“Companies don’t die from competition. They usually die from suicide.”
— Matt Mullenweg
Matt Mullenweg ( @photomatt ) is co-founder of the open-source publishing platform WordPress , which now powers over 40 percent of all sites on the web. He is the founder and CEO of Automattic , the company behind WordPress.com , WooCommerce , Tumblr , WPVIP , Day One , Texts , and Pocket Casts . Additionally, Matt runs Audrey Capital , an investment and research company. He has been recognized for his leadership by Forbes , Bloomberg Businessweek , Inc. , TechCrunch , Fortune , Fast Company , Wired , University Philosophical Society, and Vanity Fair .
Matt is originally from Houston, Texas, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and studied jazz saxophone. In his spare time, Matt is an avid photographer. He currently splits his time between Houston and San Francisco.
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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Podcast Addict , Pocket Casts , Castbox , Google Podcasts , Amazon Music , or on your favorite podcast platform . You can watch the interview on YouTube here .
Brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement.
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#713: Matt Mullenweg — The Art of Crafting a Sabbatical, Tips for Defending Against Hackers, Leveraging Open Source, Thriving in an AI World, and Tips for Life’s Darkest Hours
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Want to hear the episode Matt Mullenweg and I did from Antarctica? Listen to our conversation here in which we discussed whisky, perpetual daylight, living with zero internet access, the “patient” landscape of Antarctica, witnessing a total solar eclipse, the grieving process, podcast tech specs, existential revelations, bucket list items, and much more .
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
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 Mullenweg :
Twitter | Instagram | Blog | Facebook | Spotify
Automattic
WordPress.com
WordPress.org
WooCommerce
Tumblr
WordPress VIP
Day One
Texts
Pocket Casts
Audrey Capital
Spam Protection for Websites | Akismet
Berkshire Hathaway
Buyers of First Resort | Works in Progress
Open-Source Software | Wikipedia
Philosophy | WordPress.org
Tom Sawyer Whitewashing the Fence | PBS
“The First Thing Our New Hire Did…” | (ROBIN) at Twitter
Could Your Hiring Process Use Some ‘Mystery Shopping’? | Indeed
What Is Red Teaming? | WhatIs.com
What’s in My Bag, 2023 | Matt Mullenweg
State of the Word | WordPress.org
The #1 App for Meditation and Sleep | Calm
Apple’s Newest Headache: An App That Upended Its Control Over Messaging | The New York Times
Candies & Chocolates Online | See’s Candies
The 2020s Will Be an Era of Atoms, Not Bits | Digital Tonto
Twitter to Remove Free API Access in Latest Money Making Quest | The Verge
The Customer Company | Salesforce
The Many Annoying Ways Google Forced Users onto Google+ | The Verge
Notes | App Store
A Note-Taking Tool for Networked Thought | Roam Research
Sharpen Your Thinking | Obsidian
The DevSecOps Platform | GitLab
Secure Collaboration and Messaging | Element
Power Your Entire Business | Square
Jack Dorsey Gives Decentralized Social Network Nostr 14 BTC in Funding | CoinDesk
Bluesky
Simple, Secure, Reliable Messaging | WhatsApp
Speak Freely | Signal
A Conversation with Charlie Munger & John Collison | Invest Like the Best
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse | Amazon
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis | Amazon
Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony de Mello | Amazon
The Acceleration of Addictiveness | Paul Graham
How to Do Great Work | Paul Graham
Slate Star Codex
The Knowledge Project Podcast
The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | Amazon
Making Commerce Better for Everyone | Shopify
Writers’ Strike 2023: Historic Strike Ends, Impacts Hollywood | Los Angeles Times
Wait But Why
The Top Idea in Your Mind | Paul Graham
Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule | Paul Graham
Candyman | Prime Video
Paul Graham on Ambition, Art, and Evaluating Talent | Conversations with Tyler
Small Steps Toward a Much Better World | Marginal Revolution
National Fed Challenge | Wikipedia
Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) | The Fed
Effective Federal Funds Rate | Federal Bank Reserve of New York
What Is the Illuminati? 9 Questions about the Illuminati, Answered | Vox
Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Blogging the Milt Friedman Conference | Matt Mullenweg
Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength by Bill Phillips and Michael D’Orso | Amazon
Red Ocean Strategy vs. Blue Ocean Strategy I Blue Ocean Strategy
What Is USB-C? An Explainer | PCMag
Apple Pushes Back Against iPhone USB-C Regulations in India | MacRumors
6000mah Ultra Slim Built in Cables Power Bank | Amazon
Prompt Engineering Guide
Introducing ChatGPT | OpenAI
Midjourney
Sweeping Changes for Leading-Edge Chip Architectures | Semiconductor Engineering
Car Dealership Disturbed When Its AI Is Caught Offering Chevys for $1 Each | Futurism
Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson | Amazon
World Population Growth Is Expected to Nearly Stop By 2100 | Pew Research Center
Will Traditional Colleges and Universities Become Obsolete? | Smithsonian Magazine
Hobbes’ Moral and Political Philosophy | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss | Amazon
We Cannot Predict the Future, But We Can Invent It | Quote Investigator
Will Data Liberation Grow WordPress? | The WP Minute
Create a Free Website Today | Wix
Apple Says It ‘Expects to Make’ App Store Policy Changes Due to EU DMA | TechCrunch
Every Apple App Store Fee, Explained: How Much, for What, and When | AppleInsider
Beta Testing made simple with TestFlight | Apple Developer
Blazingly Fast Email for Teams and Individuals | Superhuman
Twitter Is Still Throttling Competitors’ Links — Check for Yourself | The Markup
Google AMP: How Google Tried to Fix the Web by Taking It Over | The Verge
All-In Summit: Bill Gurley Presents 2,851 Miles | All-In Podcast
A Stark Contrast Between the US and Europe on Tests | Bloomberg
How Alignment Charts Went From Dungeons & Dragons to a Meme | The Atlantic
Password Manager for Families, Businesses, Teams | 1Password
Passkeys (Passkey Authentication) | FIDO Alliance
What is PGP Encryption? Pretty Good Privacy Explained | Fortinet
WordCamp Asia 2023
Taipei City | Tourism Administration
Ratatouille | Prime Video
Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions | The Tim Ferriss Show #578
Automattic’s Sabbatical Benefit | Automattic
Open Vacation Policy: How Automattic Makes It Work | Culture Amp
How to Take a Mini-Retirement: Tips and Tricks | Tim Ferriss
Jerry Colonna — How to Reboot Yourself and Feel Unrushed in the New Year | The Tim Ferriss Show #554
Jerry Colonna — The Coach with the Spider Tattoo | The Tim Ferriss Show #373
Your Body Called, Your Future Self Answered | Blueprint
Hedonic Treadmill | Psychology Today
The Lessons of History by Will Durant and Ariel Durant | Amazon
Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God by Will Durant | Amazon
Anti-Nuclear Movement | Wikipedia
Former Greenpeace Director Explains His Support for Nuclear Energy | ANS / Nuclear Newswire
What Are the Safest and Cleanest Sources of Energy? | Our World in Data
A Nuclear Innovation Company | TerraPower
Clean, Reliable, Affordable Energy | Oklo
Reefer Madness | Prime Video
Psychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More | Tim Ferriss
Dr. Gül Dölen on Rethinking Psychedelics, New Applications (Autism, Stroke, and Allergies), The Neurobiology of Beginner’s Mind, Octopuses on MDMA, and The Master Key of Metaplasticity | The Tim Ferriss Show #667
Some Thoughts on For-Profit Psychedelic Startups and Companies | Tim Ferriss
The World’s Largest Psychedelic Research Center | The Tim Ferriss Show #385
How Many People Have Died at Disney World? | Something About Orange
Dr. Nolan Williams: Psychedelics and Neurostimulation for Brain Rewiring | Huberman Lab
“The Iceman,” Wim Hof | The Tim Ferriss Show #102
About Holotropic Breathwork | Grof Transpersonal Training
Holotropic Breathwork: A New Approach to Self-Exploration and Therapy by Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof | Amazon
A Leading Center for Exploring Human Potential | Esalen Institute
Waking Up with Sam Harris App
Depression: How You Label Determines How You Feel | Tim Ferriss
