The Quiet Collapse Inside Automattic – And The Future Of WordPress?

by | Jul 1, 2025 | All, Leadership | 0 comments

WordPress in Trouble: What’s Going Wrong?

For many years, WordPress has been a cornerstone of the open web, serving as a robust, community-oriented platform that has enabled millions around the globe to create websites with remarkable autonomy. However, this vision appears to be fading, giving way to a rising tide of disappointment, frustration, and what some refer to as “enshittification.” This term, which has gained traction to illustrate the decline and corrosion of digital platforms as they increasingly prioritize control, profit, and centralized authority over user experience and transparency, aptly describes the current path of WordPress.

Let’s explore how this situation developed, look at the missteps, and try to envision what the future of WordPress could entail.

 

  1. Matt Mullenweg: The Narcissistic Leadership at the Helm

Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder and key figure behind WordPress and Automattic, once embodied the essence of open-source collaboration. However, his approach to leadership has evolved into something concerning over time.

Numerous public incidents highlight Matt’s inclination to initiate conflicts with companies, developers, and community members he views as threats. His actions, which include blocking plugin authors and silencing critics, suggest a profound sense of insecurity. Psychologists might interpret this behavior as indicative of narcissistic personality disorder, where an individual compensates for feelings of inadequacy by projecting an image of superiority, demanding unwavering loyalty, and suffocating criticism.

This ego-driven style of leadership hampers innovation and fosters a climate of fear among contributors, resulting in a toxic environment where open discussions are discouraged and power is tightly controlled. Matt doesn’t like to share control or hear other viewpoints — kind of like an authoritarian leader who hides his insecurities behind a show of confidence.

 

  1. Forum Admins: The Digital Inquisitors of WordPress

The WordPress forums, once a welcoming place for help and collaboration, have increasingly become tools of control wielded by admins like Ian Dembowski and others. These moderators act less like community helpers and more like medieval inquisitors, bent on policing speech and banning anyone who challenges the status quo.

These admins bend and break rules arbitrarily, enforcing draconian bans on outspoken users and silencing valid criticisms. The oppressive atmosphere they cultivate resembles a witch hunts, where dissenters are metaphorically burned at the stake for violating their policies. Again and again, they invent new rules that have no basis in their Community Guidelines and banhammer people.

This culture not only alienates loyal community members but also drives away talented developers and users who seek a fair and respectful environment.

 

  1. The Great Automattic Walkout: Is the Empire Falling Apart?

Automattic’s polished image is starting to show real cracks.
Over the last few years, a steady stream of employees has walked away — many frustrated with poor leadership, a lack of transparency, and an increasingly suffocating work culture.

Now, the company plans to lay off 16% of its staff — a huge cut for a company once celebrated as a trailblazer in remote work and progressive workplace culture. But these layoffs aren’t just statistics. They’re a warning sign of deeper issues inside the company’s structure and culture — problems that could seriously impact the future of WordPress itself.

When top talent leaves and morale takes a hit, it doesn’t just stay internal. Development slows, bugs pile up, and trust in the community begins to erode.

 

  1. The Need for Open, Democratic, and Transparent Governance

WordPress is heading down a worrying path—with too much power concentrated at the top, decisions being made behind closed doors, and moderation that feels more authoritarian than fair. It’s becoming clear that something needs to change, and soon.

Whether that means forking the project or rethinking how it’s governed, the community needs to step up and push for a more open, democratic approach.

  • The future of WordPress should be built on:
  • Leaders who listen, not just issue orders
  • Inclusive decision-making that gives developers, users, and contributors a real voice
  • Accountability for those in power, especially when they overstep
  • Decentralization, to protect the platform from being controlled by a single group or vision

People like Joost de Valk (Yoast founder) are already speaking up—calling for federated, community-driven alternatives. They understand what made WordPress strong in the first place: a bottom-up, grassroots spirit. Not top-down control.

 

The conflicts Matt has provoked

  1. 2008 – Six Apart (Movable Type) Tensions

Shortly before the release of WordPress 2.5, Six Apart published a comparative guide that Matt criticized as “desperate and dirty.” He responded publicly, sparking a long-running rivalry. sfgate.com+15everything.explained.today+15en.wikipedia.org+15.

 

  1. 2013 – Envato (Theme Licensing Dispute)

When Envato allowed themes with mixed GPL licenses, Matt banned Envato developers from speaking at WordPress events, citing a violation of open-source principles. mattisnotwp.com+2everything.explained.today+2en.wikipedia.org+2.

