Lean Startup Tactics for WordPress Product Owners

In this episode of WP Product Talk, Ben Sibley, co-founder of Independent Analytics, joins Matt and Ian for an honest, tactical conversation about what it really takes to run and grow a profitable WordPress product business with just two people. Ben shares why he intentionally rejected the “grow at all costs” startup mindset and instead built a lean, lifestyle-oriented company focused on creative fulfillment, sustainable growth, and strong margins. Rather than chasing headcount as a marker of success, he and his co-founder have designed their business around constraints—time constraints, cost constraints, and deliberate tradeoffs. The result? Four years without hiring, full-time product development, and a system that scales without turning into a support-heavy “debt machine.” You’ll hear how they: Divide responsibilities so product development stays the top priority Use customer feedback boards and real-world support data to prioritize features Treat support as a growth lever, not just a cost center Scale support with documentation, AI, FAQs, and proactive product improvements Optimize their WordPress.org plugin page to drive sustainable organic growth Convert free users to paid customers through in-product upgrades and conversion optimization Approach marketing with restraint—investing in brand building, YouTube partnerships, and coaching instead of spraying money at ads Ben also pulls back the curtain on growth realities in 2026: the decline of traditional SEO, AI-driven search changes, the stability (and strategy) of the WordPress.org repository, and why brand building and reputation now matter more than ever. Instead of chasing every new channel, he focuses on strengthening core assets—product experience, checkout flow, onboarding, and long-term trust. The conversation dives deep into practical founder tensions too: When do you hire versus staying scrappy? How do you avoid building a bloated organization that moves slower over time? What’s the risk of keeping all institutional knowledge in two founders’ heads? How do you balance growth marketing with product improvements? If you’re a WordPress product creator trying to bootstrap your WordPress business, build a lean startup, or simply avoid turning your SaaS into a high-burn support machine, this episode is packed with grounded, experience-backed insights you can apply immediately. Whether you’re at 10 downloads a day or 100,000 active installs, this conversation will challenge how you define success—and help you build a business that works for your life, not the other way around.

AI is everywhere right now, but most conversations stop at content, marketing, or features. This episode goes behind the scenes. Michael Eisenwasser, Co-Founder of Rapyd Cloud, joins Katie Keith and Matt Cromwell for a show-and-tell style conversation about how each of them is using AI behind the scenes in their own businesses. The focus is on real operational use, building and replacing internal systems, automating testing, improving confidence when making changes, and reducing day-to-day friction for small teams. All three share concrete examples, trade-offs, and lessons learned, including where AI has helped and where it has not been worth the effort. We dig into: Where AI genuinely saves time in internal operations, and where it does not Replacing generic tools with custom internal systems built using AI • Using AI for automated testing and infrastructure confidence Why internal tooling is the most overlooked AI opportunity for product companies What this means for small teams who do not have dedicated ops or infra staff If you are building a WordPress product, SaaS, or any tech business and feel buried under internal processes, this episode shows how AI can help you run leaner without adding chaos.

In today's WordPress product landscape, support can make or break your business. But growing queues and a commitment to providing a great experience, your teams are often juggling multiple top priorities. In this episode of WP Product Talk, hosts Ian Misner and Zack Katz are joined by Ben Meredith to explore how AI can multiply your support team's impact without sacrificing the human touch. Drawing on his hands-on experience implementing AI-powered support workflows, Ben shares what "4x your team" actually means in practice. We'll cover: How to use AI in support "the right way" The human-AI hybrid model and where each does the heavy lifting Practical implementation without blowing up your existing workflow This episode is for product builders who are curious about AI in support but skeptical of the hype and want real talk about what works, what fails, and what's worth trying.

WordPress is moving fast on AI, and plugin builders need to keep up. On Jan 21 at 6pm UTC+1, WP Product Talk sits down with Jason Adams, Core AI Team Lead at Automattic, to unpack how plugins WordPress AI efforts are shaping what’s possible right now. Jason joins Zack Katz and Matt Cromwell for a practical conversation on where core AI is headed, how plugin teams can build on it, and what to pay attention to if you want your product to stay relevant as AI lands deeper in WordPress.

Today's users expect speed, clarity, and polish by default. In this episode of WP Product Talk, we dig into Product User Expectations and what WordPress product owners need to stop ignoring if they want to stay relevant. Carl Alexander joins Paul Carter, CEO of BuiltFast, to talk honestly about where products fall short and how teams can raise the bar without burning out. Join Matt Cromwell and Zack Katz live on January 14, 2026 at Noon Eastern Time for a practical conversation about performance, UX, and the real cost of excuses. This one is for builders who want fewer complaints, happier customers, and products that feel modern out of the box.

In this episode of WP Product Talk, hosts Zach Katz and Ian Meisner dive into the potential of MCP (Model Context Protocol) for WooCommerce product builders. Joined by Nik McLaughlin from SkyVerge, the discussion covers how MCP enables apps, tools, and AI models to communicate, its readiness for real-world use, and whether it's worth the investment. This episode explores the technical intricacies of MCP, its potential applications, and how it could revolutionize everything from store management to customer experience. They also tackle the challenges, risks, and the future of MCP in the WordPress ecosystem. Tune in for insights on how this technology could unlock new opportunities for product owners and developers.

Product positioning is one of those things everyone talks about, but very few get right, especially when a product’s value isn’t immediately obvious. In this episode of WP Product Talk, we’re going all in on what product positioning really means and how to make it work in the real world. Nathan Tyler, founder of BlinkMetrics, joins co-hosts Matt Cromwell and Zack Katz to unpack how founders can clarify their message, sharpen their positioning, and help the right customers “get it” faster. Join us live today at Noon ET for a practical, founder-focused conversation.

Join us for Making WordPress Weird: Nick Hamze on Building for Fun in WordPress, as we explore what happens when you stop taking things so seriously and start creating just because it’s fun. Nick Hamze is known for his playful, unconventional approach to building and his relentless push to keep the creative spirit of WordPress alive. From his pro-Wapuu advocacy to his experiments with AI and offbeat product ideas, Nick shows us why weirdness might just be WordPress’s greatest strength. We’re going live Wednesday, December 11 at Noon ET, with co-hosts Ian Misner and Matt Cromwell, who’ll help unpack how curiosity, experimentation, and a bit of chaos can lead to more meaningful work and maybe even better products.

Join us for Blocks, Boundaries, and Breakthroughs: Product Development in Modern Woo as we dive into the future of WooCommerce development with the brilliant Kathy Darling, known for her deep expertise in building powerful Woo extensions. We’ll explore how Woo’s shift toward blocks is shaping product strategy and what today’s builders need to understand to stay ahead. We’re going live today, Dec 3 at Noon ET, with co-hosts Ian Misner and Katie Keith, who will help unpack what these changes mean for anyone building or scaling a WordPress product business.

In a market where subscription pricing has become the default, choosing a one-off model can feel almost rebellious. In this episode of WP Product Talk, hosts Katie Keith (Barn2 Plugins) and Matt Cromwell (GiveWP/StellarWP) sit down with Rodolfo Melogli from Business Bloomer and Checkout Summit to examine why he has doubled down on low-cost, single-payment utility plugins instead of recurring revenue. We will cover: Why Rodolfo believes one-time pricing can be more sustainable than people think How small but focused utility plugins can outperform larger subscription-based products When a non-subscription model makes strategic sense and when it does not What this means for founders deciding how to price their next product If you are rethinking your pricing strategy or wondering whether subscriptions are always the right answer, this conversation offers a rare look at a completely different approach.