Afleveringen
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Yes, vibe-coding is useful.
But the most powerful way to use AI may be deep research.
Ross Morsali is the developer of the Search and Filter plugin. He uses deep research to find entirely new solutions to complex WordPress problems.
For example, WordPress search is normally slow for large sites. If you have over 10,000 WordPress posts, it can take a while for your visitors to see search results.
Ross used deep research to find entirely new solutions to this problem. With deep research, AI can investigate complex questions, crawl many sources, cross-reference claims, and synthesize the findings.
This is a great conversation with a developer who takes his work seriously and loves to break new ground. In the second half of the podcast, Ross talks about taking his deep research to build innovate answers in a new area: speech-to-text.
0:00 — Steve introduces Ross and the deep-research topic.
2:07 — Ross explains the search/filter performance problem.
4:11 — Ross describes indexing and the technical foundation behind fast search.
5:12 — Ross explains how deep research with AI helped him explore new approaches.
6:29 — He breaks down how he uses research mode in Claude.
8:22 — Ross describes how long the research phase took.
9:21 — He explains the bitmap approach that improved performance.
11:23 — Ross talks about using AI coding tools alongside research.
12:30 — The rewritten indexing system shipped in January.
15:42 — Ross shifts to a new rabbit hole: speech-to-text.
17:40 — He explains why low latency is critical for voice input.
19:30 — The voice tool concept expands into a much broader system.
22:17 — Ross says they’re in the polishing stage and still refining details.
27:25 — He talks about training a new model and applying for a grant.
29:57 — Ross explains his privacy-first mindset and why data ownership matters -
February 2026 was absolutely revolutionary for WordPress security. Austin Ginder runs a hosting company and he was suddenly overwhelmed by new hacking attempts. Austin's response was creative, constructive, and inspiring.
In this episode of the PublishPress Podcast, I talk with Austin about how AI is transforming WordPress security. Austin started as a skeptic but has come to embrace AI tools like Claude Code, which have revolutionized his approach to coding and security. We discuss the increasing sophistication of hackers and their supply chain attacks. But we also discuss the potential for these tools to make WordPress a safer platform.
Check out Austin's work at https://anchor.host and https://wpbeacon.io. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Robbie Adair has run her agency for over 20 years and has navigated many technology shifts. In this episode, Robbie says that we're in the middle of a major shift in the WordPress business. AI means that products are less valuable, but services are more valuable than ever. Customers need experts to help them navigate all the choices and challenges presented by AI. Robbie is incredibly positive about the opportunities in front of us. There are endless opportunities for people in the WordPress community to thrive in this new area.
Find more about Robbie's work at https://mediaateam.com.
Timestamps:
02:00 - Robbie's experience at PressConf and the Arizona heat
03:45 - The vibe of small industry-focused conferences and community building
07:41 - Industry anxiety around AI and the importance of embracing change
09:08 - How agencies are balancing AI adoption with trusted human expertise
11:01 - Decline and resurgence in product versus service models
12:25 - The power of long-term relationships in a changing ecosystem
14:34 - Evolving client needs: from websites to integrated solutions including podcasts
17:28 - How agencies are adjusting to AI-driven content creation
20:10 - Using podcasts and video for better customer engagement and brand storytelling
22:35 - The importance of personal voice and authenticity in AI-generated content
25:17 - The limitations of current AI tools in editing and content refinement
28:58 - Practical AI tools for internal use: Notebook LM, Claude, and privacy considerations
32:22 - Agency experiments with AI tools for website design and content generation
35:23 - The ongoing evolution of AI tools and their impact on agency workflows
38:32 - Robbie’s enthusiasm for the future of AI and agency growth
39:16 - Connecting with Robbie and her new agency-focused podcast -
Amber Hines from Equalize Digital has spent years helping publishers to make their websites more accessible and user-friendly for everyone, including those with disabilities.
