much on this team that I did not notice that I did not yet learn enough how to be a good salesman. Few months later, I ran out of money.</p>



<p>And because I was not yet intelligent enough about putting up boundaries that certain clients were like, oh, what? That should be included. Why was that not covered? And we just went in and covered it and not communicate, okay, that we stopped covering certain things for free. We did not yet know how to charge certain things on time.</p>



<p>So we were still like, or I was still, did not resolve it. I did not think about, how do I need to do it so I don&#8217;t get myself in the situation that I would have a hard time getting out of, especially financially? And then I had to say, okay, that&#8217;s it. Pack my bags. I then started a job in sales. And then I had to learn, damn, how do I sell? How do I communicate? And that I did for a year and a half. And when, again, made more money outside of the job, I did quit.</p>



<p>[00:29:06] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay, so that was a real learning opportunity, wasn&#8217;t it? You went, the whole thing collapsed but the key bit that was missing was sales. You pick yourself up, got a sales job, learnt the sales portion, and then kind of began again. I guess it worked out the next time.</p>



<p>[00:29:18] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Yeah. This time, we&#8217;re still here.</p>



<p>[00:29:20] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That was the low point. That was the thing which you did worst. Maybe you&#8217;ll be good at answering this question. Some people are a bit shy when you ask a question like this. What&#8217;s the thing that you think you&#8217;ve done best?</p>



<p>[00:29:29] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Oh. What? The best.</p>



<p>[00:29:30] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. What&#8217;s the bit that if you look back over your 15 years, I mean, it may not be exactly one thing, but can you summon up something which you think, actually, do you know what? I&#8217;m really proud of me for that.</p>



<p>[00:29:41] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I&#8217;m really proud of me for opening up and saying like, you know what, that&#8217;s not how it has to be. I don&#8217;t want this anymore. I want to see how I can improve this. I must say that my husband has been a bit of an inspiration here too. He&#8217;s the kind of person that&#8217;s like, ah, I want to work less. Like, I don&#8217;t want to work that much. And he finds a way to do it. He always does. He always finds his way around. It&#8217;s like, how come that he figures that out and I don&#8217;t? And I&#8217;m like, sitting here stressed.</p>



<p>And there was also this thought like, do I like this stress? Do you know these people who are addicted to this kind of stress? And they just think they need it. It&#8217;s like, do you really think you need it? Do you really think that that&#8217;s what you want? Yeah, this is what made me think. And I&#8217;m happy that decision, saying like, you know, no. I don&#8217;t want that anymore.</p>



<p>And i&#8217;m still having things to learn. You know, there&#8217;s still things that I&#8217;m working on. Totally. I think having that in your, like a little angel, I don&#8217;t know, or figure in the back of your head saying like, you shouldn&#8217;t do that. Can this be better? Think about it. That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m proud of.</p>



<p>[00:30:47] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Being honest with yourself, even if that means some uncomfortable realisations.</p>



<p>[00:30:51] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Oh God, yeah. Tell me. Admitting to yourself like, damn.</p>



<p>[00:30:56] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. Yeah. I know what you mean. We often have a culture of, okay, just work harder. Just keep going. Just keep doing the same thing because I&#8217;m pretty sure the process over there is bulletproof. Just keep going, and maybe being a bit more open with yourself and trying to learn from the mistakes.</p>



<p>[00:31:12] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> And I think when you see somebody, it&#8217;s not cheating the system, but it&#8217;s kind of like doing it faster and being more relaxed and even having time to do some extra stuff, and you&#8217;re like, I want that. Why am I not striving for that? Why the hell I&#8217;m just focusing on being more busy? I think you start doubting things.</p>



<p>[00:31:31] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, that&#8217;s interesting. There&#8217;s always somebody in my life who seems to have way more free time than I do. There has to be a reason for that. And probably that they&#8217;ve just figured it out and allowed themselves the time off.</p>