Some Practical Thoughts on Suicide | Tim Ferriss
“Productivity” Tricks for the Neurotic, Manic-Depressive, and Crazy (Like Me) | Tim Ferriss
Dr. John Krystal — All Things Ketamine, The Most Comprehensive Podcast Episode Ever | The Tim Ferriss Show #625
Accelerated TMS: Moving Quickly into the Future of Depression Treatment | Neuropsychopharmacology
Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT) for Treatment-Resistant Depression | American Journal of Psychiatry
How to Discover Your Peak State with Emotional Triad Psychology | Tony Robbins
Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier by Kevin Kelly | Amazon
Sir Richard Branson — The Billionaire Maverick of the Virgin Empire | The Tim Ferriss Show #272
The Work | Byron Katie
One in Five Young Americans Think the Holocaust Is a Myth — And It’s All Down to TikTok | The Jewish Chronicle
These Countries Have Bans on Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok | Time
Blog Articles | Derek Sivers
Libby’s Vienna Sausage | Amazon
Flour + Water
Pizzeria Delfina
La Connessa
Saison
Heinz Ranch Single-Serve Packets (Pack of 200) | Amazon
What is Wabi Sabi? The Elusive Beauty of Imperfection | Japan Objects
Transcendental Meditation
Dr. Willoughby Britton — The Hidden Risks of Meditation, Overlaps with Psychedelic Risks, Harm Reduction Strategies, How to Choose a Retreat, Near-Death Experiences, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #705
Defying Cavity: Lantern Bioworks FAQ | Astral Codex Ten
Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria | Lantern Bioworks
ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink | Amazon
USB Mini Disco Light | Amazon
SHOW NOTES
[05:12] The Argentine Dr. Mullenweg.
[08:15] Open source.
[10:19] Secret hiring.
[12:59] Matt is always on tour.
[15:14] Texts.
[17:39] How Matt chooses his next project(s).
[21:51] Building a digital Berkshire Hathaway.
[29:01] Why Matt’s excited about messaging.
[32:03] How Matt discovers companies he buys.
[32:53] RIP, Charlie Munger.
[33:28] Worthy rereads.
[37:10] My reflections on blogging, writing, and podcasting.
[48:55] Tyler Cowen’s inimitable style.
[49:42] Matt’s high school economics competition.
[57:05] Cables.
[57:59] AI spellcasting and community.
[1:01:09] Developments that will amaze the future.
[1:04:51] AI-proofing jobs.
[1:07:23] Why Matt’s optimistic about future generations.
[1:12:17] Data Liberation Front.
[1:14:12] More open app stores.
[1:18:53] Invisible tools (and weapons) of competition.
[1:23:40] Online security advice for the layman.
[1:26:21] WordCamp Asia.
[1:32:12] Taking a sa-Matt-ical.
[1:45:25] Rethinking nuclear energy.
[1:47:20] Rethinking psychedelics risks.
[1:57:59] Rethinking breathwork.
[2:02:05] Coping with depression.
[2:15:16] Rethinking TikTok.
[2:16:40] Blogging: absurd and beautiful.
[2:18:40] Rethinking Vienna sausages.
[2:19:57] Pocket ranch.
[2:21:36] Answering ancient emails.
[2:22:45] The curse of the ultra-critical eye.
[2:25:51] Rethinking meditation.
[2:28:38] Bacterial dentistry.
[2:32:06] Pocket party.
[2:32:55] Parting thoughts.
MORE MATT MULLENWEG QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW
“Don’t build on proprietary platforms. They can pull the rug and will pull the rug at any point. In open source, one, the rug can’t be pulled. Two, typically they’re ultra pluggable. You can really change every line of WordPress.” — Matt Mullenweg
“How do we help bend the long arc towards more freedom, more liberty across the world? Technology does that better than, I think, any sort of diplomacy or anything else that I could work on.” — Matt Mullenweg
“Companies don’t die from competition. They usually die from suicide.” — Matt Mullenweg
“If you have the people on your side, I feel like that’s what truly matters in the long term.” — Matt Mullenweg
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Tom Sawyer
Huckleberry Finn
The Rolling Stones
Charlie Munger
Warren Buffett
Benjamin Franklin
Sid Sijbrandij
Jack Dorsey
Brian Acton
John Collison
Anthony de Mello
Paul Graham
Scott Alexander
Shane Parrish
Andrew Huberman
Rich Roll
Neil Strauss
Seth Godin
Tim Urban
Tyler Cowen
Alan Greenspan
Ben Bernanke
Beyoncé
Robert Glasper
Scott Roman
Milton Friedman
Bill Phillips
William Shakespeare
