WP Builds

On the podcast today we have Ken Young.

Ken joins us from Toronto, Canada, and has a background in e-learning, plugin development, and WordPress automation. As a founder of Uncanny Owl, Ken and his team first made waves in the WordPress world with their focus on e-learning and LearnDash integrations before expanding into broader automation solutions.

Ken is here to talk about all things automation within WordPress, specifically, how Uncanny Automator empowers users to connect plugins, SaaS apps, and workflows directly inside their WordPress websites. Think of it as the 'Zapier for WordPress,' letting you streamline, combine, and chain tasks between popular tools like WooCommerce, LearnDash, CRMs, and more, without the need for custom code or hopping between a dozen different connectors.

We start by exploring the origins of Uncanny Automator, how the team identified the need for customisable, visual automation in the ecosystem, and the plugin’s rapid growth, now boasting over 240 integrations and 50,000+ users.

We then get on to the real-world use cases, from form automations and content workflows to self-enrollment for courses, complex multi-trigger recipes, and even unusual edge-cases dreamed up by power users. Ken talks about how having automation live entirely within WordPress offers benefits in privacy, simplicity, logging, and error reporting.

Towards the end we explored Ken’s insights on building integrations, how community feedback and AI have accelerated development, and where automation and page-building intersect in the era of AI. We learn about the new Uncanny Agent and Page Builder features, and how they are changing the future of Ken's products, letting users build pages and automations by simply describing what they want, no coding or design degree required.

If you’re curious about scaling your WordPress site’s efficiency, connecting your tools, or seeing the future of AI-powered site management, this episode is for you.

So today is like no other podcast episode I've ever aired on WP Builds. There's no intro, and I'm not the host, although I am in it!

Today marks the launch of show.fm, a podcast app that I've been building with my friend Dan Maby. It ready, the best app (truly) in the podcasting world, and ready for you to become a 'Founding' member!

Rather than me talk with Dan we decided that it would be nice to have a 3rd party do that work, and the (ever willing) Marc Benzakein from MainWP stepped up admirably.

Podcasting is bigger than ever. You might not be a podcaster, but I'll bet you've listened to a few - well the world listens to a FEW million! They're a great way to get your message out there, and work wonderfully with WordPress, heck you're reading this! Your clients might even want one for their business!

It's easy to start a podcast, but whilst starting a show is easy, keeping one running is a different beast. I have produced, edited, and published somewhere around 1,200 episodes, and Dan brings two decades of technical product development to tackle the real work behind the scenes: scheduling, research, guest wrangling, publishing, analytics, and more.

Marc leads us, and we talk about why show.fm was built, combining years of first-hand podcasting pain points and software know-how into a single “PodOps” platform designed to smooth out and automate all those manual, repetitive processes.

We get into the challenge of managing guests, which led to the guest network baked into show.fm. It's a marketplace where podcasters and guests can find each other, connect, and exchange endorsements (no bribery button… yet or ever!).

We also explore so of show.fm's practical features such as automated guest research, distribution across all the major podcast platforms (with special love for WordPress integration, white-label options, and a migration tool for legacy players), a customisable workflow automation builder, sponsor reporting, and deep analytics.

We (Nathan and Dan) open up about why building in public and gathering community feedback is central to the platform's evolution, and invite early adopters to help shape what's next by becoming a founding member at a never to be repeated price!

If you’re a WordPress professional, podcaster, or agency looking to launch or scale a podcast without the post-episode burnout, and you want a sneak peek at a tool that handles everything but the talking, this episode is for you.

Oh, and there's some silliness right at the end too!

Before we get into the podcast, a few words from me.

You might have noticed that there's been no new podcast episodes for a while. In the 10 years (and over 900 episodes) of this podcast, the most that I've ever taken off was a couple of weeks for Christmas and the summer holidays. So what's changed? A LOT!

With a good WordPress friend (Dan Maby) I've launched a SaaS app called show.fm. It's an app to help podcasters create their content with the least amount of fuss! It's kept us busy for years, but with the launch day looming, I decided to put the podcast on hold to get the app out the door.

From now on I'll be wearing the WordPress AND show.fm hats interchangeably, which I'm looking forward to.

So if you're podcasting, or thinking about having a podcast, you should check out show.fm for sure and our 'never to be repeated' Founders Deal - https://show.fm/founders/

Right, back to the podcast...

Today we have three guests, Raquel Manriquez, Jaume Freixa, and Carol Stambaugh, each bringing deep roots and wide-ranging experience in the WordPress ecosystem. Raquel has built and led agencies, worked for major theme companies, and created PressConf itself. Jaume is an active founder in the hosting and startup space, shaping products tailored to WordPress users across Europe, while Carol has been instrumental in organising the Arizona WordPress community, local Meetups, and WordCamps.

