WP Engine – Community Done Right
At Pixel Jar, we’ve been active in the WordPress community for years. We get genuine joy and satisfaction in taking part and giving back to like-minded developers and the up-and-coming generation.
As much as we set out to inspire those we come in contact with, the reverse is also true. We often leave events, conferences, and webinars inspired by the work and passion that other companies demonstrate.
One of these companies that consistently goes above and beyond when contributing to the broader WordPress community is WP Engine.
We’ve been partners with WP Engine for many years and believe in the quality of their technology. But (arguably) even more importantly, we consider them to be a point of reference in what it means to “give back.”
Who is WP Engine?
Many of you will be more than familiar with WP Engine. But for those of you who haven’t come across them before, WP Engine is a leading company within the WordPress space. Their numbers are impressive. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, they have U.S. offices in San Antonio and San Francisco, along with global bases in England, Ireland, and Australia. In total, they work with over 70,000 companies across 130 countries.
While we admire their success, it’s the character of the people involved that sets them apart in our eyes. Their leadership is simply top tier. Headed by CEO Heather Brunner, her example of passionate, empathetic, and emotionally intelligent leadership has trickled down into the company. It’s this culture of genuine caring that fuels the work they do in giving back to the community.
The Community Work WP Engine Does
WP Engine takes part in a broad variety of actions, such as sponsoring community events like WordCamps or hosting conferences and events of their own.
The purpose of many of these events is to inspire the community and encourage knowledge-sharing. Take the WP Engine DE{CODE} event for example. This conference is one of the most forward-looking events in the WordPress community, with the most recent edition featuring 19 virtual sessions with expert speakers and a large number of attendees. The topics focused on four core areas that are of rising importance in the WordPress community – eCommerce, headless WordPress, managed WordPress hosting, and the builder experience.
Beyond large-scale conferences, WP Engine also frequently hosts webinars, such as WP Engine Ignite, and records podcasts like the WP Engine Headless Podcast. Best of all, the company holds weekly office hours for developers, where you are invited to “come with projects to share & receive feedback on, ideas to talk through, or just come to listen and get inspired.“
Their Contribution to The WordPress Project
One of the defining attributes of WordPress and a huge point of pride in our community is the fact that this incredible platform is open source and free. Without any initial cost, you can simply download it and use it for the project of your choice. And if you want to have a look at the source code (or even modify it), you are entirely free to do so.
WordPress is an ongoing project in open source software and benefits millions of people every year. It makes the internet a more democratic and accessible place, where everyone can get involved, learn, and build a business with fewer barriers. Unsurprisingly, many want to show their support for the WordPress Project – including our team at Pixel Jar.
However, the amount of time and effort that WP Engine dedicates to the project on an ongoing basis goes far beyond what’s normal. Every week, their team spends almost 100 hours working on tasks that directly impact the official WordPress project.
The Impact of WP Engine
There is no doubt that the work they do has a genuine impact on organizations, individuals, and the WordPress community at large. In 2019, the company announced its corporate social responsibility program, which was really just formalizing what was already in place.
By launching this initiative, it became clear just how much of a force for good this company is in the WordPress community and beyond. For example, they put a milestone incentive in place where, after gaining 100,000 customers, a total of $100,000 would be paid in donations to the causes that mattered most to their employees.
But where they have the largest impact is within the WordPress community. Based on their pillar of “Open Future,” WP Engine is committed to investing in WordPress and invested over $4 million into the community in 2019 alone, never mind the time commitment.
On a more personal level, we often see the impact they have on individuals firsthand during online events where WP Engine is also present – witnessing how they empower the next generation of WordPress developers and lay the foundation for a strong future in the industry.
Let’s Not Forget the Customers
While WP Engine goes far in giving back to the community, it’s never at the expense of their customers. Part of the reason we’re so willing to work alongside and support WP Engine is because it’s built on a solid foundation of best-in-class technology.
The passion and dedication they display for all of their philanthropic activities is just as real when it comes to their customers. As advanced agency partners, we regularly recommend their services for businesses we feel would truly benefit from them and, to date, they have always delivered on the promises.
Ready to Get Involved?
We are so supportive of WP Engine because we share many of their values. At Pixel Jar, we also believe in open, honest communication, excellent technology, and giving back to the community that has given us so much.
If you are a developer or are simply interested in WordPress, we’d love it if you’d join us at any of our upcoming events – which are held entirely online. And, if you have any other questions about what we do, you can always get in touch with us to schedule a call.
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