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 (#713)
Illustration via 99designs“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.
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Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#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 HoursThis episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG1 further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
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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 ImpressionsWhat was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
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SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Matt Mullenweg:Twitter | Instagram | Blog | Facebook | Spotify
AutomatticWordPress.comWordPress.orgWooCommerceTumblrWordPress VIPDay OneTextsPocket CastsAudrey CapitalSpam Protection for Websites | AkismetBerkshire HathawayBuyers of First Resort | Works in ProgressOpen-Source Software | WikipediaPhilosophy | WordPress.orgTom Sawyer Whitewashing the Fence | PBS“The First Thing Our New Hire Did…” | (ROBIN) at TwitterCould Your Hiring Process Use Some ‘Mystery Shopping’? | IndeedWhat Is Red Teaming? | WhatIs.comWhat’s in My Bag, 2023 | Matt MullenwegState of the Word | WordPress.orgThe #1 App for Meditation and Sleep | CalmApple’s Newest Headache: An App That Upended Its Control Over Messaging | The New York TimesCandies & Chocolates Online | See’s CandiesThe 2020s Will Be an Era of Atoms, Not Bits | Digital TontoTwitter to Remove Free API Access in Latest Money Making Quest | The VergeThe Customer Company | SalesforceThe Many Annoying Ways Google Forced Users onto Google+ | The VergeNotes | App StoreA Note-Taking Tool for Networked Thought | Roam ResearchSharpen Your Thinking | ObsidianThe DevSecOps Platform | GitLabSecure Collaboration and Messaging | ElementPower Your Entire Business | SquareJack Dorsey Gives Decentralized Social Network Nostr 14 BTC in Funding | CoinDeskBlueskySimple, Secure, Reliable Messaging | WhatsAppSpeak Freely | SignalA Conversation with Charlie Munger & John Collison | Invest Like the BestSiddhartha by Hermann Hesse | AmazonZorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis | AmazonAwareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony de Mello | AmazonThe Acceleration of Addictiveness | Paul GrahamHow to Do Great Work | Paul GrahamSlate Star CodexThe Knowledge Project PodcastThe 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | AmazonThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | AmazonMaking Commerce Better for Everyone | ShopifyWriters’ Strike 2023: Historic Strike Ends, Impacts Hollywood | Los Angeles TimesWait But WhyThe Top Idea in Your Mind | Paul GrahamMaker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule | Paul GrahamCandyman | Prime VideoPaul Graham on Ambition, Art, and Evaluating Talent | Conversations with TylerSmall Steps Toward a Much Better World | Marginal RevolutionNational Fed Challenge | WikipediaFederal Open Market Committee (FOMC) | The FedEffective Federal Funds Rate | Federal Bank Reserve of New YorkWhat Is the Illuminati? 9 Questions about the Illuminati, Answered | VoxKinder High School for the Performing and Visual ArtsBlogging the Milt Friedman Conference | Matt MullenwegBody for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength by Bill Phillips and Michael D’Orso | AmazonRed Ocean Strategy vs. Blue Ocean Strategy I Blue Ocean StrategyWhat Is USB-C? An Explainer | PCMagApple Pushes Back Against iPhone USB-C Regulations in India | MacRumors6000mah Ultra Slim Built in Cables Power Bank | AmazonPrompt Engineering GuideIntroducing ChatGPT | OpenAIMidjourneySweeping Changes for Leading-Edge Chip Architectures | Semiconductor EngineeringCar Dealership Disturbed When Its AI Is Caught Offering Chevys for $1 Each | FuturismEmpty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson | AmazonWorld Population Growth Is Expected to Nearly Stop By 2100 | Pew Research CenterWill Traditional Colleges and Universities Become Obsolete? | Smithsonian MagazineHobbes’ Moral and Political Philosophy | Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyEmergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss | AmazonWe Cannot Predict the Future, But We Can Invent It | Quote InvestigatorWill Data Liberation Grow WordPress? | The