On the podcast today we have Alexander Gilmanov, and he's sharing his story of transitioning from freelancer to agency manager, now overseeing a team of 43. With a focus on WordPress ecosystem, Alexander discusses his leadership approach, avoiding negative motivation and instead fostering a culture of trust and positive reinforcement. He elaborates on the nuances of team management and the benefits of smaller, independent teams coordinated across departments like development, marketing, and support. Key tools like Google Suite, Slack, Jira, and Notion are integral to his operations. His story highlights the importance of community engagement, learning from industry leaders, and the necessity of continuously seeking suitable team members for sustainable management.

On the podcast today we have Alexander Gilmanov. Alex comes to us today from Belgrade, Serbia. He’s a full-stack developer with a rich heritage of freelance and agency work. His company officially launched in 2014, and they’ve continued work with clients, as well as creating a range of WordPress plugins, and their own SaaS apps, mainly in the online booking space. If you’re a developer and are in the weeds of writing code, perhaps you’ve thought about a change of direction. We explore Alexander’s transition from hands-on coding to strategic management. It’s a fascinating conversation, and if you’ve wanted to start an agency but have concerns about what that might bring, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Paolo Belcastro.

Paolo works at Automattic, where he’s focused on Jetpack and .blog products. He’s been working remotely since 1994 and managing distributed teams since 1998.

He’s on the podcast today to talk about AI, and he certainly brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in integrating AI with web development.

With Paolo’s insights into the recent advancements in open source AI models and the collaborative efforts within the AI community to keep platforms accessible but innovative, you’ll gain a comprehensive view of where AI in web development stands today and where it might head tomorrow.

If you're a developer, a tech enthusiast, or anyone interested in the intersection of AI and creative processes, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Nahuai Badiola. Nahuai is a freelance WordPress developer, theme, and plugin creator. He also writes WordPress code tutorials and enjoys sharing everything he learns about web sustainability in his blog, podcast, and at WordPress events. Nahuai’s life took an unexpected turn one day when he attended a 10-minute lightning talk at a WordCamp. The content of that talk was web sustainability and it profoundly changed his perspective on how we should view our use of the internet. Nahuai has since been a vocal advocate for sustainability within the WordPress community. Today, Nahuai and I discuss the nuances of the environmental impact of web development with a particular focus on WordPress. We discuss ideas like reducing code in plugins, and highlight the Performance Team's efforts to make WordPress more green. If you're curious about sustainability within WordPress web development, and the community more broadly, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Maestro Stevens. Maestro is an international speaker and managing director of The Iconic Expressions. His areas of expertise include digital marketing, brand strategy, web development, and project leadership. In this episode Maestro lays out the case for how inclusivity is not just something that we need to be concerned about at things like events, but also in our WordPress website designs. If you're curious about the intersection of creativity, representation, and the WordPress ecosystem, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Jonathan Desrosier. Jonathan has been a contributor to WordPress Core for many years, and a WordPress Core committer since 2018. Jonathan currently works as a Senior Software Engineer at Bluehost, where he is sponsored full-time to contribute to WordPress Core through the Five for the Future program. We talk about the challenges that come with contributing to such a large and multi-faceted project, from the intricate process of decision-making, involving many stakeholders, to the occasional moments of feeling demoralised when contributions seem like a drop in the ocean. We discuss the importance of regular contributions, and about the sustainability of the open-source ecosystem, emphasising the critical role businesses need to play, and the potential risks when key contributors step back. If you’re curious about how you can contribute, what that looks likes, and where it can take you, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Jamie Marsland, and he's here to talk to me about his recent journey into YouTube content creation as well as the topic of how WordPress is positioned against the likes of Wix and Shopify. Jamie shares his strategies for effective video creation, from planning to execution, along with his thoughts on sponsored content and its place in the YouTube ecosystem. If you’re curious about the future of WordPress, content creation, or the dynamics of digital learning, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Tammie Lister. If you’ve been in the WordPress space for a while, Tammie's name is likely a familiar one. She's an 18-year veteran of the project, a talented designer, developer, and a key contributor to the project. Her journey has made her wear a variety of hats in both agency life and product development. Today, Tammie shares insights that span from the practical to the philosophical within the open-source landscape. We get to hear Tammie's perspective on this crucial experimentation phase in WordPress theme development, the balance she seeks between minimalist design and functional complexity, and her active roles, including the default theme task force. Tammie's excitement for what's next is palpable. So, whether you're a developer, a designer, or a WordPress aficionado, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Shawn Hooper. Shawn Hooper is a key figure in the Canadian WordPress community. He’s an advocate for national and local gatherings that bring WordPress enthusiasts together. Later this year, the first ever WordCamp Canada, or WCEH for short, will be held in Ottawa. The event is deep in the planning stages. The venue is secured, the speakers have been finalised, and it’s now up to the team of volunteers, of which Shawn is one, to make the event a success. We get into the challenges of creating an event of this scale. From conception until now, there’s a lot of moving parts. The venue, food, transport, volunteers, sponsors, speakers, the list could go on. It all needs to be planned, tasks assigned and executed. If attending WordPress events, and volunteering your time, is your thing, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Miriam Schwab. Miriam co-founded Strattic to enable WordPress websites to be more secure and performant. After Elementor acquired Strattic, Miriam continued leading the unit before becoming Head of WordPress Relations. With over 15 years of experience, she's a respected member of the WordPress community and a renowned speaker. In today's episode we discuss Miriam’s life. It’s a departure for this podcast which usually focuses upon the code, the plugins and the community. The idea came out of a talk which Miriam presented at WordCamp Asia this year. In this talk Miriam outlined how she carved out a successful career in the world of WordPress whilst also being the mother of seven children, and it’s fascinating. If you’re interested in hearing how one person has managed the stresses and strains of an incredibly busy life, this episode is for you.