Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, took to Twitter today, sparking conversations across the WordPress community. In his tweets, Matt touched on WordPress’s relationship with businesses built around it and the growing competition from platforms like Shopify.
What Matt Said?
Matt used a park analogy to explain the WordPress ecosystem. He tweeted:
“If I build a restaurant next to your park, I’m contributing to the park, right? Because my restaurant makes more people walk through your park.”
His point? Businesses that thrive on WordPress also bring value to the platform itself. It’s a two-way street.
But he didn’t stop there. In another tweet, he said:
“And if Joomla had 43% of the web and WordPress had 1.6%, almost all of the businesses built on WP would be on Joomla instead. They don’t actually care about the core platform in a lifelong missionary way like I do.”
Here, Matt highlighted the importance of long-term commitment to WordPress. He called out the tendency of some to “diversify” into proprietary platforms like Shopify, which he referred to as having “totally controlled market dynamics.”
Why It Matters?
Right now, WordPress powers over 43% of the internet. That’s massive. But with popularity comes competition. Platforms like Shopify and Webflow are gaining traction, offering ease of use and tailored solutions. Despite this, Matt’s tweets emphasize why WordPress remains special: it’s open-source, flexible, and gives users complete control.
For developers and agencies, his message is clear—don’t just chase the trend. WordPress’s core values of freedom and community are what make it resilient.
What’s Next?
Matt’s challenge to the community is simple: stick with the mission. Contribute. Innovate. And as he said:
“Maybe listen to the person that did it rather than armchair quarterbacking?”
At the end of the day, WordPress’s story isn’t over. The next chapter is up to the people who believe in it.
What’s your take on this?
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