WordPress is best known as the #1 content management system, software that powers 27% of sites on the web. But most sites barely scratch the surface of WP’s advanced functionality and platform potential, made possible by one of the largest open-source communities in existence. So many features desired by many web startups are already developed, freely available, and totally customizable — as WordPress plugins.

Come to this presentation to learn about the benefits of WordPress for startups, whether it’s right for your MVP, how to use it if it is, and what you should know going forward. This presentation is particularly aimed at non-technical founders, but technical founders who want to build more efficiently / not have to spend time developing user interfaces / features outside of their core functionality should find it valuable as well.

In this presentation we’ll go through:

• The benefits any founder can get from using WordPress:
  • human-powered MVPs
  • easy, editable, well-designed company presence site
  • building your audience while you build your product

• Some types of businesses WordPress is a good fit for:
  • content-driven (reviews, directories, media)
  • user-driven (communities, user-generated content, user-matching)
  • commerce-driven (e-commerce, marketplaces, deal sites)
  • customer input -> value output (automated services, on-demand platforms)
  • examples: AirBnB, Groupon, and Eventbrite as WordPress MVPs.

• How to do it:
  • getting set up
  • core WordPress concepts
  • how to evaluate themes & plugins
  • web development baby steps
  • plugins recommended for startup founders

• A technical perspective:
  • strengths & weaknesses of developing with WordPress
  • common choices: build vs buy, whether to fork (customize beyond supported changes), when to switch off WordPress