Plugins, panels & pizza: the 3 P’s of 15th Zagreb WordPress Meetup

A rocky start with a silver lining

The first lecture was supposed to be delivered by Berislav Grgičak from Automattic (ex Neuralab), the newest addition to the organizing team. Unfortunately, Bero was under the weather, leaving Mario Borna Mjertan from Infobip to step in at the last minute. But what could have been a hiccup turned into a highlight. The impromptu speaker showcased how their gang of four managed to build a WordPress plugin in just two weeks. It’s a custom form building framework for Infobip’s WordPress instance – that even utilizes a stripped down, but newly formed version of their own PHP language. This lecture probably left some PMs and designers in the room puzzled; but hey, at least they got to hear an excellent dev joke or two from Marin.

Drama in the WordPress ecosystem: a panel to remember

The panel discussion that followed was downright electrifying. It was skillfully moderated by Ivan Brezak Brkan from Netokracija and featured a notable lineup of panelists: Denis Žoljom – web development expert at Infobip and a passionate open-source advocate with deep ties to the WP community; Marko Banušić – COO at Telegram and a seasoned WP user behind major projects; and our very own Krešimir Končić – a dedicated advocate for community engagement who regularly shares his insights through industry events and columns. The topic? The ongoing drama within the WordPress community, spurred by controversies surrounding Automattic and WP Engine. For context you can check the articles in Netokracija and ShiftMag which cover the turmoil timeline extensively.

The panelists didn’t hold back! They expressed surprise at Matt Mullenweg’s behavior, criticizing his centralization of power and decisions that seem more focused on pleasing investors than serving the open-source community. Concerns were raised about security issues (ACF supply chain attack) and the erosion of trust among agencies, freelancers, enterprises or any clients who rely on WordPress as an open-source platform. 

The panelists debated whether WordPress is becoming increasingly centralized – contrary to its foundational ethos. A call to action emerged: the community must double down on efforts to keep WordPress truly open-source. The panelists advocated for transitioning toward a foundation-driven model rather than one dominated by corporate interests – having in mind PHP or Ethereum foundation as relevant  “Layer Zero” community building examples. Automattic’s sprawling focus on non-core projects also came under fire. “They’re spread too thin,” Krešimir remarked, “and it’s showing.” Speculation about a potential lawsuit from WP Engine added another layer of intrigue.

Questions that spark conversations

The audience? Engaged and passionate! Questions flew fast and furious, reflecting not only the depth of knowledge in the room but also how much people care about the future of WordPress. After all the heavy discussions, attendees gathered in the foyer for drinks and pizza – a classic combo that never fails to spark conversations as people mingled late into the evening.

And that’s a wrap! The 15th Zagreb WordPress Meetup once again proved why events like these are the lifeblood of the WP community. Whether you came for the insights, the networking, or just the pizza, one thing was clear: this community is as passionate as ever about shaping the future of WordPress. Until next time, stay open-source, join our WooCommerce Meetup group and maybe start working on that plugin you’ve been putting off!