<p>And I always found that curious. I would find myself sitting at the desk doing the busy work, just because it felt like I needed to be shackled to the desk because that was where work took place. But really, I probably would&#8217;ve been way more productive if I&#8217;d gone for a walk for half an hour or just did something a little bit more for me, and then come back, regroup, start again. I never did learn that.</p>



<p>[00:32:05] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Isn&#8217;t that, like it sounds so weird, but isn&#8217;t that kind of the expectation of society that you should be sitting there on that desk. How come you&#8217;re just going for a walk? How come you&#8217;re just saying, you know what, I&#8217;ll just get my hair done. Let&#8217;s just relax a bit and then I get back with a clear mind to that issue. Why not? But no, society expects you to be available, to be at the desk. That&#8217;s how you look good.</p>



<p>[00:32:29] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> And it&#8217;s curious, we&#8217;re in such a fortunate position. I mean, obviously if you work in an agency and they provide you with a desk and you have to be there from nine to five, you&#8217;ve got that. But there&#8217;s a lot of people in our industry who don&#8217;t. You know, they&#8217;re working out of a spare room in the house. Maybe they&#8217;re doing it out the kitchen or what have you. And you can, you genuinely can, take time off and do other things and work a little bit later because you gave up some time during the day. You can be flexible. I think that&#8217;s one of the most remarkable things about the industry that we&#8217;re in. It&#8217;s utterly brilliant.</p>



<p>[00:32:57] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I read the other day on my phone an article, it was about a bank where they were saying like the four day work week. And they were saying like, now that AI is around the corner, it&#8217;s a no brainer. That&#8217;s going to happen. Because we will be able to get more efficient with how we do things. And I think, isn&#8217;t that beautiful to more focus on outcomes instead of like the nine to five.</p>



<p>Well, depends also how you manage the agency and everything. And I&#8217;ve seen many, they said they want to call their employees back. For example, in Mexico, like I live partially there. Many, many people got called back. But others in Germany I&#8217;ve seen, they still keep a hybrid model. Some days they just say, okay, we do a day here, a day there. But many developers said like, nope, staying at home.</p>



<p>[00:33:42] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So people listening to this podcast, hopefully some of them will think, do you know what? It&#8217;d be really interesting to chat this through with Jennifer. You know, she seems like she&#8217;s got some interesting ideas around that. Do you have a little community of people that you vent your anger, vent your frustration with? Do you have a little clique of people where you share the ideas that you&#8217;ve been discussing today?</p>



<p>[00:34:01] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> Besides my husband.</p>



<p>[00:34:02] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, how do you keep yourself sane? Yeah.</p>



<p>[00:34:04] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> I do not yet have a big community, but I am working on this. Because I think it&#8217;s great just to share. I was in this mess, in this chaos until I realised, like I had this awakening moment for more like 10 years. So 10 years, I kind of would, was like lying to myself, I feel.</p>



<p>So I would love to share more. I want to do a LinkedIn live show. So I&#8217;m preparing that kind of stuff just to share, like we do, like a bit of talking. How did you do that? And just this story. I have a great network of people that I&#8217;ve met over the years with great stories.</p>



<p>And this is something that I want to share. I also wrote a book for freelancers, where I just share the exact same thing because damn, I wish I would&#8217;ve noticed certain things earlier, to be honest. Because 10 years is quite a lot, you know? And especially when you start out and you&#8217;re freelancing, oh God, I just charge way less. I just shouldn&#8217;t think about it.</p>



<p>But you know, I didn&#8217;t even know how much I was worth. I didn&#8217;t even know how to protect myself so that certain situations I could say ahead of time, you know what? That&#8217;s it. This entire project management mindset, or building the system, it didn&#8217;t occur to me for so long. I just thought, no, let me put this in a book and then, why not?</p>



<p>[00:35:21] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So, where do we find the book? Or where&#8217;s the best place to find you, which then might link to the book?</p>



