The PublishPress Podcast

PublishPress
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We talk with people interested in WordPress publishing. You'll hear interview with publishers who happen to be using WordPress, and also people in the WordPress space.

  1. Big Business Loves WordPress Because It's Open Source

    1D AGO

    Big Business Loves WordPress Because It's Open Source

    Our guest is Karim Marucchi from the Crowd Favorite agency and the FAIR project.  With Karim's help, we're going to try and tell two stories in this episode. The first story is Karim's life working with some of the biggest agencies in the world, and selling projects to some of the largest companies in the world. He tells the story of how he sat down and sold Steve Jobs on a website project.  The second story is about the value of open source and WordPress to those big enterprise customers. Karim is working really hard at the moment with the FAIR project. We'll explain what that is. The FAIR project is part of Karim's efforts to bring the benefits of open source to big enterprise customers. [00:00:00] - Introduction[00:01:21] - Early career and transition[00:05:17] - Big breaks: Nissan and Pixar[00:07:38] - Acquisition and rapid growth[00:09:25] - European expansion and IPO[00:11:16] - Integration work and lessons[00:13:40] - Entering open source and WordPress[00:16:00] - Crowd Favorite and Alex King[00:17:49] - Bridging publishing and enterprise[00:20:00] - Composable and modular architectures[00:21:18] - Enterprise value: ownership and cost[00:24:23] - System architecture role and compliance[00:26:08] - CRA and supply chain security[00:28:36] - Enterprise practices: updates and SBOM[00:33:00] - Introducing the FAIR project[00:33:56] - Enterprise examples and collaboration[00:39:23] - FAIR adoption and partners[00:41:06] - Linux Foundation governance model[00:45:03] - Goal: trusted WordPress supply chain[00:45:55] - FAIR roadmap: ecosystem and policies[00:47:56] - Defining moment for the coming decades[00:49:38] - Follow-up and closing

    51 min
  2. The Fediverse and WordPress Should Be Better Friends

    OCT 27

    The Fediverse and WordPress Should Be Better Friends

    Evan Prodromou is often called "The father of the Fediverse". It's amazing how much overlap there is between the aims of WordPress and Fediverse. These two communities should work together more! The Fediverse consists of independent social networking platforms including Mastodon (micro-blogging), PeerTube (videos), Pixelfed (images) and more.  Just like WordPress, most of the Fediverse runs on open source code. And just like WordPress, you get to create content that isn't swallowed by corporate algorithms. And you can build successful business or communities on your platforms that you own control. We talk with Evan about the origins and evolution of the Fediverse. Evan has played a key role in building several early Fediverse sites such as Wikitravel, Identi.ca, and StatusNet. He also helped to develop Activity Pub which the key protocol that enables Fediverse to talk to each other. Find out more about Evan: https://evanp.me.  00:00 The Birth of the Fediverse03:06 Evan's Journey in Open Source and Social Networking05:56 The Evolution of Protocols and Privacy08:55 Philosophical Underpinnings of Open Systems12:05 Meta's Threads and Its Impact on the Fediverse15:08 From Identica to Threads: A Historical Overview18:07 The Role of Standards in the Fediverse21:13 Commercial Interest in the Fediverse25:04 The Power of Newsletters and Social Feeds28:07 Hyperlocal Connections in the Fediverse30:03 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Social Networks32:58 Building Community through Fediverse Instances38:12 Innovations and Future of the Fediverse42:12 Encouraging WordPress Community Engagement with the Fediverse

    49 min

  3. OCT 20

    The PressConf Story: How Raquel Manriquez Launched the Best WordPress Business Conference

    In this episode of the PublishPress Podcast, Raquel joins Dan and Steve to chat about bringing PressConf to life. PressConf is the spiritual successor to Pressnomics, a business-focused WordPress conference. Raquel tells the PressConf story and shares her lessons for other event organizers, including Dan who was part of the WordCamp Canada team. Raquel talks about what it’s really like to organize large events, the ups and downs along the way, and why community is at the heart of it all. We dive into the behind-the-scenes details: how sponsorships work, how to make speakers feel safe and supported, and why global representation matters so much. Raquel shares what made PressConf 2025 such a success and what’s next for her events. Check out PressConf 2026: https://pressconf.events Timestamps:  00:00 The Birth of PressConf03:04 Organizing Large Events: Challenges and Strategies06:07 The Unique Experience of PressConf09:07 Sponsorship Dynamics in Smaller Conferences12:02 Creating a Safe Space for Vulnerability15:01 The Global Reach of PressConf17:57 Reflections on the Success of PressConf 202529:11 Navigating Visa Challenges for Events30:51 Funding Models for Conferences34:51 Balancing Ticket Prices and Sponsorships36:22 Understanding Event Costs39:07 PressConf's Future and Expansion Plans41:21 Attracting New Audiences and Diversity45:31 The Future of PressConf and Open Source Events49:38 The Role of the Host in Event Success51:01 Building Trust in Event Organization56:32 Looking Ahead to PressConf 2026

