Matt Mullenweg says Automattic is 'short-staffed' amid WP Engine drama
Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, reported staffing issues due to tensions with WP Engine, criticized its contributions to WordPress, and noted significant employee turnover while attempting to hire new staff.
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Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, has stated that the company is currently "very short-staffed" amid ongoing tensions between WordPress and WP Engine, a hosting service for WordPress sites. During a presentation at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, Mullenweg criticized WP Engine for not adequately contributing to the open-source WordPress project and for causing confusion among users regarding its affiliation with WordPress. This conflict has resulted in significant employee turnover, with 159 Automattic employees accepting severance packages after expressing disagreement with Mullenweg's leadership. Following this, Mullenweg offered a second severance deal, which included nine months of severance but required a quick response from employees. He noted that Automattic's workforce has decreased from approximately 1,900 to around 1,700, although the company has hired 26 new employees in October. Mullenweg's remarks also suggested a desire to identify an employee who leaked information about the internal situation to the press.
- Automattic is facing staffing challenges amid disputes with WP Engine.
- Mullenweg criticized WP Engine for insufficient contributions to WordPress.
- A significant number of Automattic employees have left the company recently.
- The company is actively hiring to address its reduced workforce.
- Mullenweg is concerned about leaks of internal information to the media.
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