<p>[00:35:26] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> On LinkedIn. And just, first of all, my network, I just want to get some feedback and then improve it. And then let&#8217;s see what else I can put in it. I also can share you something, maybe that&#8217;s something you found interesting. There&#8217;s this writer, Ryan Holiday. He has a great, great book that&#8217;s just called Growth Hacker Marketing. Read it. I love it. And I love the way how he writes this book because it&#8217;s so honest. It&#8217;s so transparent.</p>



<p>And I wrote it the same way he did. I took my entire inspiration, how I wrote it, based on his book. And I also have a couple of stories that I share at the end of the book from other people out of my network. How they did resolve, for example, the cash flow issue, right? How they approached the entire setup. Where how they even were able to sell their agency. You know, like build it and sell it.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s what I mean, ask others. Ask others how they did it. And then not getting stuck on these fancy YouTube videos for people that say they have the solution. But I think it&#8217;s so much worth it just to have conversations and learn and listen.</p>



<p>Maybe you do not have to take everything that people say, but maybe just can take a bit here or there and then build your own. That&#8217;s what I like.</p>



<p>[00:36:34] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Perfect. Jennifer Schumacher, thank you so much for chatting to me today.</p>



<p>[00:36:38] <strong>Jennifer Schumacher:</strong> It was a pleasure to be here, to be honest. Thank you.</p>
</div></details>



<p>On the podcast today we have <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/schumjenny/">Jennifer Schumacher</a>.</p>



<p>Jennifer has been working with WordPress and web development for over 15 years. Her journey began with a spark of curiosity in university, building her first WordPress website after a YouTube crash-course, then evolving into freelance gigs, team collaborations, and eventually running a white label agency working alongside other agencies around the world. </p>



<p>Jennifer’s experiences have exposed her to the highs and lows of agency life, projects that run smoothly, but also cultures that can become toxic, people burning out, and the all-too-familiar frustration of unbillable hours and broken processes. This inspired Jennifer’s lightning talk at WordCamp Europe 2025, where she shared some of the most common (and painful) mistakes she’s seen agencies make, and what can be learned from them.</p>



<p>Jennifer walks us through her path in the WordPress world, and we discuss three real-world mistakes agencies make: “web support that drains your soul,” “the design handoff from hell,” and “work more, bill less and smile anyway.”</p>



<p>We talk through support bottlenecks, frustrating design-to-development handoffs, and the dilemma of over-servicing clients without fair compensation. Jennifer shares her candid perspective on why processes and honest communication matter, not just for the bottom line, but for mental health and building sustainable teams.</p>



<p>She also discusses how transparency, learning from failure, and continually improving processes can improve agency life. Jennifer’s approach is refreshingly open about both the mistakes and the solutions, aiming to help others avoid repeating them.</p>



<p>If you’ve found yourself frustrated with agency workflows, or are hoping to build a healthier business in the WordPress ecosystem, this episode is for you.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Useful links</h2>



<p> Jennifer&#8217;s presentation at WordCamp Europe 2025: <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2025/session/3-wordpress-agency-fckups-and-what-i-learned-from-them/">3 WordPress Agency F*ckups and What I Learned from Them</a></p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.tv/2025/06/07/3-wordpress-agency-fcku">The presentation on WordPress.tv</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/315135/growth-hacker-marketing-by-ryan-holiday/">Growth Hacker Marketing book by Ryan Holiday</a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Nathan Wrigley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:48;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:101:"HeroPress: From Gaza to WCEU 2025 Basel – My Journey as a WordPress Developer from War to Community";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=7997";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:130:"https://heropress.com/essays/from-gaza-to-wceu-2025-basel/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-gaza-to-wceu-2025-basel";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13402:"<img alt="Pull Quote: I’ve seen what war can destroy. Now I want to see what code and community can build." class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/070125-min.jpg" width="1024" /><h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-a-refugee-camp-to-a-worldwide-community"><strong><img alt="🇵🇸" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f1f5-1f1f8.png" style="height: 1em;" /> From a Refugee Camp to a Worldwide Community</strong></h2>



