In this episode, I'm joined by Taco Verdonschot, Jonathan Bossenger, Birgit Pauli-Haack to discuss WordPress 6.9, including new blocks, performance improvements, accessibility updates, and upcoming live events to help users prepare for the release. The panel pays tribute to WordPress contributor Zeel Thakkar, and covers news about a new leader at Jetpack, Black Friday deals, and community appreciation initiatives. They also highlight developer resources and recent plugin launches, making this a comprehensive update on what's happening in the WordPress ecosystem.

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Rodolfo Melogli about the growing isolation in the WooCommerce and WordPress communities due to remote work and AI, and his mission to “bring humans back” through in-person interaction. Rodolfo shares his journey as a WooCommerce expert, the challenges of working remotely, and the inspiration for organising Checkout Summit, a people-focused, content-rich WooCommerce event in Palermo designed to foster genuine connections, collaboration, and community in a relaxed, inclusive setting. If you’ve been feeling the effects of remote work and the rise of automation, or simply want a better way to connect with your fellow WordPress peers, this episode is for you.

In "This Week in WordPress #355," Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, and Rhys Wynne discuss the Kagi search engine, Michelle's job search, and WordPress updates including 6.9’s new features like collaborative editing and abilities API. The episode covers the challenges faced by open source projects like FFmpeg, security concerns with AI-powered tools such as Telex, the Global Partner Program for WordPress event sponsorships, and developments in full site editing, highlighting the Ollie theme. Listener comments add depth to discussions about the future and risks of WordPress plugin and block creation through AI.

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Nick Hamze, a quirky and creative force in the WordPress community. Nick shares his unconventional journey from law school to working at Automattic, running a wildly successful Pokémon card shop, and building unique WordPress blocks using AI tools like Telex. Their conversation gets into the joy of creating weird, fun projects, the empowering possibilities of AI for non-coders, and the importance of injecting creativity and personal touch back into the web. If you’ve wondered how AI tools can transform your workflow, felt weighed down by the pressure to build serious, polished things, or just want to be reminded why fun and experimentation are so important in WordPress, this episode is for you. Go listen...

On this episode of WP Builds, Natalie MacLees joins Nathan Wrigley to talk about the new accessibility tool, Aaardvark Accessibility. They discuss Natalie’s background in web accessibility, the evolution and importance of accessible web design, and how their SaaS platform helps agencies and developers find, fix, and monitor accessibility issues across client websites. The conversation also covers practical and moral reasons for improving accessibility, details about automated and manual testing, reporting features, explanations in plain English, and pricing plans.

In this WP Builds podcast episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Amadeu Arderiu about three innovative WordPress AI projects: ploogins.com, an AI-powered search engine for both free and premium plugins. Joinchat, a plugin that adds an AI chatbot to your site, answering queries using your website's content. And Suggerence, an experimental tool that lets users interact with, and build inside, the Gutenberg block editor using AI-driven natural language and even drawings! They discuss technical challenges, future possibilities, monetisation, and the evolving role of AI in WordPress. Go listen...

This episode covers WordPress 6.9’s new features and testing guide, major UK cyber attacks, security insights, and why Malwarebytes chose WordPress. The panel discusses plugin lifetime deals, the rise of newsletters, and the pros and cons of web design trends. AI’s impact on WordPress is explored, including new agentic browser capabilities and WS Form’s integration with Elementor’s AI agent. The episode also highlights collaborative editing in WordPress, a dramatic smart bed malfunction due to AWS outage, and the importance of owning your data, plus fun detours like the year’s best animal photos.

In this WP Builds episode, Nathan Wrigley interviews Matt Cromwell about his recent article on the future of WordPress product businesses. Matt shares his evolving passion for the WordPress plugin ecosystem, discusses anxieties around the future, especially user expectations and the rise of AI, and highlights the importance of better UI/UX and partnering with marketers and designers. The episode talks about how focusing on user experience and collaboration can help WordPress products thrive, even as the landscape shifts. Plenty of humour and mentions of Matt’s podcast WP Product Talk are sprinkled throughout! A LOT! Go listen!

"This Week in WordPress #353" covers the AWS outage and its impact on major online services, WordPress security trends (including Wordfence and Patchstack reports), upcoming features in WordPress 6.9 (like block visibility controls and the accordion block), the Blocktober project by Tammie Lister, and discussions on plugin/UI design trends and product advice. The panel also celebrates WordCamp Canada, accessibility efforts, and highlights AI’s role in WordPress development. There's a lot more than this, so have a listen...

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Jonathan Bossenger, a developer advocate at Automattic, about his journey into WordPress and developer relations (DevRel). Jonathan shares how his passion for teaching led him from software development to DevRel, explains the varied roles within DevRel, and discusses the importance of both technical skills and the ability to teach and communicate effectively. The conversation covers team collaboration, feedback processes in open source, and advice for those interested in pursuing a similar path. Jonathan emphasises humility, adaptability, and a love for helping others as key traits for success in DevRel.