 

  1. 2014–2015 – Theme Domain Acquisition (“Thesis.com”)

In late 2014, Matt (via Automattic) acquired thesis.com previously used by Chris Pearson, reigniting their old GPL-based conflict. This led to a domain dispute arbitrated in 2015. mattisnotwp.com.

 

  1. 2016 – Wix GPL Code Use Accusation

Matt accused Wix.com of misusing WordPress’s mobile editor code, which Wix initially didn’t fully comply with under the GPL license. lemonde.fr+2everything.explained.today+2en.wikipedia.org+2.

 

  1. 2023 – Plugin Developer Public Call-Out

A plugin creator publicly accused Matt of a “childish bully” tactic: removing support after the developer criticized a WordPress.com AI feature. reddit.com.

 

  1. Sept 2024 – Public Feud with WP Engine

 

  1. Oct 2024 – Hostile Fork of ACF Plugin

Matt seized control of the “Advanced Custom Fields” plugin in the WordPress.org repo, renaming it “Secure Custom Fields” without maintainer consent—sparking widespread backlash. reddit.com+4wpensure.com+4joshcollinsworth.com+4.

 

  1. Oct 2024 – Threatening Paid Memberships Pro

Admin Ian Dembowski confirmed that Matt privately warned that Automattic would take over the Paid Memberships Pro plugin listing if its maintainers didn’t comply. reddit.com+1theverge.com+1.

 

  1. Apr 2025 – Layoffs Amid Power Consolidation

Automattic laid off 16% of its workforce—279 employees—in early 2025, following earlier voluntary buyouts amid the WP Engine saga, reflecting internal shifts tied to Matt’s strategy. sfgate.com.

Automattic has lost

While the 159 departures in October 2024 (about 8.4% of the company) grabbed headlines, new data shows the actual exodus was even larger:

  1. October 2024: “Alignment Offer” Buyouts
  2. Following October: Additional Departures
    • According to Matt, total staff decreased from around 1,900 to about 1,700 since the start of the dispute. mattisnotwp.com.
    • That suggests an extra ~40–60 employees left post-buyout, likely resigning due to internal friction or disagreement.
  3. April 2025 Layoffs (16% Reduction)

When Added Up:

  • Buyouts: 159
  • Additional resignations: estimated 40–60
  • Layoffs: 280

That totals around 479–499 departures over a short period.
Given those who accepted early exits and those who left before the layoffs, the real total—factoring in ongoing churn and unpublicized exits—likely exceeds 1,000.

 

Impact & Interpretation

  • This wasn’t just a temporary upheaval—it was an extended wave of departures, both voluntary and involuntary.
  • The staff exodus spanned multiple teams and disciplines, indicating widespread discontent.
  • It shows that the conflict with WP Engine triggered not just a one-time reaction, but a lasting decline in employee retention and morale.

 

Can WordPress Reclaim Its Soul?

WordPress’s enshittification is a clear sign of poor leadership, a toxic culture, and power held too tightly at the top—betraying everything it was originally built on. But it’s not too late. The passionate and talented community behind WordPress is still here, ready and eager for real change.

For WordPress to thrive again, it needs to face its leadership problems directly, break down the culture of fear, and adopt a way of running things that’s open, democratic, and respectful.

The road ahead won’t be easy. It might mean tough conversations, new leadership, and even forks that spread control more evenly. But if these changes don’t happen, WordPress risks turning into just another corporate-controlled platform—losing the open web spirit that inspired it in the first place.

Now is the moment for the community to step up, demand accountability, and build a WordPress that truly belongs to the people—not the narcissists in charge.

If you are a leader who knows how to inspire passion and unity, you wouldn’t jump from conflict to conflict like Matt does. Instead, you would navigate around challenges or handle them with a focus on unity and a passionate goal in sight. This course will ensure the right people are on board. This attitude will make people trust you and respect you.

People who are divided will create a divided reality.

Leaders who are whole and balanced—those who know themselves, stay calm under pressure, and treat others with respect—are the ones I truly have confidence in. It’s not just about making decisions or giving orders; it’s about being steady, thoughtful, and fair, even when things get tough. When a leader has that kind of balance, it creates trust and inspires people to follow because they know they’re in good hands. Those are the leaders who can guide a team through challenges and bring out the best in everyone.

You must trust your leader, but your leader must earn his respect – the right way. A true leader must be open to critics and work to unite rather than divide. Retaliating against people who criticize is foolish, yet that’s Matt’s strategy every time. How a leader handles critics reveals everything about their character. A true leader doesn’t blame others—it’s a complete waste of time and energy. Instead, a true leader knows how to turn resistance into momentum to move forward.

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