<p>I was born and raised in <strong>Al-Shati refugee camp</strong> in Gaza — one of the most crowded places on earth. A place where electricity cuts were normal, water came in buckets, and even simple internet access was a daily battle. But it&#8217;s also the place where I became a WordPress and WooCommerce developer. I didn&#8217;t go to fancy schools or work in glass buildings — I learned by doing, failing, repeating, and staying curious.</p>



<p><strong>Gaza wasn&#8217;t easy. But it gave me focus, grit, and a reason to push forward.</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-living-through-war"><strong><img alt="💣" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f4a3.png" style="height: 1em;" /> Living Through War</strong></h2>



<p>When the war started in 2023, the scale wasn&#8217;t the same as the previous wars imposed on a besieged population of Gaza. It turned into a brutal genocide, targeting civilians, homes, and entire neighborhoods. For six months, I was trapped inside Gaza. Every day, I woke up not knowing if I or my loved ones would survive the next airstrike.</p>



<p>Getting food became a full-time job. I stood in line for hours to buy just a bag of flour. Sometimes there was no bread. Drinking water was scarce and often unsafe. Showering became a luxury, sometimes I could only use one small bottle of water to clean myself.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forced-to-flee-under-the-gun"><strong><img alt="🏃" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f3c3.png" style="height: 1em;" /> Forced to Flee — Under the Gun</strong></h2>



<p>I got married just one month before the war started. My wife and I were full of hope, planning a simple future together in Gaza, despite all the challenges.</p>



<p><strong>But soon after, everything collapsed.</strong></p>



<p>We were forced to evacuate from northern Gaza to the south, walking through a military checkpoint, surrounded by tanks and armed soldiers. We stood in line, a long, slow-moving line of displaced families, with our hands raised in the air, step by step, under the eyes of a tank.</p>



<p>My wife was shaking. I held her hand, trying to stay calm for both of us. But deep inside, I was just as afraid.</p>



<p>We weren&#8217;t carrying weapons. We weren&#8217;t fighters. We were just a young married couple trying to survive.<br />All I had with me was my laptop and some food packed in a <strong>WordPress tote bag I&#8217;d gotten from WCEU 2023</strong>, everything that mattered to me at that moment.</p>



<p>Not long after we reached the south, my wife&#8217;s father was killed in an airstrike. We didn&#8217;t even get to say goodbye or grieve due to the continuous bombardment.</p>



<p>And yet, despite all of this — despite everything — we&#8217;re still trying to build a better life. Because that&#8217;s the only thing we can do. Keep going. Keep trying. Keep hoping.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-leaving-gaza-with-just-my-laptop-and-a-wordpress-tote-bag"><strong><img alt="🎒" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f392.png" style="height: 1em;" />Leaving Gaza &#8211; With Just My Laptop and a WordPress Tote Bag</strong></h3>



<p>After weeks of surviving in unbearable conditions, I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life: to leave Gaza on my own. I was only able to leave because of the support from the company I work with, they stepped in and helped cover the huge fees the Egyptian authorities charged to cross the border during the war. It was the hardest decision I&#8217;ve ever made, leaving behind my entire family: my wife, my parents, my brother, my sisters, and their families, all of them still trapped in a war zone.<br /><br />A month later, by some miracle, my wife, one of my sisters, and my brother managed to escape. This was only possible because of a GoFundMe campaign where many people from the Automattic and Codeable community generously contributed to help get them out. We reunited in Egypt, and for a short while, we felt like a family again — displaced, but together.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wordcamp-europe-journey"><strong><img alt="🌍" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f30d.png" style="height: 1em;" /> WordCamp Europe Journey</strong></h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-failed-first-attempt"><strong><img alt="❌" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/274c.png" style="height: 1em;" /> A Failed First Attempt</strong></h3>



