Podcast E557 – Interview with Kyle Maurer

·43 min·4 clips

Kyle was laid off twice while adopting five kids in four weeks during the pandemic.

The episode begins with host Adam Silver announcing upcoming WordCamps in Nairobi and Sydney. He notes that the WordPress themes repository now has 1,000 block themes. The main segment is a 'Where Are They Now' interview with Kyle Maurer, who was last a guest in 2015. Kyle surprises Adam by showing up in person at his studio in North Carolina. Kyle recounts his professional path: starting an agency, leaving it, joining small WordPress companies that got acquired, being laid off twice, and eventually leaving WordPress altogether. He also shares personal details, including adopting six children over a few years, with five adoptions happening in a four-week span during 2020. Kyle explains how the WordPress community changed due to COVID-19, which halted in-person events, and due to an influx of money leading to rapid consolidation of companies. He describes how this altered his job prospects and relationships in the industry. Kyle now works as Director of Operations and Product at Autotrofe, a company in the Blender 3D software ecosystem, owned by Jonathan Williamson, the twin brother of WordPress figure Pippin Williamson. He manages a development team and runs operations. Kyle reflects on lessons learned, advising his younger self to appreciate relationships and live in the moment during his WordPress involvement. The episode ends with a tip about a tool called Command UI for WordPress and closing remarks.

As heard by us

A WordPress check-in that turns a light news week into a grounded personal story.

Episode 557 starts with a compact WordPress update: WordCamp Nairobi and WordCamp Sydney are coming up, and the themes repo has reached 1,000 block themes.

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Why you'd press play

WordCamp Nairobi, WordCamp Sydney, 1,000 block themes, and a very personal catch-up.

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