In a recent HBR On Strategy podcast, Matt Mullenweg—founder of Automattic (the powerhouse behind WordPress)—joined host Sarah Green Carmichael to share how startups can transform their customer base into a vibrant, loyal community. It’s not about marketing fluff or building Facebook groups. It’s about genuine connection and contribution, from the inside out.
🛠️ Build Culture Like You Build Code
Forget ping-pong tables. For Matt, culture comes from the thousand small actions people see and repeat. Leadership sets the tone—if you walk past a problem, others will too. If you model care, others follow. Even in a fully remote team, culture shows up in rituals like "trash pickup day," where designers quietly fix UX details. These micro-decisions matter.
🎭 Hire by Audition, Not Assumption
Matt still champions hiring via auditions—actual trial projects—over resumes. Referencing his own write-up in Harvard Business Review, he highlights that skills, values, and culture fit are better revealed through doing, not just telling.
🧑🤝🧑 Community Starts with Generosity
Mullenweg compares building community to throwing a great dinner party: you’ve got to put out the snacks, pour the wine, and let people feel welcome. WordPress does this by offering multi-million dollar software for free—no strings attached. That gift creates goodwill. And in return, users often contribute back voluntarily. Like great guests, they help clean up after the feast.
💡 Control Is the Killer of Community
Many legacy brands struggle with community because they try to control it too tightly. Mullenweg warns against this. You’ve got to let go. Trust your users. Empower them. It's messy, but it's real.
💸 Freemium: If You Give, Make It Great
Automattic’s freemium model works because the free version is incredibly valuable. But the premium version? Genuinely next-level. Startups, take note: don’t hide basic functionality. Lead with value, and let your premium product earn the upgrade.
This episode is packed with insights for founders who want more than transactions—they want relationships. Community isn’t an add-on. It’s a strategic foundation.
📖 Inspired by Matt Mullenweg's conversation on HBR IdeaCast. For more, check out the full podcast at HBR.org.