In this extra special episode of WP Product Talk, we're joined by the one and only Matt Mullenweg - Founder and CEO of Automattic.

As the paramount WordPress product owner, Matt has a huge amount of experience of building successful WordPress products. In this episode, co-hosts Matt Cromwell and Katie Keith ask the question "What would Matt do?" when it comes to product development, customer experience, marketing, and business. That way, other product owners can learn from his success.

Matt discusses his broad role in the WordPress ecosystem, the significance of customer feedback, and the challenges of managing numerous plugins like Jetpack. He shares that if given the chance, he would have split Jetpack into multiple plugins earlier to address customer concerns about bloat and bundled features.

The conversation also touches on the importance of in-person events like WordCamps in growing a product's community and visibility, which Matt believes to be crucial despite the predominance of competitors at such events. Matt also emphasizes that success often comes from relentlessly engaging with customers, collecting feedback, and iterating based on that input.

Sharing insights from his sabbatical, Matt notes the value of doing customer support himself and the surprising benefits of understanding user pain points directly. They also dive into the necessity of balancing free and premium features to maintain business viability without alienating users.

Matt's vulnerability about WP Tavern and his lack of attention on it is highly relateable for any WordPress product owner.

Throughout the episode, the hosts and guest underline the importance of community, the power of continuous learning, and the need to adapt to changing market dynamics. Insightful and inspiring, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge for anyone involved in the WordPress ecosystem or looking to build a successful product.