— Do you think the Open Web will exist in 10 years?

I think as long as there are nerds, there will always be the Open Web. They believe in freedom. We love nerds, right? Will the Closed Web continue to grow? Absolutely! So my interest is in learning everything I can about the Closed Web and understanding how to participate in all forums and not let ideology or dogma prevent you from closing down. Let me give an example. When my mother was in the hospital, my older brother said, “I voted for Trump.” And then suddenly my little sister screamed, “What? You voted for Trump?” And what’s funny is that then my brother said, “No, I was saying, ‘What is wrong with people voting for Trump?’” After 30 minutes he finally said, “Yes, I voted for Trump.” I realized how afraid he was to say it. That’s not good. Because if you’re afraid, you can’t communicate. I like the new version of myself that asks questions about inclusion. And I asked him, “Why did you vote for Trump?” And when he explained, I thought, “That makes sense.” So if I were judgemental, he would not have explained his position. This isn’t a good situation to be in.

So now, as an Open Web proponent, I keep asking, “Why are you Closed Web?” “Well, it’s more efficient. You can get more things done. You can optimize faster. You can serve more people.” I ask, “And in the end is your goal to stop the Open Web?” “I don’t think it’s a goal. The goal is just to expand and be successful.” We have to ask the Open Web, “How do we make it successful?” And we do it. Primarily through a community. That’s why a lot of my efforts in WordPress are about how do we build an open source WordPress community to be stronger? Because if that’s a strong community, then what happens is, of course, the software gets better. So that’s my goal. I think WordPress in some parts of the world is cooler, not cool. I want to make it cool. Everyone loves to be a part of the cool thing, right?

— Do you see any features or trends in the WordPress community that make it special and give it potential for growth?

Most closed systems are about the company making all the money. Open source systems tend to be about freedom or earning potential. Many people have been able to have good lives by making WordPress sites or having blogs. That’s our fundamental power. It’s very pragmatic. I want to enable more people to make a living off this platform. Maybe it’s the ladder in your career that lets you pay for dinner, have a good time with your family, or pay for your mother’s health bills. It’s done that for people in the past. It’s doing less of it right now. So the question is: How do we grow the WordPress community and create prosperity?