“If someone has those four things — work ethic, taste, integrity, and curiosity — I believe that you can learn anything in the world.” – Matt Mullenweg
Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) is most associated with a tool that powers more than 25% of the entire Web: WordPress. He’s also the CEO of Automattic, which is a multi-billion dollar, fully distributed startup. Matt loves tea, tequila, and Chicken McNuggets.
His first time on the show went over so well that you’ve all been asking for a round two. So in this episode, he answers your most popular questions.
If you only have 5 minutes, you’ll want to hear Matt’s thoughts on the factors (other than hard work) most likely to lead to a successful career.
Please enjoy!
- Listen to it on iTunes.
- Stream by clicking here.
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another interview with Matt Mullenweg? — Listen to his first appearance on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss polyphasic sleep, tequila, and building billion-dollar companies (stream below or right-click here to download):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
- Connect with Matt:
Twitter | Blog | Facebook | Spotify
- Matt Mullenweg on Polyphasic Sleep, Tequila, and Building Billion-Dollar Companies (Matt’s first appearance on this show)
- (A few of) Matt’s companies and services: WordPress, Jetpack, and Automattic
- Zoom video conferencing
- Slack team communication
- How P2 Changed Automattic by Matt Mullenweg
- Google Apps
- Automattic Grand Meetup 2016 – Whistler, Canada by Clicky Steve
- US citizens who travel frequently should see if they qualify for TSA Precheck and Global Entry.
- Matt uses Google Fi for his Internet connection on the go.
- What’s in Matt’s Bag 2016 edition
- WordPress.com Parent Automattic Raises $160 Million, Valued at $1.16 Billion by Liz Gannes, Recode
- Calm meditation app
- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
- Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett
- Communication platforms Matt mentions: Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and bbPress
- Commerce platforms Matt mentions: Shopify, BigCommerce, Ecwid, and WooCommerce
- QWERTY vs. Dvorak as Fast as Possible by Techquickie
- Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace) by Chade-Meng Tan, Daniel Goleman, and Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Facebook Poke Is Dead…and So Is Facebook Camera by Ellis Hamburger, The Verge
- Fire Phone One Year Later: Why Amazon’s Smartphone Flamed Out by Ben Fox Rubin, CNET
- The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Alpha Omega Winery
- Foie gras
- Chateau d’Yquem Winery
- “Artificial intelligence” Web developer/designer tools mentioned: The Grid and Wix ADI
- Even Early Focus Groups Hated Clippy by Robinson Meyer
- Bots Won’t Replace Apps. Better Apps Will Replace Apps. by Dan Grover
- What is deep learning?
- Publications Matt reads to gauge hype cycles: The New Yorker, New York Magazine, The Economist, Wired, and Fast Company
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
- Matt Mullenweg places on the 40 under 40 list, Fortune
- Matt Mullenweg receives the Heinz Award in the Technology, the Economy, and Employment category
- The Pomodoro Technique
- Anatomy of a Critical Security Bug presentation by Andrew Nacin, Loop Conf
- Matt uses Coach.me as part of his morning routine.
- Elysium Health
- Nootrobox KADO-3 krill and fish oil
- Sun salutations (yoga)
Show Notes
- Matt talks about what happened with WordPress and Automattic since his last tequila-fueled appearance on the show. [05:50]
- What’s the hardest part about running a company with a distributed workforce? [06:43]
- Matt’s seasoned tips for frequent travelers. [11:43]
- Professional and personal advice Matt would give his younger self. [14:28]
- What’s the most important skillset for an entrepreneur to develop? [18:12]
- What non-technical characteristics does Matt look for when recruiting new employees? [20:24]
- If WordPress is the platform of writing, and Shopify is the platform of commerce, what other platforms are worth developing? [22:39]
- Matt talks about the toughest thing he deals with day-to-day. [26:36]
- Once-important default settings (values or behaviors) Matt has since questioned and removed. [28:03]
- What factors — aside from hard work — does Matt believe contribute significantly to success? [32:54]
- Matt talks about failure and how even the big names don’t always get it right. [33:50]
- What final food and drink is appropriate for greeting the apocalypse? [35:42]
- Matt’s thoughts on so-called “artificial intelligence” web developer/designer tools — and if WordPress might utilize something like these in future. [39:40]
- Matt on machine learning and deep learning. [45:25]
- What would the next six months of Matt’s life look like if he’d been less successful thus far and had to start with nothing? [46:31]
- How would Matt gauge hype cycles for what’s in demand if he were trying to start a new business today? [49:40]
- Where does Matt see the future of the Internet in terms of user behavior? [52:05]
- Is the demand for Web development still high, or is it stagnating? [56:18]
- How does Matt motivate himself? [59:18]
- How has Matt solved his biggest technical problems? [1:02:19]
- What is Matt’s evening routine (if he has one)? [1:05:55]
- Matt’s morning routine? [1:07:45]