I ask Amber questions I've heard from publishers. For example, is it helpful to have an audio version of my articles? Should we offer a text-only version of the site? Can we trust automated tests for accessibility?
More about Amber: https://equalizedigital.com/
Check our Amber's plugin: https://wordpress.org/plugins/accessibility-checker/ -
We have a lot of guests on the PublishPress podcast who are building paywalls for publishers.
Chris Ward from the Publisher Desk believes we should take a different direction. He argues that paywalls only make sense when you combine them with a strong commitment to advertising. Some users will just never pay for content, but you can still provide value for them and earn revenue from them.
Chris has a long and deep history in the advertising world. He worked in advertising at News Corp and then Undertone, a big ad network. Chris is now the co-founder of The Publisher Desk, a publishing and advertising agency. He also takes his own advice and runs a network of sports content websites.
Find out more about Chris' work: https://www.publisherdesk.com -
Brian Coords is a Developer Advocate for WooCommerce. I invited Brian on the podcast after seeing that AI is now listed as an official contributor to WooCommerce. We talk about what comes next for WooCommerce and other open source projects? Is AI going to be building new plugin features? Writing the documentation? Fixing long-standing bugs in our backlogs?
We also discuss how AI will change the shopping experience for WooCommerce customers. Will most of them find our stores via chatbots? Maybe they never even visit our stores and just allow their AI agents to make the purchase?
https://www.briancoords.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCqvxKqiwxupjn9t0Ztvu-A
https://www.youtube.com/@WooCommerce/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianallencoords/
https://webmasters.fm -
Malcolm Peralty has been writing with WordPress since before version 1.0!
In this episode we discuss how writing has powered his career, even now in the AI area. Malcolm thinks that storytelling is an essential skill, even for people in technical roles.
We talk about how AI can be an excellent writing companion. Malcolm has just published a book with a ton of help from AI! How do you find the right balance between human creativity and AI to produce better work than you could before?
Links from the show/:
https://peralty.com
https://peralty.com/blog/
https://www.amazon.ca/Second-Class-Supers-David-Peralty/dp/0994940610/
https://pressable.com/
https://acquia.com
https://www.presstitan.com/
https://www.bloggingpro.com/ -
Google Analytics 4 is not a good platform. It's hard to use. It's not privacy-friendly. You can do better.
Derek Ashauer runs Conversion Bridge which can connect your WordPress site to over 20 different platforms including Plausible, Fathom, User Maven, Pirsch, Microsoft Clarity and others.
In this episode, we consider many of these alternatives to Google Analytics. How can you get conversion analytics that you can easily act on to improve your eCommerce or membership site?
Find out more at https://conversionbridgewp.com. -
In this episode of the PublishPress podcast we welcome Birgit Pauli-Haack, a developer advocate for Automattic. She also publishes the Gutenberg Times which is the best place to keep up with everything that's happening with the block editor.
We discuss the recent release of WordPress 6.9, its new features, and the future of WordPress development next year, including the upcoming WordPress 7.0. What new feature are we going to see in WordPress? What's happening with the 4 phases of Gutenberg?
We're excited again about WordPress after a slow year. There's the potential for transformative changes to WordPress in 2026.
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Alex Denning has been in the WordPress and SEO communities for years. But for the last few years, he's been seeing those topics through on AI lens. Alex now runs the Ellipsis agency and helps his clients to get recommended by AI chats.
Alex's life was changed when GPT-3 launched, because it radically changed the services he could provide to clients. In this episode we unpack all the changes that have happened to Alex's business in the last 3 years, and hopefully help you navigate this new AI world we're living in.
Alex's agency is at https://getellipsis.com.
00:00 The Rise of AI and Its Impact on SEO 09:49 Developing Falcon AI: From Concept to Reality14:31 The Evolution of AI Tools and Their Applications20:12 Navigating Changes in Search Behavior and AI Integration28:16 Leveraging AI for Data Analysis 31:37 Optimizing Content for AI Responses 34:48 Understanding Consumer Behavior Changes 38:05 The Value of Personalized Recommendations 42:24 Technical Aspects of Content Indexing 45:10 Navigating the AI Bubble 48.05 The Evolution of SEO to AI Optimization -
In this episode of the PublishPress Podcast, Rodolfo Melogli shares his journey from the early days of WooCommerce to the creation of his new Checkout Summit conference.
