WordPress Community Uncovered: Passion, Contributions & Growth

Jonathan: Welcome to Do The Woo episode 368. I’m your co-host, Jonathan Wold, and I’m joined by my new co-host, Tammie Lister. Tammie, how are you?

Tammie: I’m great. How are you?

Jonathan: I’m well. I’m enjoying the weather in the Pacific Northwest here in the US. And how’s the UK treating you?

Tammie: Winter’s great. I think we’ve moved straight to winter. I’m optimistic about summer being in autumn at the moment.

Jonathan: And our guest today, Jorge Casals, is joining us from Torino. How’s the weather there, Jorge?

Jorge: It’s actually amazing, yeah. Really nice weather in Italy right now.

Jonathan: Excellent. So glad to have you. Jorge, where did WordPress first come into the picture for you? What did that look like?

Jorge: I’m actually not a developer in my expertise, but when we developed our first product two and a half years ago called Filkers, we connected with WooCommerce. The way to connect with WooCommerce was officially through a plugin. That’s when we found out more about WordPress and the community itself. We were looking for ways to promote the plugin, and I came across Meetup.com, which I was not familiar with. It was big back in the day. That’s when I started to get involved in the community. Since then, I’ve been more and more involved until last year when I was one of the organizers for WordCamp Europe.

Jonathan: I’m curious. Even though you don’t have a development background, many people start in WordPress as an end user. When did you first become aware of it?

Jorge: It takes me back a long time. I was just a kid, and WordPress was like, okay, let’s create a blog or a simple website. WordPress was the way forward back then, and it still is nowadays. That’s probably how I found out about WordPress, just creating basic websites or playing with friends on new projects.

Jonathan: What led you to get involved in organizing? You had a natural progression from meetups to being involved in WordCamp Europe last year. What inspired you to do that?

Jorge: This is a conversation I had with my team last year at WordCamp Europe. They asked me if I was an organizer in a local meetup, which is usually the first step. I said no, I went directly to WordCamp Europe. The way I did it was by attending WordCamp Europe in Porto. I got very involved in the event, met people from the WordPress team, and built connections with the WooCommerce team. They suggested I get involved, so I applied to be a speaker at WordCamp Asia but got rejected. I then applied to be an organizer at WordCamp Europe and got accepted. That’s the WordPress community.

Jonathan: It’s interesting. You’ve had that experience, and it’s a big step to go from meetups to organizing WordCamp Europe. What was it like from the perspective of someone newer to the community?

Jorge: The team I got involved with had a lot of expertise from previous years. I felt like the new kid learning how to do things. The good thing about WordPress and WordCamp Europe is that there are a lot of meetings and a Slack channel going on all the time. I thought it would be easier, but there’s a lot of work involved. I was told by Matt, Ross, and Steve that the last weeks leading up to the event are madness. There’s a lot of work to do, especially with announcing speakers and managing social media.

Jonathan: Tammie, you and I have talked about the pressure involved in volunteering for a project like WordPress. How do we talk more about that pressure component?

Tammie: There’s the saying, “From pressure comes diamonds, but pressure can also crack people.” People can thrive under pressure, but if they’re not prepared, it can be overwhelming. Preparing people for the pressure is important. I’m curious, Jorge, what skills from your past did you fall back on during this experience?

Jorge: I only talk from my experience in the marketing communications and PR team. We get to collaborate with other teams through bridge roles. In my daily job, I’m more specialized in marketing, growth, and business development. During the event, I focused on social media management and strategy, as it was a weak point. Working under pressure and delivering the best possible results with the time and assets we had was crucial.

Jonathan: Jorge, what new experiences or skills did you develop while volunteering?

Jorge: I got to learn a bit about PR, which was not my specialty. Next year, I hope to be more involved in the PR side. Volunteering at WordCamp Europe was a great learning experience.

Jonathan: Had you worked with volunteer organizations previously?

Jorge: Yes, but in a different context. When I was 18, I volunteered with Age UK, teaching the elderly how to use Skype. It’s interesting because volunteering is about bringing your skillset to help others.

Tammie: How did you keep yourself healthy and balanced during this time?

Jorge: I’m a psychologist by background, and I understand the importance of work-life balance. Being organized, setting targets, and using helpful software are key. As the owner of my product, I have the flexibility to take breaks when needed.

Jonathan: How do KPIs help in maintaining balance?

Jorge: KPIs are about setting realistic expectations and having regular meetings to review progress. It’s important to align KPIs with the capabilities of the team to avoid overworking and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Jonathan: Tammie, what can we learn from psychology to help in our business practices?

Tammie: Communication and connections are key. Building strong, transparent connections within a team leads to better performance and handling challenges effectively.

Jonathan: Jorge, what makes the WordPress community unique?

Jorge: The WordPress community feels like home. It’s the healthiest and most supportive community I’ve seen. There’s a strong sense of shared ownership and collaboration.

Jonathan: How does the concept of shared ownership resonate with you?

Jorge: It’s about building connections and working together towards common goals. Matt’s speeches at WordCamps emphasize this shared ownership and collaboration.

Jonathan: Tammie, how did you navigate the pressure and shared ownership while working on Gutenberg?

Tammie: Communication is crucial. In the early days of Gutenberg, there was a lot of conflict and pressure. It was about adapting and finding a common language within the project.

Jonathan: Jorge, how does your product, Data Pocket, integrate with WooCommerce and other platforms?

Jorge: Data Pocket connects e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce with design platforms in real time. It ensures data consistency across platforms, making it easier for businesses to manage their promotional materials.

Jonathan: What feedback have you received from designers using Data Pocket?

Jorge: Initially, designers were skeptical, but they soon realized the benefits of using real data in their prototypes. It helps create more accurate and effective designs, especially for small and medium businesses.

Jonathan: What are the benefits and trade-offs of focusing on WooCommerce versus other platforms?

Jorge: WooCommerce represents stability for the long term. While platforms like Shopify might be easier to set up, WooCommerce offers more flexibility and long-term potential.

Jonathan: How do you maintain balance while working on multiple platforms?

Jorge: It’s important to have a clear roadmap and build strong connections. Marketing is a long-term effort, and building partnerships is crucial for growth.

Jonathan: Tammie, what can we learn from marketing outside the WordPress space?

Tammie: We need to learn from other industries and bring those insights into our space. Consistency and building connections are key to successful marketing.

Jonathan: Jorge, what’s your advice for someone building a product in the WooCommerce ecosystem?

Jorge: Focus on solving real problems and build connections within the community. Marketing is about consistency and building strong partnerships.

Jonathan: Jorge, thank you for joining us. How can people connect with you?

Jorge: I’m very active on LinkedIn and Twitter (X). Feel free to reach out to me there.

Jonathan: Thank you, Jorge, for joining us. We’ll see you at the next WordCamp.

Jorge: Thank you so much.