The Power of Ecosystem Thinking: How WordPress Thrives Amid Corporate Interests

In open source, the battle for control and contribution is never-ending. Few understand this dynamic as intimately as Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, who gave a bold and unapologetic talk at WordCamp US 2024. His message wasn’t just a celebration of WordPress’ past successes; it was a call to protect the future of open-source communities against exploitation by corporate interests.

Matt’s talk emphasized the power of "ecosystem thinking," the role of private equity in open-source communities, and what the WordPress community can do to ensure its long-term health.

Ecosystem Thinking: More Than Just Code

Matt Mullenweg introduced a concept called ecosystem thinking, a framework for how open-source projects like WordPress can thrive sustainably. He broke it down into four key pillars: Learn, Evolve, Nourish, and Teach.

Learn: This is about staying curious and always approaching problems with a beginner’s mind. In the WordPress ecosystem, this translates to constantly exploring new ideas, technologies, and solutions.
Evolve: Learning is just the first step; evolution is where ideas are applied and tested. WordPress has been evolving continuously since its inception, from its early days as a simple blogging platform to a powerful, flexible CMS capable of building any type of website.
Nourish: Here’s where the real challenge comes in. After evolving and succeeding, there’s a responsibility to "nourish" the ecosystem that enabled that success. This means giving back—whether through code contributions, documentation, or community involvement. It’s not just about taking from open source; it’s about ensuring that everyone can continue to thrive.
Teach: The more you share knowledge, the more you solidify your own understanding. In the open-source world, this means mentoring others, writing tutorials, or contributing to forums—activities that amplify the collective intelligence of the community.

These four pillars, Matt argued, are what differentiate an open-source project that’s alive and humming with activity from one that’s stagnating.

The Tragedy (and Abundance) of the Commons

Matt used an analogy familiar to many economists: the tragedy of the commons. In traditional economics, this term describes how individuals, acting in their own self-interest, can deplete a shared resource, leaving nothing for the community. Matt flipped this concept, instead arguing for the abundance of the commons—the idea that when everyone contributes a small amount back to the shared resource, it can flourish indefinitely.

This idea is embodied in WordPress’ Five for the Future initiative, where companies and individuals are encouraged to dedicate 5% of their resources to the ongoing development and sustainability of WordPress. This collective contribution is what nourishes the WordPress ecosystem, ensuring that it continues to grow and thrive for future generations.

Private Equity: The Invisible Threat

But the biggest threat to this ecosystem? Corporate interests—particularly private equity. In what could be considered one of his spiciest public addresses to date, Matt called out Silver Lake, the private equity firm that controls WP Engine, one of the largest hosting providers in the WordPress ecosystem. He argued that while WP Engine profits handsomely from WordPress, its contributions to the ecosystem are minimal compared to its revenue.

Matt wasn’t shy about naming names, calling out Silver Lake’s managing director Lee Wittlinger as a prime example of how private equity firms exploit open-source projects. WP Engine, despite benefiting immensely from WordPress, contributes only a fraction of the resources back to the community that other companies do. In Matt’s view, this isn’t just a business decision—it’s a parasitic relationship.

The Community's Power to Fight Back

What’s the solution? Matt’s message was clear: vote with your wallet. As WordPress users, developers, and enthusiasts, we have the power to support companies that give back to the community, companies that nourish the ecosystem rather than merely extracting value from it. Matt pointed out that other hosting providers—like Bluehost, SiteGround, and Automattic—are far more committed to the health of the WordPress ecosystem.

By choosing service providers that contribute back to WordPress, we ensure that our shared resource remains healthy and vibrant. It’s about making conscious decisions, not just based on price or convenience, but on long-term sustainability.

The Future of WordPress: AI, Blockchain, and Collaboration

The talk wasn’t just a critique of corporate interests. Matt also looked forward, sharing his thoughts on how technologies like AI and blockchain might intersect with WordPress in the future. He highlighted how AI models, especially open-source ones, could revolutionize development processes. He was excited about the potential for AI-assisted coding tools to dramatically boost productivity for developers in the WordPress ecosystem.

Similarly, Matt touched on the future of cryptocurrency and how it could play a role in WordPress, particularly in the realm of e-commerce. While the technology is still developing, he acknowledged that the principles of decentralization and freedom align well with the open-source ethos of WordPress.

Finally, Matt teased the future of collaboration within WordPress itself. He mentioned upcoming features that will allow multiple users to collaborate on a WordPress page in real time, similar to Google Docs. This will be a game-changer for agencies, teams, and content creators who rely on WordPress for their projects.

Conclusion: Protecting What We’ve Built

Matt Mullenweg’s talk at WordCamp US 2024 was more than just a reflection on WordPress’ past successes; it was a rallying cry for the future. His message was simple but powerful: WordPress is a shared resource, and it’s up to all of us to protect it.

The threats posed by corporate interests, particularly private equity, are real. But as a community, we have the power to resist these forces by supporting companies that contribute back to WordPress and by embracing the principles of ecosystem thinking.

In the end, the future of WordPress isn’t just in the hands of its leaders or developers. It’s in the hands of every user, every contributor, and every company that benefits from its open-source nature. Together, we can ensure that WordPress remains a powerful, thriving, and open platform for generations to come.

Acknowledgment

This article draws inspiration from youtube video by Wordpress. You can watch here.

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