ABOUT MATT MULLENWEG
Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) is an American Entrepreneur and Web Developer known for developing WordPress, the free and open-source web software that powers nearly 35% of all websites on the Internet.
Matt dropped out of the University of Houston and was working for CNET Networks while founding Automattic, the Internet Company behind brands like WordPress.com, Akismet, Gravatar, VaultPress, IntenseDebate, Crowdsignal, and Tumblr.
He was the guest on The Tim Ferriss Show Episode 61 where he discussed developing WordPress, building a company, favorite tools, books, music, and more.
Here are our takeaways from the conversation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Matt Mullenweg was 19 when he started working on WordPress
- Akismet was the first product of Automattic, made to prevent spam
- Matt Mullenweg followed the Uberman sleep cycle (Polyphasic Sleep) during the time he wrote WordPress and bbPress
- Matt Mullenweg uses the Dvorak keyboard layout and can type over 120 wpm (words per minute)
- WordPress.com uses P2theme.com as a replacement for Emails and Slack as a replacement for Skype and Instant Messengers
- Momentum Chrome Extension, Spotify, Wunderlist, Simplenote, Telegram, Calm are some of the tools used by Matt Mullenweg
- Matt Mullenweg enjoys reading books and loves playing the Saxophone
MATT MULLENWEG QUOTE
The hardest thing is spending the most time on the most important things
DEVELOPING WORDPRESS
- Matt Mullenweg joined with Mike Little, an English developer to develop WordPress
- He kept the software open source for it to be extended for many use cases by developers
- He founded Automattic in 2005 while working at CNET Networks
- Akismet was the first product of Automattic, made to prevent spam
CULTURE AT WORDPRESS
- Matt Mullenweg did not want to bring WordPress employees to the Bay Area and hence created a remote working culture
- Most of WordPress’ employees work from the comfort of their place and are majorly from the United States and the United Kingdom
- There is a monthly allowance for WordPress employees that they can use at any co-working space, cafes, or other places where they feel comfortable to work
- Instead of using Emails to keep track of the happenings, WordPress uses P2theme.com to share updates, organize projects, and build the community
- Matt Mullenweg prefers Slack over other communication and messaging tools
HIRING PROCESS AT WORDPRESS
- Most of the hiring process involves text chats
- Matt Mullenweg reviews profiles and forwards them for further processing
- Once screening tests are complete, the final round of interview is with Matt Mullenweg where he decides the team suitable for the candidate
- WordPress tries to make the interview process as similar to the actual job as possible
- Matt Mullenweg is keen on the writing of the candidates and how they present themselves on the application
APPLICATIONS USED BY MATT MULLENWEG
BOOKS MOST GIFTED BY MATT MULLENWEG
- The Year Without Pants by Scott Berkun
- How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain De Botton
- A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit
- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
- Words That Work by Frank Luntz
- Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things by George Lakoff
ARTISTS LIKED BY MATT MULLENWEG
- Sam Smith
- Milky Chance
- John Mayer
- Kanye West
- Kendrick Lamar
- The Jane Doze
SUGGESTED BOOKS ON INVESTING
- Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Book of Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Warren Buffett’s Annual Letters
BOOKS MENTIONED
- History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
- The Year Without Pants by Scott Berkun
- How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain De Botton
- A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit
- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
- Words That Work by Frank Luntz
- Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things by George Lakoff
- Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
- The Magus by John Fowles
- Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
- The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
- The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig
- The Everything Store by Brad Stone
- Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Book of Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser
- Ernest Hemingway on Writing by Larry Phillips
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker
- The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
- Zero to One by Peter Thiel
- The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
ALBUMS MENTIONED
- OK Computer by Radiohead
- Nostalgia Ultra by Frank Ocean
- Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins
- Good Kid, M.A.A.D City by Kendrick Lamar
MOVIES MENTIONED
- The Bourne Identity
- Shaun of the Dead
- Casino Royale
- Babe
- Kung Fu Panda
- The Big Lebowski
- The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo
- Titanic
NOTABLE PEOPLE MENTIONED
- Thucydides
- Dvorak
- Sam Smith
- John Mayer
- Kanye West
- Kendrick Lamar
- Kevin Rose
- Bruce Lee
- Dr. Nicholas Romanov
- Chris Sacca
- Om Malik
- Jeff Bezos
- Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Warren Buffett
- Marc Andreessen