This new WooCommerce conference will be in Sicily in April 2026. If you work with WooCommerce, you should be there. This is a conference we've been missing in the WordPress space. Rodolfo's aim with this conference is to prioritize great content and valuable networking.
Rodolfo started as a civil engineer building roads in Ireland, before becoming a baker, and then a WooCommerce expert under the "Business Bloomer" brand. He takes us through the ups and downs of putting on a large event for the first time.
Find out more: https://checkoutsummit.com
0:00 Reviving WooCommerce Conferences
03:05 The Checkout Summit: A New Beginning
05:59 Navigating Event Planning and Collaboration
08:56 Choosing the Right Time and Place
11:54 Rodolfo's Journey from Engineering to WooCommerce
14:49 The Bakery Dream: A Shift to Web Development
16:02 The Early Days of WooCommerce
19:08 A Career Built on WooCommerce
24:58 The Spark for Checkout Summit
27:18 Community Over AI: The Need for Human Connection
31:40 Building Trust and Community
35:05 The Road to Checkout Summit
39:07 Investing in Networking Opportunities
41:10 Creating Value Through Content
43:50 Future Plans and Expectations -
Akshat Choudhary is the founder of WP Remote, which is an awesome and successful backup service for WordPress sites. But you won't hear him boasting about that. Akshat doesn't talk much. He's a self-professed shy guy. He's not someone you'll always be hearing from on YouTube, social media, podcasts. Instead, Akshat is an engineer who loves to focus on building great products. We dig into Akshat's story on this episode and how his quiet, quality work has produced a legion of loyal customers and fans.
Although he's shy, Akshat has some great stories to tell. Make sure you hear about his WhatsApp-style messaging platform that went viral, attracted 10,000's of daily users, and then nearly bankrupted him. Listen out also for how being a bad salesman helped him get his big break by selling migration services to WPEngine.
00:00 Introduction to Akshat Choudhary and WP Remote04:41 The Importance of Office Culture in Tech Companies09:44 Navigating the WordPress Ecosystem: Products and Target Audiences14:39 The Journey of Building a Startup: Early Experiences19:44 Partnerships with Hosting Companies: Strategies and Challenges25:02 Quality Over Quantity: Business Philosophy and Pricing Strategy30:02 The Power of Public Persona30:25 Challenges of Operating from India31:11 Understanding the North American Market33:28 Balancing Marketing and Product Development33:51 Navigating AI's Impact on Business36:16 Top-Down vs Bottom-Up AI Implementation44:44 Visual Regression Testing: A New Product Launch51:22 The Complexity of Visual Regression Testing55:08 Crafting High-Quality Software59:59 Engaging with the Community -
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 -
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.
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
Find out more about Evan: https://evanp.me. -
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 PressConf
03:04 Organizing Large Events: Challenges and Strategies
06:07 The Unique Experience of PressConf
09:07 Sponsorship Dynamics in Smaller Conferences
12:02 Creating a Safe Space for Vulnerability
15:01 The Global Reach of PressConf
17:57 Reflections on the Success of PressConf 2025
29:11 Navigating Visa Challenges for Events
30:51 Funding Models for Conferences
34:51 Balancing Ticket Prices and Sponsorships
36:22 Understanding Event Costs
39:07 PressConf's Future and Expansion Plans
41:21 Attracting New Audiences and Diversity
45:31 The Future of PressConf and Open Source Events
49:38 The Role of the Host in Event Success
51:01 Building Trust in Event Organization
56:32 Looking Ahead to PressConf 2026 -
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
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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 -
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 -
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. -
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 - Laat meer zien
