Rephonic
Artwork for Crossword
Wordpress
Artificial Intelligence
Woocommerce
Open Source
Matt Mullenweg
Gutenberg
Wordpress.org
Elementor
Wordpress 6.9
WP Engine
The Repository
Wordpress Core
Open Web
FAIR Project
Five For the Future
FAIR
Wordcamp Asia
Wordpress VIP
Notes (wordpress)
Automattic

Perspectives on WordPress and the Open Web.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes144Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsTechnology

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Crossword

Latest Episodes

Amy Kamala joins Luke and Jonathan to discuss art, poetry, biology, and how decisions get made in the WordPress project. Amy shares her perspective on the human element in automation, Luke expresses his love for contributors over contributions, and J... more

Luke and Jonathan discuss the upcoming WordCamp Europe and their mixed feelings about Matt’s latest appeal. Jonathan expresses a dichotomy he’s trying to work through and Luke expresses his disappointment in Jonathan’s latest work.

Luke has a change of heart about Matt’s renewed involvement and Jonathan gushes over Desktop Mode. They discuss the Presence API and the new WordPress.org Janitors channel. Jonathan makes a basketball reference that goes over Luke’s head.

Jonathan and Luke are back and kickoff the season with an uncomprehensive recap of recent events. Luke offers his thoughts on Matt’s reemergence into the project and Jonathan offers his take on where the opportunity is for WordPress in the new world ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Miriam Schwab
Head of WordPress relations at Elementor
Elementor
Episode: Perspectives with Miriam Schwab
Jonathan DeRosio
Guest referenced as a recent Crossword episode guest
Episode: Newsroom
Jonathan Desrosiers
Principal software engineer at Bluehost; WordPress core committer
Bluehost / WordPress Core
Episode: Perspectives with Jonathan Desrosiers
Rae Morey
Publisher of The Repository.email
The Repository
Episode: Perspectives with Rae Morey
Tammie Lister
Design lead on Gutenberg, WordPress product designer and engineer
Open Source / WordPress
Episode: Perspectives with Tammie Lister
Matt Mullenweg
Co-founder of WordPress, founder/CEO of Automatic
Automatic
Episode: Perspectives with Matt Mullenweg
Mary Hubbard
Executive Director of WordPress Project
WordPress
Episode: Perspectives with Mary Hubbard
Sam Sidler
Writer at delta.blog, blogger and open-source contributor
delta.blog
Episode: Perspectives with Sam Sidler
John Gruber
Apple journalist, podcaster, and prolific blogger on daringfireball.net
Daring Fireball
Episode: Perspectives with John Gruber

Hosts

Luke Carbis
Host of Crossword; frequently guides discussion and probes topics.
Jonathan Wald
Co-host who introduces topics and steers conversations.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 7 ratings
  • An alternate name for this Podcast could have been WP Tennis

    I really enjoy the tennis style debates on contentious WP topics. I think it's really important to look at things from as many perspectives as you can, especially when you're in a position of influence or decision-making. Luke and Jonathan are great at helping you to "put yourself in their shoes", and just have "a good think".

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Robey L
    Australia7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show offers sharp, tennis-style debates on WP topics that reward nuanced thinking.
Guests consistently bring strong domain expertise and practical perspectives.
Listeners appreciate the balanced takes and fair “put yourself in their shoes” approach.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Perspectives with Matt Mullenweg
Q: How much freedom do you feel over how you spend your time and energy, given all of your responsibilities at Automatic and within WordPress?
Matt describes a strong sense of freedom to move between projects, but notes enormous responsibilities and accountability to a board, investors, and the broader WordPress community, which shapes how he allocates time.
Perspectives with Zach Stepek
Q: Why has WooCommerce remained dominant in WordPress e-commerce, and what are the onboarding and UX challenges?
They discuss WooCommerce's deep ecosystem, the onboarding experience, and the tension between marketing tactics and user experience, with calls for calmer, clearer UX.
Perspectives with Zach Stepek
Q: How does WordPress differ when used for standard content vs. e-commerce applications, from a hosting perspective?
The panel argues that e-commerce requires more careful consideration of performance, caching, and plugin interactions, making hosting decisions more complex than traditional content sites.
Perspectives with Zach Stepek
Q: Can you give us context on what you've done in WordPress, especially within the e-commerce context?
Zach shares his journey from early WordPress involvement to WooCommerce, connecting it with hosting and enterprise-scale challenges, while Luke and Jonathan contextualize the field and evolution.
Perspectives with Mary Hubbard
Q: What drew you to discuss meetups and WordCamps, and what lessons do they offer for building community?
The conversation highlights intentional, purpose-driven gatherings, the value of in-person interactions for trust and connection, and the transformative role these events play in cultivating communities and human connection.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Crossword

What is Crossword about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show hosts thoughtful debates about WordPress and the Open Web, weighing leadership, governance, and the ecosystem's future. Episodes frequently explore AI's impact on publishing, in-browser tooling, and interoperability between WordPress and adjacent platforms. The format often features candid assessments of community dynamics, developer workflows, and practical strategies for contributors, agencies, and publishers. A standout angle is examining open-source collaboration through real-world tensions and innovations, with guests who bring deep domain knowledge from core WordPress, publishing, and product design. Listeners can expect rigorous, opinionated conversations that aim to illuminate trade-offs for builders, marketers, and decisio... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Crossword?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Crossword:

1. WP Product Talk
2. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
3. Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem

How many episodes of Crossword are there?

Crossword launched 7 years ago and published 144 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Crossword?

Recent guests on Crossword include:

1. Miriam Schwab
2. Jonathan DeRosio
3. Jonathan Desrosiers
4. Rae Morey
5. Tammie Lister
6. Matt Mullenweg
7. Mary Hubbard
8. Sam Sidler

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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