How Pre-Launch Marketing can help HYPE your Next Product Launch

AI is changing how WordPress product teams handle customer support—but not every experiment delivers results. Join us for “AI in Support: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next” as Aaron Edwards, Founder of Docsbot, sits down with co-hosts Matt Cromwell and Zack Katz to share real lessons from building and deploying AI in WordPress support. We’ll explore what AI does best today, where it still falls short, and what’s coming next for product owners who want to scale smarter without losing the human touch. Tune in October 15 at Noon Eastern Time for this lively, future-focused discussion on the evolving world of AI in WordPress support. Show notes: DocsBot.AI (not "DocSpot"!) Cromwell's blog article: The Real Power of AI in Support Isn’t Fewer Tickets; It’s Better Answers for More People

Running multiple WordPress products under one roof can be both an opportunity and a challenge. In this episode of WP Product Talk, hosts Katie Keith (Barn2 Plugins) and Matt Cromwell (GiveWP/StellarWP) sit down with Ian Misner, Co-Founder and General Manager of Kestrel, to explore how product companies can juggle competing priorities without losing focus. We’ll dive into: ✅ How to decide when to build a new product versus doubling down on an existing one ✅ The frameworks and habits that help multi-product teams stay aligned ✅ Real-world examples of cross-promotion that actually drive growth ✅ Common mistakes that fragment focus and how to avoid them If you’re managing - or planning to manage - more than one WordPress product, this episode will give you practical insights to help you balance growth across your portfolio.

When you build a product, the first and most important question isn’t what features should we add? — it’s who are we building for? In this episode of WP Product Talk, we’re joined by Robert Abela of Melapress to explore how your audience shapes every decision you make. From enterprises that demand security and compliance, to agencies that need scalability and flexibility, to end users who want simplicity and speed, your product’s direction, pricing, support model, and growth strategy all hinge on understanding your customer. We dig into: The key differences between building for enterprises, agencies, and end users How to identify your true audience and stay focused on their needs Real-world trade-offs product makers face when choosing their market Lessons from Robert’s journey at Melapress and how he’s navigated audience alignment If you’ve ever struggled with feature creep, pricing decisions, or figuring out who your marketing should target, this episode is for you!

Lifetime deals often look like the perfect launch strategy — quick cash, loyal early adopters, and momentum out of the gate. But what happens after the rush? Join us as Lesley Sim, fresh off launching her new product Event Koi, shares the behind-the-scenes of kicking off with a lifetime deal. Co-hosts Katie Keith and Matt Cromwell will explore how lifetime sales shape product growth, customer feedback, and long-term sustainability for WordPress founders. If you’ve ever wondered whether lifetime deals are a rocket booster or a weight that drags you down, this episode is for you.

In this episode of WP Product Talk, hosts Katie Keith (Barn2 Plugins) and Zack Katz (GravityKit & TrustedLogin) are joined by James Baldacchino, Head of Strategy & SEO at Ellipsis, to dig into how AI is reshaping content strategy for WordPress products. James shares Ellipsis’ groundbreaking research into how products get chosen for inclusion in AI overviews, along with practical ways you can optimize both new and existing content to stay visible in this new search landscape. We cover: ✅ How AI systems decide which products to highlight ✅ What makes content “AI-friendly” (and what doesn’t) ✅ Adjustments you can make to your current content strategy ✅ Opportunities to future-proof your marketing as AI search grows If you want your product to stand out in the era of AI-driven search, this episode gives you actionable insights and clear steps to take advantage of the shift.

We’re joined by WordPress Co-Founder Matt Mullenweg to explore his vision for how AI is reshaping the WordPress ecosystem. From the Core AI initiative to Elementor’s “Angie,” to the WP Ai builder and new AI-powered browsers, Matt has been vocal that this is one of the most exciting moments in WordPress history. We’ll dig into how plugin and theme developers can prepare, what Automattic is experimenting with internally, and how AI could redefine workflows, usability testing, and even data portability across the web. If you’re building WordPress products, this conversation is your chance to hear directly from Matt about the opportunities — and risks — of AI adoption. We’ll also take live questions, so bring your perspective and join the discussion about the future of WordPress and AI. Links: Ma.tt Core AI AI Building Blocks WordPress Playground Telex post on X by Jamie Marsland

In this episode, Zack sits down with Jack Arturo, founder of Very Good Plugins and WP Fusion to dig into the real-world impact of AI automations. We go beyond theory and talk about: How Jack is already using AI to streamline customer support and business operations What’s working today in AI automation inside WordPress businesses Where the biggest opportunities (and pitfalls) lie for product makers Practical steps you can take to start automating your own workflows Whether you’re curious about saving hours each week, scaling your team’s capacity, or just trying to figure out what’s actually possible with today’s AI tools, this conversation will give you the clarity and inspiration you need! Links from the show Jack's AI-generated notes for what to discuss Jack's ongoing Claude Automation Hub repository Claude Desktop Claude Code

In this episode of WP Product Talk, hosts Amber Hinds and Kaite Keith sit down with Ionut Neagu, founder of Themeisle to dive deep into the art and strategy of pricing your product based on its stage in the market. We explore why pricing is one of the most powerful levers you have to increase profitability—and how it can double as a smart marketing strategy. Ionut shares real-world examples, including how a shift in competing product pricing opened the door for Themeisle to position their Super Page Cache plugin to attract multi-site owners and boost adoption. Whether you’re launching a new product, scaling an established one, or rethinking your pricing model, you’ll learn: How to align pricing with your product’s life cycle Ways to use pricing changes to capture market share What pitfalls to avoid when experimenting with price Listen to the episode for practical advice, candid stories, and actionable takeaways to help you make smarter pricing decisions that drive both profit and growth.

The conversation was a comprehensive discussion about the current state and future of WordPress block themes, featuring industry experts Brian Gardner (founder of StudioPress/Genesis) and Head of Community at WP Engine, Mike McAllister (creator of Ollie theme), and Matt Cromwell and Zack Katz as hosts. The discussion explored how the WordPress theme market has evolved from legacy PHP-based themes through page builders to the current block theme ecosystem, with particular focus on the challenges of adoption, developer experience issues, and market opportunities. The conversation concluded with practical advice for newcomers: focus on vertical markets and specific niches rather than trying to build generic themes, and consider solving real-world problems that happen to use WordPress rather than building "WordPress themes" as the primary goal. The discussion highlighted that while the block theme market is wide open for innovation, success requires understanding the new paradigm and targeting specific audiences with focused solutions.

In this episode of WP Product Talk, we’re joined by Elena Kartoshkina, Product Marketing Manager at Crocoblock, to explore one of the most powerful growth tools in a product business: the customer feedback loop. Hosts Zack Katz and Amber Hinds will discuss with Elena how to capture feedback that matters, analyze it effectively, and translate it into features your customers will love. Whether you’re a solo founder or part of a product team, you’ll learn how to build a continuous feedback process that fuels your roadmap, strengthens user loyalty, and drives sustainable growth.