<p>In 2024, I tried to attend WordCamp Europe in Turin, Italy. I had the passion, the knowledge, the motivation, but not the legal papers. As a Palestinian stuck in Egypt after fleeing Gaza, I had no residency, no ID, and no right to even apply for a visa.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-chapter-in-oman"><strong><img alt="🇴🇲" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f1f4-1f1f2.png" style="height: 1em;" /> A New Chapter in Oman</strong></h3>



<p>That&#8217;s when I made a hard decision. I left Egypt and moved to Oman, hoping for more stability and legal residency. It wasn&#8217;t easy to start from scratch, but I kept working, building WooCommerce plugins, contributing to projects, and slowly getting back on my feet. Oman gave me room to breathe, time to plan, and most importantly, a legal status.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-second-try-and-this-time-it-worked"><strong><img alt="✈" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2708.png" style="height: 1em;" /> The Second Try &#8211; and This Time, It Worked</strong></h4>



<p>Months later, I tried again. This time, I applied for a Schengen visa from Oman. I was nervous. I&#8217;d already been rejected by borders and systems that didn&#8217;t care about where I came from or what I could do. But luck, and persistence, were on my side. I got approved.</p>



<p>Holding that visa in my hand felt unreal. It wasn&#8217;t just permission to travel — it was a small victory against everything that tried to stop me.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wceu-2025-more-than-just-a-tech-event"><strong><img alt="🇨🇭" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f1e8-1f1ed.png" style="height: 1em;" /> WCEU 2025 — More Than Just a Tech Event</strong></h2>



<p>I attended WordCamp Europe 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.</p>



<p>I wasn&#8217;t just there to listen to talks or meet plugin authors. I was there because I believe stories like mine matter. I come from a place that&#8217;s usually erased from conversations. But I&#8217;m also part of this global community — a developer who pushed through war, exile, and paperwork, and still showed up.</p>



<p>Being there was not just for me. It was for every Palestinian developer still stuck behind walls. It was for every freelance coder who has talent but no passport. It was for those who build in silence, under fire, and without recognition.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/WCEU-WALL.png"><img alt="" class="wp-image-8012" height="729" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/WCEU-WALL-1024x729.png" width="1024" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A small note on the WCEU wall, carrying a long journey behind it — from Gaza to Basel.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-still-separated-in-every-way"><strong><img alt="💔" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f494.png" style="height: 1em;" /> Still Separated — In Every Way</strong></h2>



<p>Just before WCEU, I had to leave my wife and baby son in Egypt. I traveled to Europe to attend the event and explore a new future for my family. My wife and one-year-old son stayed behind in Egypt, waiting in limbo. This time, we don&#8217;t know when we&#8217;ll be reunited.</p>



<p>I looked at my baby&#8217;s photos almost every minute during the event — trying to hold on to every small detail while we&#8217;re apart. Being away from him and my wife has been incredibly painful. And at the same time, I&#8217;m also far from my mother, father, brothers, and sisters — all still in Gaza, living through unimaginable hardship.</p>



<p>That pain never fades, a constant shadow following me even as I kept going for all of them. While I walked freely through Switzerland, my parents, sisters, and closest friends remained trapped in Gaza&#8217;s nightmare, existing without homes, surviving on animal feed disguised as bread, drinking contaminated water that makes them sick, living without electricity, schools, or hospitals. They endure each day without the most basic human right: safety. The genocide continues relentlessly, now over a year and a half of systematic destruction. Every morning, with trembling hands, I check my phone not for work messages but for the simplest, most desperate confirmation—that my family is still breathing, still alive. So as I sat listening to talks about WordPress performance and block themes, my heart remained split in two, my body in Basel, but my soul still in Gaza, aching with every breath for those I left behind</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wordpress-gave-me-more-than-a-job"><strong><img alt="💻" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f4bb.png" style="height: 1em;" /> WordPress Gave Me More Than a Job!</strong></h2>



