WordPress at Work: How Automattic Builds a Global Platform by Living on Its Own Creations

WordPress powers a vast portion of the web, from personal blogs to large-scale enterprise sites. Automattic, the company founded by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, is a central force in this ecosystem, stewarding WordPress.com, developing key plugins like Jetpack and Akismet, and leading the charge with WooCommerce for e-commerce. But Automattic's relationship with WordPress goes deeper than just product offerings; the platform is the very backbone of its own global, distributed operations, profoundly influencing its culture, products, and contributions to the wider WordPress community.

WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com: An Important Distinction

To understand Automattic's internal use, it's crucial to distinguish:

• WordPress.org: The open-source WordPress software that anyone can download, modify, and use to build a self-hosted website. This is a community-driven project.
• WordPress.com: A for-profit, hosted website and blogging platform run by Automattic. It uses the WordPress.org software as its core but adds its own layers of features, services, and infrastructure.

Automattic is a significant contributor to the WordPress.org open-source project and, naturally, the developer of the WordPress.com service. This dual role means their internal use and understanding of WordPress technology is exceptionally deep.

Living on P2: WordPress as an Internal Collaboration Engine

Perhaps the most striking example of Automattic "eating its own dog food" is its extensive, company-wide use of P2. P2 is essentially a WordPress theme and workflow optimized for internal team communication, project management, and asynchronous collaboration. For a company like Automattic, which has been remote-first and globally distributed for its entire existence, P2 is not just a tool—it's the lifeblood of its operations.

As stated by Automatticians (Source: Automattic's "How We Work" page, Hacker News discussions):

• Primary Communication Hub: Automattic tracks the vast majority of its projects (around 70%) on P2-themed WordPress.com blogs. Email is reportedly not used for internal communication.
• Asynchronous by Design: With employees spread across nearly every time zone, P2 enables thoughtful, threaded discussions where decisions are documented, and everyone can contribute regardless of their working hours. The motto "P2 or it didn't happen" underscores its role as the source of truth for important conversations and decisions.
• Transparency and Searchability: P2 posts are typically visible across the company, allowing for cross-team awareness and knowledge sharing. Anyone can search for past discussions, technical analyses, or project updates.
• Fostering Thoughtful Interaction: Unlike the rapid-fire nature of synchronous chat, P2 encourages more considered, long-form posts and discussions, which is vital for complex problem-solving and strategic planning.

The very design and evolution of P2 have been directly shaped by Automattic's own needs as a large, distributed workforce striving for effective collaboration without relying on traditional office environments or excessive meetings.

WordPress.com: A Living Laboratory at Scale

WordPress.com, being one of the largest WordPress installations globally, inherently serves as a massive, real-world testing ground for the WordPress software and Automattic's infrastructure. Every update to WordPress core, every new feature deployed on WordPress.com, is effectively being used and monitored by the company that runs the service. This provides invaluable data on performance, scalability, and reliability at an unparalleled scale.

Furthermore, Automattic's own company blogs, internal announcement sites, and, as mentioned, project P2s are all hosted on WordPress.com, meaning their own day-to-day publishing and information sharing rely on the platform they provide to millions.

Developing and Refining Products Through Internal Use

Automattic's suite of products, including Jetpack (security, performance, site management), Akismet (spam filtering), and WooCommerce (e-commerce), also benefits from internal application and insight:

• Jetpack & Akismet: It's highly probable that these tools are deployed across Automattic's own network of WordPress.com sites and internal P2s. This allows them to test new security features, performance enhancements, and spam-fighting algorithms in a diverse and demanding environment before they reach the broader user base.
• WooCommerce: While direct internal e-commerce use cases for Automattic itself might be less about selling typical products, their deep involvement in developing the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress means their teams are constantly building, testing, and refining WooCommerce features.
• Contributing to WordPress Core: Historically, Automattic has been a very significant contributor of code and personnel to the open-source WordPress.org project. Their developers, working directly on the core software, are inherently using and testing WordPress at its most fundamental level. This deep engagement allows them to identify areas for improvement, propose new features (many of which are outlined on the Make WordPress Core blog), and ensure the platform evolves. It's important to note that in early 2025, Automattic announced a significant recalibration of its sponsored contribution hours to WordPress.org, a development that has sparked much discussion within the community about the future balance of contributions.

The Automattic Culture: Shaped by Its Tools

Automattic's unique, distributed culture and its reliance on WordPress-based tools are deeply intertwined:

• Empowering Autonomy: Tools like P2 support a culture where employees are trusted to work autonomously and communicate effectively across distances.
• Onboarding through Immersion: A unique aspect of Automattic's onboarding is that all new hires, regardless of their role, spend their first few weeks in customer support for WordPress.com. This practice ensures every Automattician gains a direct understanding of user needs, challenges, and joys, fostering empathy and providing a direct feedback channel from the front lines to product teams.
• Open Source Ethos: Even with internal tools, the spirit of open communication and contribution, core to the WordPress project, often permeates how Automattic operates.

Challenges in a WordPress-Powered World

While the benefits are numerous, this deep reliance also presents considerations:

• Maintaining P2 Effectiveness: As the company grows, ensuring P2 remains an efficient tool for information discovery and doesn't lead to overload requires ongoing effort and platform refinement.
• Balancing Internal Needs with a Diverse User Base: Tools and workflows optimized for Automattic's highly technical and distributed workforce might not always perfectly align with the needs of a small business owner or a casual blogger using WordPress. The customer support rotation and broader community engagement are vital for maintaining this balance.
• Navigating the Open Source Ecosystem: As a major commercial entity deeply involved with a massive open-source project, Automattic continually navigates the complex dynamics between its business interests and the health and governance of the broader WordPress community.

Conclusion: Making the Web Better, From the Inside Out

Automattic's use of WordPress is a profound example of a company truly living its product. By building its internal communication systems, project management, and even aspects of its company culture on the WordPress platform (especially via P2s), Automattic not only refines its own offerings but also contributes valuable, real-world insights back into the WordPress ecosystem. This internal proving ground, coupled with a deep commitment to the open web, allows Automattic to continue its mission to "democratize publishing," starting from within its own global team.