The Year Without Pants
A behind-the-scenes look at the firm behind WordPress.com and the unique work culture that contributes to its phenomenal success. 50 million websites, or twenty percent of the entire web, use WordPress software. The force behind WordPress.com is a convention-defying company called Automattic, Inc., whose 120 employees work from anywhere in the world they wish, barely use email, and launch improvements to their products dozens of times a day. With a fraction of the resources of Google, Amazon, or Facebook, they have a similar impact on the future of the Internet. How is this possible? What's different about how they work, and what can other companies learn from their methods? To find out, former Microsoft veteran Scott Berkun worked as a manager at WordPress.com, leading a team of young programmers developing new ideas. The Year Without Pants shares the secrets of WordPress.com's phenomenal success from the inside. Berkun's story reveals insights on creativity, productivity, and leadership from the kind of workplace that might be in everyone's future. The Year Without Pants shares what every organization can learn from the world-changing ideas for the future of work at the heart of Automattic's success.
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3recommend
8mentions
8people
2014–2022years
38% recommend63% neutral
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What Hacker News says
- You should read: The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work
Its a real treat.
- there are a few hundred people at Wordpress.com and Automattic that would beg to differ. Give a read to "Year Without Pants," it's very interesting and might help your team make the transition.
- Well done! Congratulations.
Funny enough, I'm nearing the end of Scott Berkun's "The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work"[1]. It is a great read. Highly recommended for a behind-the-scene view of WordPress and their company culture.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118660633?ie=UTF8&camp=178...
- In the book "A year without pants" by Scott Berkun where he spends a year with Wordpress and their then somewhat unique remote model, he emphasizes that it's still important for many to meet, it's just not necessary every day. I've worked remotely for almost 20 years and I believe quite strongly that remote companies often underestimate the importance of actually meeting occasionally, maybe every 3-6 months. Maybe importance is too strong, maybe it's just fun to meet up every now and then and share some adventures.
- For those who don’t know, OP was a PM at Microsoft in the Gates era, wrote several books on innovation and project management, went back to work as a fully remote Engineering Manager at Automattic (Wordpress) then wrote a book about remote work called A Year Without Pants. So his perspective is very tech-oriented.
- The Year Without Pants - Wordpress.com and the future of work - Scott Berkun
https://www.amazon.com/Year-Without-Pants-WordPress-com-Futu...