WP MinuteCreate a Free Website Today | WixApple Says It ‘Expects to Make’ App Store Policy Changes Due to EU DMA | TechCrunchEvery Apple App Store Fee, Explained: How Much, for What, and When | AppleInsiderBeta Testing made simple with TestFlight | Apple DeveloperBlazingly Fast Email for Teams and Individuals | SuperhumanTwitter Is Still Throttling Competitors’ Links — Check for Yourself | The MarkupGoogle AMP: How Google Tried to Fix the Web by Taking It Over | The VergeAll-In Summit: Bill Gurley Presents 2,851 Miles | All-In PodcastA Stark Contrast Between the US and Europe on Tests | BloombergHow Alignment Charts Went From Dungeons & Dragons to a Meme | The AtlanticPassword Manager for Families, Businesses, Teams | 1PasswordPasskeys (Passkey Authentication) | FIDO AllianceWhat is PGP Encryption? Pretty Good Privacy Explained | FortinetWordCamp Asia 2023Taipei City | Tourism AdministrationRatatouille | Prime VideoTim 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 #578Automattic’s Sabbatical Benefit | AutomatticOpen Vacation Policy: How Automattic Makes It Work | Culture AmpHow to Take a Mini-Retirement: Tips and Tricks | Tim FerrissJerry Colonna — How to Reboot Yourself and Feel Unrushed in the New Year | The Tim Ferriss Show #554Jerry Colonna — The Coach with the Spider Tattoo | The Tim Ferriss Show #373Your Body Called, Your Future Self Answered | BlueprintHedonic Treadmill | Psychology TodayThe Lessons of History by Will Durant and Ariel Durant | AmazonFallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God by Will Durant | AmazonAnti-Nuclear Movement | WikipediaFormer Greenpeace Director Explains His Support for Nuclear Energy | ANS / Nuclear NewswireWhat Are the Safest and Cleanest Sources of Energy? | Our World in DataA Nuclear Innovation Company | TerraPowerClean, Reliable, Affordable Energy | OkloReefer Madness | Prime VideoPsychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More | Tim FerrissDr. 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 #667Some Thoughts on For-Profit Psychedelic Startups and Companies | Tim FerrissThe World’s Largest Psychedelic Research Center | The Tim Ferriss Show #385How Many People Have Died at Disney World? | Something About OrangeDr. Nolan Williams: Psychedelics and Neurostimulation for Brain Rewiring | Huberman Lab“The Iceman,” Wim Hof | The Tim Ferriss Show #102About Holotropic Breathwork | Grof Transpersonal TrainingHolotropic Breathwork: A New Approach to Self-Exploration and Therapy by Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof | AmazonA Leading Center for Exploring Human Potential | Esalen InstituteWaking Up with Sam Harris AppDepression: How You Label Determines How You Feel | Tim FerrissSome Practical Thoughts on Suicide | Tim Ferriss“Productivity” Tricks for the Neurotic, Manic-Depressive, and Crazy (Like Me) | Tim FerrissDr. John Krystal — All Things Ketamine, The Most Comprehensive Podcast Episode Ever | The Tim Ferriss Show #625Accelerated TMS: Moving Quickly into the Future of Depression Treatment | NeuropsychopharmacologyStanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT) for Treatment-Resistant Depression | American Journal of PsychiatryHow to Discover Your Peak State with Emotional Triad Psychology | Tony RobbinsExcellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier by Kevin Kelly | AmazonSir Richard Branson — The Billionaire Maverick of the Virgin Empire | The Tim Ferriss Show #272The Work | Byron KatieOne in Five Young Americans Think the Holocaust Is a Myth — And It’s All Down to TikTok | The Jewish ChronicleThese Countries Have Bans on Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok | TimeBlog Articles | Derek SiversLibby’s Vienna Sausage | AmazonFlour + WaterPizzeria DelfinaLa ConnessaSaisonHeinz Ranch Single-Serve Packets (Pack of 200) | AmazonWhat is Wabi Sabi? The Elusive Beauty of Imperfection | Japan ObjectsTranscendental MeditationDr. 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 #705Defying Cavity: Lantern Bioworks FAQ | Astral Codex TenGene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria | Lantern BioworksZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink | AmazonUSB Mini Disco Light | AmazonSHOW 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
The post 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 (#713) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.
