My Thoughts on Meeting with WordPress

Here are my thoughts on our meeting with WordPress:

1) During our conversation with Matt, I was really amezed that his background is in Political Science and Philosophy. He wasn't even a developer trying to come up with the next big thing.

2) WordPress began their company by "winging it" and they are still "winging it". They started their company with no business plan. In IDEO's book, "The Art of Innovation", Tom Kelley also mentioned that they too just went with their guts and "winged it" and they became successful and they are still "winging it". IDEO also mentioned that they did not have a business plan.

3) Startup companies, like WordPress, began their company by developing something that they needed for themselves and used their own software and then it got huge and became successful. This is also how PeopleSoft began too. They developed and used their own HR software and then it became successful.

4) WordPress was ahead of the game; ahead of their competitors and understood what the next big thing may be and took a risk on it.

5) I can't believe that Matt allows all of his 20 employees to work from home from all over the world. I can't believe that he trusts his employees to work from home. How do you manage people working from home all of the time? What if they slack off? How does he know that they are actually working? I guess the good thing about allowing all of his employees to work from home is the need for office space. He doesn't need to spend money on it.

6) WordPress is free for the users to blog. So, how does WordPress or Matt make money?

7) I can't believe that he is only 23 years old and he didn't even need an MBA, yet he articulated so well. He spoke as if he had an MBA because he used business terminology that we heard in MBA school. He was also straightforward, direct. When we asked him a question, he directly and honestly answers the question. He did not beat around the bush like current business leaders in the larger companies.

I am amazed by our meeting with WordPress. I have learned so much from him.