Matt Mullenweg reflects on journey from UH student to tech leader

Matt Mullenweg, the CEO and founder of Automattic, reflects on his journey from a University of Houston student to a prominent figure in the tech industry. Over two decades ago, Mullenweg was bartering saxophone lessons while exploring early internet communities. He leveraged technology to connect with musicians and build websites, laying the groundwork for what would become WordPress.

Mullenweg recalls his time at the University of Houston fondly, where he studied classic literature and developed an interest in open-source publishing. "I was looking for every place I could leverage some of these really talented musicians’ time to train me to be a better musician," he says. His trajectory led him from coding projects in Houston to founding Automattic, now valued at $7.5 billion.

WordPress recently celebrated its 50th release named Dorsey after a jazz artist, continuing its tradition of honoring musicians. Reflecting on his educational influences, Mullenweg credits Professor Ross M. Lence as pivotal during his university years: “He introduced me to the classics — Thucydides, Plato — and really sharpened my mind.”

In addition to WordPress's success in democratizing publishing online—capturing about 40% of websites—Mullenweg emphasizes open-source software's importance: "Open source is basically this radical philosophy that if you are using software, you should be able to see how it works." This approach has been integral to WordPress's growth and adaptability.

Automattic continues expanding into new domains with products like WooCommerce and Beeper while integrating platforms such as Tumblr into WordPress infrastructure. As an advocate for simplicity in software design, Mullenweg states: “Code is poetry.”

Despite his professional commitments, Mullenweg underscores personal development by encouraging sabbaticals within Automattic’s culture—a practice he only recently embraced himself after nearly two decades without taking extended leave.

Reflecting on both past achievements and future aspirations within tech innovation spaces like large language models or artificial intelligence tools—such as ChatGPT—Mullenweg maintains faith that these technologies will ultimately benefit society despite potential misuse: “The written word is as important as ever... And now we’re teaching it to computers as well.”