    1h 1m
  4. Green Street News: How A Major Real Estate Publisher is Thriving on WordPress

    OCT 13

    Green Street News: How A Major Real Estate Publisher is Thriving on WordPress

    In this episode, I talk with Than Taintor from the Human Made agency and Zeshan Ahmed from Green Street News. Together they've been part of the project to revamp the Green Street News website.  Green Street News is a major real estate publisher. They're based out of the UK, but have recently been expanding to Europe, Australia, and North America. That's meant a lot of changes to their business and their WordPress platform. This project had significant challenges, including codebase over a decade old. There was also a large volume of content, with over 100,000 articles split across multiple regions. There were also membership and scaling challenges as the Green Street team sends several highly-popular newsletters multiple times every day. 00:00 Introduction to HumanMade and Green Street 03:23 The Evolution of the Green Street Codebase 06:41 Architectural Decisions for Regional Content Management 10:48 Scaling Challenges with High Traffic 14:42 Implementing the Block Editor for Content Creation 18:15 Transitioning to Digital: The Evolution of Green Street News 20:51 Membership Management: Navigating Complex Systems 24:00 Modernizing Legacy Systems: The Ship of Theseus 27:20 AI in Action: Auto-Tagging Content 32:37 Expanding Horizons: Future Growth Plans 35:52 Data Privacy: Safeguarding Sensitive Information 38:01 Recommendations: Influential Voices in Publishing

    39 min
  5. Kimberly Lipari on Staying Intentionally Small as a WordPress Agency

    OCT 7

    Kimberly Lipari on Staying Intentionally Small as a WordPress Agency

    Kimberly Lipari is CEO of Valet, a WordPress agency. She had made the very intentional choice to remain a small agency. We talk about how Kimberly balances work and family life, plus the importance of human touch in agency work. Kimberly introduces me to the tools that Valet relies on. She does a great job of selling me on the Bricks page builder that I've never used before. She thinks it has a lot advantages for WordPress agencies. We discuss the evolution of Valet, and also her new project, The Modern Webmaster, aimed at empowering clients with knowledge about web development. Check out Kimberly's agency at Valet.io. 00:00 Introduction to Valet and Its Meaning02:01 Understanding Valet's Clientele04:33 The Intentionality of a Small Agency06:32 Balancing Work and Family Life08:50 Revenue Streams and Client Relationships10:12 Consulting and Problem Solving11:23 Applying Engineering Skills to Web Projects15:51 The Flexibility of WordPress16:54 Tools for Managing Client Sites19:06 The Importance of Human Touch in Maintenance22:54 The Role of Staff in Client Management24:11 Addressing Security Concerns28:01 Exploring Client Needs and Solutions30:06 Exploring Page Builders and Themes39:19 The Evolution of Valet and Agency Life49:14 The Modern Webmaster57:26 Empowering Clients Through Knowledge

