Around 1.5 months ago something big happened in the WordPress space, Automattic acquired WooThemes. As a WooCommerce developer this had more consequences for me than most realized.

Today I’m excited to announce that I will be full time focussing on fulfilling my dream. I will be selling my own products, under a new name. Starting today, Never5 will be the company that sells my currently available and future premium plugins. I’m very excited to get this started!



Conflict of Interest

The WooThemes acquisition isn’t just about their products like WooCommerce, it’s about people as well. All WooThemes employees were offered a new contract, with new terms. While my work on WooCommerce would barely change (if change at all), the new contract would have implications on other things.

WooThemes employees were allowed to work on their own personal products as long as they didn’t conflict with any WooThemes products. Employees of Automattic aren’t allowed to have any money making side projects, under their conflict of interest policy. So in order to sign the new contract I had to give up my personal business.

Decision time

Decisions like this are hard. I had to choose between a good steady salary at the WordPress company while working with a lot of awesome people but giving up my personal products where I worked so hard on or declining the contract and keeping my products but losing my job.

I came to the conclusion I just couldn’t give up my products and abandon my customers. I just love working on them so much and I put so much effort and time into them. I couldn’t and I won’t. I have declined the contract offer of Automattic.

Never5

After having decided not to join Automattic I had another decision to make. I’ve always dreamed of making a living of my own products but was never sure this was a realistic goal. Instead of taking a new job and keeping my side business I figured now is as good a time as any to really go for it. I figured there will always be a risk, it will always be scary and I will always doubt if now would be a good time to go for it.

So as of today my side business will no longer be a side business but will be my business. It will be my job, my primary source of income. I’ll be doing this all day, every day and the thought of that makes me extremely happy. With all of this comes a new name as well, Never5. Never5 will be the company that sells my currently available and future premium plugins. The new website is already up, so be sure to check that out here.

My last day at WooThemes will be most likely within a month or two, depending on when the deal closes. I’m sad to leave Woo and the wonderful people I’ve worked with and I’m very grateful for what Woo has given me while working with them. At the same time I’m very excited about the future and where this new chapter will take me.

Like always I would love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment below with your thoughts and feedback or tweet to @Never5Plugins.