<p>Being a WordPress developer gave me hope when I needed it most. The ability to work from anywhere meant I could survive and rebuild no matter where I ended up. WordPress wasn&#8217;t just a technology for me, it became my connection to a world of possibilities. The WordPress community helped me in ways I never expected. People reached out with support, advice, and genuine friendship. When everything felt uncertain, knowing I had skills that traveled with me and a community that welcomed me made all the difference. <strong>WordPress didn&#8217;t just give me work; it gave me a future I could believe in.</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grateful-for-real-support"><strong><img alt="🙏" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f64f.png" style="height: 1em;" /> Grateful for Real Support</strong></h2>



<p>None of this would&#8217;ve been possible without the support of the company I work with — <strong>Progressus.io</strong>. During the most difficult moments — from trying to leave Gaza, to applying for visas, to finally making it to Basel for WCEU 2025 — they stood by me. Not just as an employer, but as humans who understood the weight of what I was going through. Their support wasn&#8217;t just professional — it was personal. And I&#8217;ll always be grateful for that<strong>.</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-my-message-to-the-wordpress-community"><strong><img alt="💬" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f4ac.png" style="height: 1em;" /> My Message to the WordPress Community</strong></h2>



<p>To everyone at WCEU and in the broader WordPress ecosystem:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Don&#8217;t take your freedom for granted.</strong></li>



<li><strong>Remember that talent exists everywhere — but opportunity does not.</strong></li>



<li><strong>Keep building open tools. You never know who&#8217;s learning from them in the shadows.</strong></li>
</ul>



<p>And to every developer in <span class="ngl-tag">Gaza</span> , or in any part of the world facing war, exile, or isolation:</p>



<p><strong>Keep going. Keep coding. You&#8217;re not invisible.</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next"><strong><img alt="🔜" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f51c.png" style="height: 1em;" /> What&#8217;s Next?</strong></h2>



<p>After everything, I’ve now moved to Spain, starting yet another chapter, far from where I began. It’s not easy building a new life from scratch again, but it’s a step toward stability, safety, and possibility.</p>



<p>I don’t know exactly where this path will lead. But I do know what I’ll keep doing: working on what I love, WordPress, WooCommerce, and helping small ideas grow into real businesses.</p>



<p>I&#8217;ve seen what war can destroy. Now I want to see what code and community can build.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/from-gaza-to-wceu-2025-basel/">From Gaza to WCEU 2025 Basel &#8211; My Journey as a WordPress Developer from War to Community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 02 Jul 2025 05:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Abdalsalaam Halawa";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:49;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:21:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"Open Channels FM: What Counts as WordPress News?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=99063";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:54:"https://openchannels.fm/what-counts-as-wordpress-news/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:354:"In the world of WordPress, it’s tempting to think that every company update deserves media attention. You’ve landed a new client, launched a product update, or celebrated an anniversary. Shouldn’t everyone care? Turns out, not always. On a recent episode of the series Media Playbook, Rae Morey and Adam Weeks dug into the nitty-gritty of [&#8230;]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:01:38 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}s:4:"type";i:128;s:7:"headers";O:48:"WpOrg\Requests\Utility\CaseInsensitiveDictionary":1:{s:7:"*data";a:9:{s:6:"server";s:5:"nginx";s:4:"date";s:29:"Thu, 31 Jul 2025 02:42:28 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:8:"text/xml";s:13:"last-modified";s:29:"Thu, 31 Jul 2025 02:15:19 GMT";s:4:"vary";s:15:"Accept-Encoding";s:15:"x-frame-options";s:10:"SAMEORIGIN";s:16:"content-encoding";s:2:"br";s:7:"alt-svc";s:19:"h3=":443"; ma=86400";s:4:"x-nc";s:9:"HIT ord 2";}}s:5:"build";i:1753875237;s:21:"cache_expiration_time";i:1753972948;s:23:"__cache_expiration_time";i:1753972948;}