This episode is devoted to shining a light on PressConf, the intentionally intimate, business-focused WordPress event set to land in Barcelona at the end of October - really soon! The conversation opens with the story of PressConf’s origins and its connection to PressNomics, a much-loved event that centred WordPress business owners. With PressNomics no longer running, the need for a dedicated, high-level gathering for business leaders was clear, and so PressConf was born, with Raquel and her team determined to foster innovation.

We talk about why PressConf is the “hallway track” turned main event, featuring carefully selected speakers and TED-style sessions designed to challenge conventional thinking and spark candid dialogue about the realities of running WordPress-based businesses. Unlike WordCamps, there are no open calls for sales pitches or sponsored speaker slots, each talk is hand-crafted to "prioritise authenticity, vulnerability, and actionable inspiration". The event’s single-track format and shared hotel venue foster a close-knit environment where conversation flows naturally and connections deepen over days, not just coffee breaks.

We get into the balance between relaxation and high-impact learning, capped off by the Wonder Day, a tradition blending casual fun and networking to help cement relationships and ideas sparked in sessions. The group also discusses some cultural nuances between US and European business communities, especially around discussions of money and growth, and how PressConf aims to cultivate a safe, liberating space for those sometimes-taboo conversations.

If you’re interested in how WordPress business leaders are rethinking in-person events, what makes PressConf intentionally different, or just want a taste of what it’s like to connect with some of the most forward-thinking minds in the space (while maybe sneaking in a little Barcelona sightseeing), this episode is for you.

Join Nathan Wrigley, Rhys Wynne, Raquel Manriquez, Steve Burge. The conversation focused on major WordPress updates, including the 7.2 roadmap with new security features and collaborative tools like suggestion mode and the Presence API. Several points were raised about the surge in plugin submissions driven by AI and evolving review processes. The discussion explored upcoming community events such as PressConf in Barcelona and the return of WordCamp Manchester, highlighting their unique formats. A key theme that emerged was the importance of collaboration and innovation in both technology and community engagement. The episode mixed WordPress news, practical insights for professionals, and plenty of humour around British culture and drinks.

Nathan Wrigley talks with Danielle Zarcaro about accessibility in web development, particularly within WordPress. Danielle shares the journey from English studies to web development and specialisation in accessibility, discussing the challenges, misconceptions, and incremental ways to improve website accessibility. They emphasize the importance of starting small, focusing on templates, and making accessibility changes part of the workflow. Danielle introduces their email-based course, designed to help individuals and agencies build accessible practices step by step, making accessibility less intimidating and more actionable for everyone.

The conversation focused on the rebranding of the WP Community Collective to the WP Open Community Collective (WPOCC) to avoid trademark conflicts and better reflect its broader open source focus. We chat about the current holding pattern in the WordPress community amid ongoing legal and industry uncertainty. We also explore the results of the recent State of the Community survey, highlighting both demographic insights and persistent community concerns. Sé raised points, including the need for unity, support for global contributors, and maintaining WordPress as a meaningful, empowering platform in a rapidly changing tech landscape.

The conversation focused on Livid, a newly launched video hosting platform positioned as a strong alternative to Vimeo, especially for users facing steep price increases following Vimeo’s acquisition by Bending Spoons. A key theme that emerged was Livid’s streamlined migration tools, including a free exporter and a robust WordPress plugin, making it easy to transfer and replace Vimeo content. The discussion explored customisable player options, flexible privacy controls, showcases for grouping content, and competitive bandwidth and storage pricing. Assurance of stable backing and infrastructure rounded out the deep dive into Livid’s value for the WordPress and wider web community.

The conversation focused on WordPress's recent market share decline, with data showing a dip from a 36% peak in 2022 to 33% in 2026. Casey and I discussed the rise of alternative platforms like Shopify and Webflow, the impact of AI-driven site building, and WordPress' marketing challenges compared to competitors. We got into how plugin developers and agencies must reassess products and business models to stay relevant, and explored WordPress’ open source advantage and questioned whether renewed emphasis on data ownership could help counter trends threatening community engagement and growth.

Join Nathan Wrigley, Rhys Wynne, Marc Benzakein, Bud Kraus. The conversation focused on recent WordPress news, including a surge in security vulnerability reports, new AI-related regulations in the EU, and the latest WordPress 7.0.3 and 7.1 releases. A key theme that emerged was plugin and site security, especially in response to AI and evolving threats. The discussion explored community initiatives like the WordPress Credit Program and improvements in accessibility documentation. Several points were raised, including new Playground UI features, the WordPress event calendar, and transparent handling of recent plugin security issues. Some lighthearted banter and personal reflections rounded out the episode.