January 2, 2019 — With each passing year, the bar gets higher for software developers. Customers seem to expect more and more from us with no tolerance for delays or price increases. What causes this vicious cycle? More importantly, what can we do to continue to provide tools which satisfy new users and meet their ever changing expectations regarding usability?

August 31, 2018 — The internet changes rapidly. So does WordPress. When change happens, some things get left behind. Let’s spend some time reflecting on some of the things which have lost their relevance or are declining in popularity. And let’s have some fun with it too.

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August 16, 2017 — An interactive panel of business owners answering your questions on freelancing. What are some tips for getting clients? How can you make sure everyone stays on track?

July 5, 2017 — Adam Silver and Kyle Maurer are the co-hosts of the Get Options Podcast which is an irreverent advice show about your life with WordPress. This session will be a live recording of the show featuring pre-selected listener questions followed by live audience Q&A. No topic is off limits. Come expecting thoughtful, expert advice with heavy doses of sarcasm and humor.

April 3, 2017 — The WordPress economy is huge and still growing. Have you found your place in it? As in any industry, one fundamental question to answer is whether you are cut out for working for yourself or for someone else. There are abundant opportunities to start and grow new businesses based on WordPress but there are also countless amazing companies that are well established and looking to hire. How can you decide what role you are meant to play? In this session we will take a detailed look at both sides, share the pros and cons for each and really break down the fundamental differences between starting a WordPress company and working for one. If you ever find yourself questioning whether you’re really doing what’s best for you, this session will help you really understand which path to choose.

December 15, 2016 — The Internet is a battleground. It’s true. Every minute of every day, a war is being fought. This is a war between the owners of every website in existence and the nefarious hackers seeking to circumvent any and all protective layers in order to gain control of the digital property of others to use for their own malicious intent. There is no end in sight to this struggle. It is one in which we must all engage no matter how serious or trivial our purposes may be.

This session will take you into the depths of this conflict where you will witness firsthand the tactics and strategies employed by both sides to gain the upper hand. You will learn the methods used by hackers to bypass security and compromise websites. You will also see how experienced webmasters protect and defend their sites from invisible enemies.

November 9, 2016 — Do you currently assist with the organization or WordPress meetups, WordCamps or other events? Or are you interested in getting involved with one or starting your own? This panel discussion will consist of several veteran WordPress event organizers ready to answer any and all questions you may have.

October 16, 2016 — Adam and Kyle discuss WordCamps, WordCamp Central, volunteers and team work at WordCamp Ann Arbor 2016.

June 24, 2016 — When in the early stages of offering WordPress related services for clients there are a lot of unknowns. Questions like: – How do I price a project? – Where do I host the client’s site? – What do I do when the scope begins to creep? – Where do I go when I get in over my head? – How do I find clients? These and many more are difficult questions to answer for those who are new to client work but they are incredibly important. This session will be a Q&A and will focus on everything one needs to know and do to make their first projects successful.

January 7, 2016 — The classic contest. Themes against plugins. Which are better? Which can solve your problems, fix your site and grow your business? In this epic showdown we’ll explore the purposes and use cases, pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses of these two critical components of any WordPress website.

Presentation Slides »