December 15, 2017 — Up to this point, my relationship with WordPress has known many sides. I started as a WordPress.com blogger and then moved to WordPress.org. Step by step, while trying to customize my blog, I began to understand how flexible WordPress was. Besides HTML and CSS, I discovered that I was able to learn PHP by myself, by following WordPress tutorials and forum discussions. After a while of study and practice, I launched my freelance business and spent a few years building mostly WordPress websites for clients with different business types and from various parts of the world. Today, I handle product development for CaptainForm, a WordPress forms plugin launched in 2015.

I would like to walk you through the ups and downs of this journey, to share some of the insights that I’ve gathered along the way and, most of all, to express my deep passion for WordPress and for the beautiful things you can build with it.

December 7, 2017 — Alexandra handles product development at CaptainForm, WordPress form builder launched in 2015 by 123ContactForm. Previously, she worked in project and product management at the same company and developed a deep interest in analyzing user behavior and building solutions based on her findings. The WordPress world is the closest to her heart and she is a frequent WordCamp speaker, volunteer or attendee

June 29, 2017 — “I thought a user-centered approach was going to benefit the users of my product. And then I realized how much users have given me back in the process. This presentation focuses on three ways in which users have made my life better, by giving me (at least) three gifts:

– The gift of building solid roadmaps
– The gift of teaching efficiently
– The gift of working in a happy team”

Presentation Slides »

June 22, 2017 — Alexandra handles product development at CaptainForm, WordPress form builder launched in 2015 by 123ContactForm. Previously, she worked in project and product management at the same company and developed a deep interest in analyzing user behavior and building solutions tailored to their needs.

She thought a user-centered approach was going to benefit the users of my product. And then I realized how much users have given me back in the process. This presentation focuses on three ways in which users have made my life better, by giving me (at least) three gifts:

The gift of building solid roadmaps
The gift of teaching efficiently
The gift of working in a happy team

Presentation Slides »

November 2, 2016 — The Voice within Your Interface: An Easy Way to Grow User Retention

Beyond the functionality they are meant to serve, products that require interaction speak to users. Some have a friendly, reassuring voice, others send confusing messages or don’t speak at all.

This presentation focuses on the various types of messages that can be used inside the interface of a product to improve the user journey. From success and error messages to guiding tooltips or new feature announcements, we will talk about when to use and how to design the voice inside our products.

Presentation Slides »

May 12, 2016 — The presentation will give tips and tricks on how your newly launched WordPress plugin can gain exposure and usage, and how it can generate revenue quickly. Nowadays, plugins can rarely reinvent the wheel, given the market niches that are, apparently, saturated. However, by doing things in a better, more efficient way, you can always get your fair market share. CaptainForm’s market niche is dominated by two long-established leaders and many other competitors. But a good product and a well-thought marketing strategy can make a new product change the status quo.

Presentation Slides »