    57 min
  6. How YouTube and AI Unlocked Jamie Marsland's Creativity

    SEP 29

    How YouTube and AI Unlocked Jamie Marsland's Creativity

    In this episode of the PublishPress Podcast, Steve Burge chats with Jamie Marsland. Jamie is known for his YouTube work on the PootlePress channel and now the official WordPress channel. A few years back, he had a regular job in publishing, but a career change unlocked a whole new wave of creativity. First, they talk about how AI has changed Jamie’s writing. It helps him create content faster and even build apps like PootleWriter to make writing and publishing easier. Then, they dive into YouTube, which has become a big outlet for Jamie’s creativity. He’s passionate about teaching and helping beginners with WordPress. Jamie shares how building trust through video has helped him grow and how he’s using what he’s learned to make WordPress better on YouTube. Check out Jamie's work at https://www.pootlepress.com. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene03:01 The Transition from Traditional Publishing to Digital06:00 Unlocking Creativity with AI11:53 The Development of PoodleWriter and Other Apps18:04 The Impact of YouTube on Creative Expression23:58 Teaching and Training in the WordPress Community26:48 The Mission Behind the YouTube Channel28:59 Growth and Strategy of WordPress YouTube Channels31:57 Balancing Community and Consistency on YouTube33:40 Recommendations for Launching a YouTube Channel35:55 Building Trust Through Video Content37:53 The Future of AI in Video Content Creation41:07 AI's Impact on WordPress and the Future45:09 The Challenge of Competing with New Tools 48:02 The Exciting Future of Content Creation 52:53 The Value of Traditional Media in a Digital Age

    55 min
  7. Helping Print Publishers Find Success with WordPress, With Simea Merki

    SEP 22

    Helping Print Publishers Find Success with WordPress, With Simea Merki

    Simea is part of a digital agency called Morntag, based in Switzerland. Her agency helps people navigate between different worlds. Many of Simea's customer are traditional print publishers and they need her help to navigate the online world including WordPress, AI and YouTube. Also the customers often need to work in different linguistic worlds including English, French, Italian, multiple versions of German, and more. Find out more about Simea's work at https://morntag.com. Her WordPress-to-PDF service is at https://pressdify.com. Timestamps from this episode: 00:00 Introduction to Montag and Multilingualism06:21 Navigating Multilingual WordPress Challenges12:36 From Print to Digital: The Evolution of Montag18:50 Client Needs: Balancing Print and Digital23:58 The Impact of AI on Publishing and Digitization24:12 Bridging the Gap: From Print to Digital26:12 Family Business Dynamics in Tech27:06 The Meaning Behind Montag28:02 Understanding Client Needs Beyond Platforms29:30 The Role of Pressdify in Digital Transition32:09 Exploring the Capabilities of Pressdify36:55 AI's Impact on Publishing42:49 Adapting to New Technologies in Publishing45:23 Complementary Tools for Enhanced Usability49:59 Influential Voices in PublishingSome key takeaways from this episode: Montag is based in Switzerland and serves clients in the DACH region (Germany, Austraia, Switzerland).WordPress is not inherently built for multilingual sites so it requires plugins and often consulting work.Clients often come to Morntag from a print-first mindset, needing digital solutions.The transition from print to digital can be challenging for traditional publishers.AI's impact on publishing is a growing concern for clients.Flipbooks sound like a good idea for PDF magazines, but are not favored by users who prefer responsive web designs.The future of publishing will require adaptation to new technologies. Montag started as an Adobe training company and transitioned to web design.Clients often seek solutions for pain points rather than looking for specific platforms such as WordPress.

    52 min
  8. Using WordPress and Open Source to Improve Government, With Luke Fretwell

    JUL 6

    Using WordPress and Open Source to Improve Government, With Luke Fretwell

    Luke Fretwell is one of the most creative and pioneering people I've met in open source. He's enjoyed a 25+ year career that has covered multiple projects, collaborations, and businesses. The through-line for all Luke's projects has been making government better through technology.  Luke created GovPress, a very popular WordPress theme focused for governments. He built Proud City, a WordPress-based SaaS service for government. His latest work includes ScanGov to track the quality of government websites, and Proudly Serving, a collectively written playbook that helps governments build people-centered digital public services. LukeFretwell.com: Luke's personal site.Govfresh.com: Luke's consultancyProudCity.com: a WordPress-based platform for local governmentsProudlyServingBook.com: local government digital services handbookScanGov.org: Government digital experience monitorChatcivic.ai: Government AI chatbotsTimestamps: 02:53: The Journey from Journalism to Technology10:15: Connecting Technology and Government12:09: The Birth of GovFresh16:12: Launching Proud City24:27: Navigating the Government Market24:55: Navigating Government Procurement Challenges28:05: Innovating in Government Tech: The Innovator's Dilemma29:28: Introducing ScanGov: A Civic Tech Initiative36:13: The Future of Civic Tech and Open Source41:24: AI in Government: ChatCivic and Its Potential53:17: Civic Leadership and Influential Voices

    57 min
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We talk with people interested in WordPress publishing. You'll hear interview with publishers who happen to be using WordPress, and also people in the WordPress space.

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