Joost de Valk, co-founder of the Yoast SEO plugin, recently published an article advocating for more equitable contributions from large WordPress companies, increased financial transparency, and the establishment of a new board to represent contributors and companies.
Joost de Valk Supports Matt Mullenweg
In his article, Joost de Valk expresses his support for WordPress, aligning with Automattic’s CEO, Matt Mullenweg, in believing that WP Engine should contribute more to the WordPress ecosystem. He commends Mullenweg and Automattic for their significant contributions, contrasting their efforts with those who benefit financially from WordPress but do not contribute proportionately.
He writes:
"I agree with Matt about his opinion that a big hosting company such as WP Engine should contribute more. It is the right thing to do."
Joost explains that his views are mirrored in his actions. He shares that his organization devoted so much time to the Gutenberg Project that it even impacted their for-profit venture’s revenue, despite still being profitable.
He envisions creating a board representative of stakeholders to foster a sustainable open-source ecosystem with greater transparency and community representation.
Business Success Informs His Opinion
Joost’s guiding principle has been cultivating a healthy, self-sustaining open-source community, which he credits for his business success. In a 2013 WordCamp presentation, he shared his journey of contributing to WordPress and creating a popular plugin before it became financially rewarding. He described balancing a day job with his WordPress hobby until the hobby became his primary focus.
In that presentation, titled "The Victory of the Commons," he discussed two approaches: focusing solely on personal gain or simultaneously benefiting himself and the WordPress community.
Joost credits his wife for suggesting he view his challenge through the lens of the "Tragedy of the Commons." This concept explores how individuals can either manage shared resources responsibly or deplete them through self-interest, ultimately harming the community.
He shared the following in that 2013 WordCamp presentation:
"So, if everyone in the WordPress community, if we all looked at it like this, we can make money and make sure that we reinvest that money, we’d grow."
He emphasized that merely creating and giving away something isn’t necessarily beneficial. Instead, making substantial profits and reinvesting a portion back into the community supports both individual and collective sustainability.
New WordPress Foundation Board
Joost suggests forming a board to give representation to WordPress contributors. He likens it to "taxation with representation," so those who contribute can also be part of the decision-making process.
He envisions an advisory board, not one with governing power, but one that can engage in dialogue within the decision-making structure.
He writes:
"I think this could actually help Matt, as I do understand that it’s very lonely at the top.
With such a group, we could also discuss how to better highlight companies that are contributing and how to encourage others to do so."
The three main points he makes are:
1. Representation Of Stakeholders
"In my opinion, we all should get a say in how we spend those contributions. I understand that core contributors are very important, but so are the organizers of our (flagship) events, the leadership of hosting companies, etc. We need to find a way to have a group of people who represent the community and the contributing corporations."
2. Facilitation Of Transparent Discussions
"Now I don’t mean to say that Matt should no longer be project leader. I just think that we should more transparently discuss with a ‘board’ of some sorts, about the roadmap and the future of WordPress as many people and companies depend on it."
3. Encouragement And Recognition Of Contributions
"With such a group, we could also discuss how to better highlight companies that are contributing and how to encourage others to do so."
Transparency With Money
Joost raises a point about the payments made to Automattic for trademark deals, suggesting that the mingling of money creates uncertainty about how much is used as contributions to WordPress.
He writes:
"…let everybody see how the money flows.
Currently, the way it works is that the money for trademark deals flows to Automattic, but we don’t know how much of the contributions Automattic does are paid for by Newfold, whom we now all know are paying for the use of the trademark. Maybe the money should go directly into the foundation? If not, I think we should at least see how many of the hours contributed by Automattic are actually contributed by Newfold."
WordPress May Be At A Crossroad
WordPress may be at a pivotal moment, leading to various potential outcomes. Joost suggests doubling down on open source by engaging the entire WordPress community and focusing on reinvesting in the ecosystem. This approach aims to create a sustainable system allowing everyone to achieve their goals and generate substantial profits.
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