Joost de Valk
@joost.blog
Internet entrepreneur • Investor at Emilia Capital • Founder of Yoast • Husband of Marieke van de Rakt • Father of 4 • 🇪🇺🇳🇱️ • he/him
Over the last few days, we've seen a good discussion about what #WordPress needs to be relevant in the current age. I think it boils down to two things: we need good, capable *and empowered* product and marketing teams.
progressplanner.com/wordpress-pr...
progressplanner.com/wordpress-pr...
Should WordPress have a product and a marketing team?
WordPress struggles with positioning and product direction. Joost argues it’s time for real product and marketing teams, instead of requiring developers to do it.
progressplanner.com
September 24, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Over the last few days, we've seen a good discussion about what #WordPress needs to be relevant in the current age. I think it boils down to two things: we need good, capable *and empowered* product and marketing teams.
progressplanner.com/wordpress-pr...
progressplanner.com/wordpress-pr...
88, but then I went and searched for the ones I didn't know and learned a new thing or 26 as i really didn't know most of them 😅️
September 18, 2025 at 12:01 PM
88, but then I went and searched for the ones I didn't know and learned a new thing or 26 as i really didn't know most of them 😅️
Might be time to find the best open source alternative for SubStack and *own your own subscribers and content*.
This will inevitably lead to higher prices, and probably to more barriers to getting your data out too…
This will inevitably lead to higher prices, and probably to more barriers to getting your data out too…
Substack raises $100M from Chernin Group, Andreessen Horowitz, Skims CEO and more
Substack raises $100M from Chernin Group, Andreessen Horowitz, Skims CEO and more | TechCrunch
The New York Times reports that the funding brings Substack's valuation to $1.1 billion, almost 70% higher than its 2021 valuation of $650 million.
techcrunch.com
July 17, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Might be time to find the best open source alternative for SubStack and *own your own subscribers and content*.
This will inevitably lead to higher prices, and probably to more barriers to getting your data out too…
This will inevitably lead to higher prices, and probably to more barriers to getting your data out too…
Reposted by Joost de Valk
Today at #OSSummit @joost.blog and I with @fair.pm announced our open call to @linuxfoundation.org members to join a new directed fund to ensure a true #OpenSource #CMS ecosystem for generations to come! Get in touch to Join!
June 23, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Today at #OSSummit @joost.blog and I with @fair.pm announced our open call to @linuxfoundation.org members to join a new directed fund to ensure a true #OpenSource #CMS ecosystem for generations to come! Get in touch to Join!
Just gotten off stage presenting about @fair.pm at the Linux Foundation’s #OSSummit together with @marucchi.com - we’re starting the conversations with funders of our project today.
June 23, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Just gotten off stage presenting about @fair.pm at the Linux Foundation’s #OSSummit together with @marucchi.com - we’re starting the conversations with funders of our project today.
Reposted by Joost de Valk
We're delighted to launch the FAIR Package Manager with the Linux Foundation - read our announcement and come collaborate with us! #FAIRPM
www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-...
www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-...
Linux Foundation Announces the FAIR Package Manager Project for Open Source Content Management System Stability
Linux Foundation announces FAIR Package Manager project, creating simplicity, security and consistency for the WordPress ecosystem
www.linuxfoundation.org
June 6, 2025 at 6:43 PM
We're delighted to launch the FAIR Package Manager with the Linux Foundation - read our announcement and come collaborate with us! #FAIRPM
www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-...
www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-...
Is WordPress innovation in plugins slowing down? In this post Marieke and I explore why new plugins struggle to gain traction and how established ones dominate and what that means for innovation.
Walking around #WCEU today, I realized that I *really* needed to publish:
joost.blog/innovation-i...
Walking around #WCEU today, I realized that I *really* needed to publish:
joost.blog/innovation-i...
Innovation in WordPress: a look at plugin development
Introduction Recent observations have highlighted a significant surge in new plugin submissions to the WordPress repository, as noted in this post. We also know that Automattic recently “unpaused” th...
joost.blog
June 5, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Is WordPress innovation in plugins slowing down? In this post Marieke and I explore why new plugins struggle to gain traction and how established ones dominate and what that means for innovation.
Walking around #WCEU today, I realized that I *really* needed to publish:
joost.blog/innovation-i...
Walking around #WCEU today, I realized that I *really* needed to publish:
joost.blog/innovation-i...
We made SEO easier for everyone. That was the goal. But in the process, we helped flood the web with content.
This is a reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and what we can learn from it.
joost.blog/unintended-c...
This is a reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and what we can learn from it.
joost.blog/unintended-c...
The unintended consequences of making SEO “for everyone”
At Yoast, we had one mission: make SEO easier. For a long time, SEO for everyone was Yoast’s tagline, and we meant it. We helped millions of people optimize their content. We made technical SEO more a...
joost.blog
April 22, 2025 at 11:17 AM
We made SEO easier for everyone. That was the goal. But in the process, we helped flood the web with content.
This is a reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and what we can learn from it.
joost.blog/unintended-c...
This is a reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and what we can learn from it.
joost.blog/unintended-c...
Not everything needs AI. But WordPress needs AI-ready infrastructure. Read my thoughts:
progressplanner.com/wordpress-ne...
progressplanner.com/wordpress-ne...
Not everything needs AI. But WordPress needs AI-ready infrastructure
Joost de Valk shares why WordPress needs AI-ready infrastructure, not just flashy features, to support real, scalable innovation.
progressplanner.com
April 15, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Not everything needs AI. But WordPress needs AI-ready infrastructure. Read my thoughts:
progressplanner.com/wordpress-ne...
progressplanner.com/wordpress-ne...
We've built something cool at @progressplanner.com over the last few weeks: an integration with Yoast SEO, to give you lots of recommendations to improve your Yoast SEO setup:
progressplanner.com/progress-pla...
progressplanner.com/progress-pla...
Level up your SEO-game: Progress Planner’s new integration with Yoast
Progress Planner 1.2 guides you through key Yoast SEO settings to help you boost your site’s visibility with ease.
progressplanner.com
April 8, 2025 at 10:04 AM
We've built something cool at @progressplanner.com over the last few weeks: an integration with Yoast SEO, to give you lots of recommendations to improve your Yoast SEO setup:
progressplanner.com/progress-pla...
progressplanner.com/progress-pla...
I knew the risks of speaking up to Matt were there, and I’ve stayed silent on account of not wanting to get Taco in trouble before WordCamp Asia. But honestly, it sucks and it does have a real impact.
Less than two weeks before #WCAsia, Matt banned my colleague @joost.blog from the event, and @progressplanner.com, from sponsoring it.
I hoped it would pass, until we had a call last week. Nothing is going to change. So here I am, breaking the silence.
progressplanner.com/real-impact-...
I hoped it would pass, until we had a call last week. Nothing is going to change. So here I am, breaking the silence.
progressplanner.com/real-impact-...
The Real Impact of a WordPress Ban
Joost de Valk and Progress Planner got banned from WordPress, and that's a big deal. And we shouldn’t allow ourselves to normalize it.
progressplanner.com
April 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM
I knew the risks of speaking up to Matt were there, and I’ve stayed silent on account of not wanting to get Taco in trouble before WordCamp Asia. But honestly, it sucks and it does have a real impact.
Reposted by Joost de Valk
Post Status is celebrating Women in WordPress through brief interviews with @michellefrechette.bsky.social.
In this interview, meet @raemorey.bsky.social!
youtu.be/bUiSXkTxPA4
In this interview, meet @raemorey.bsky.social!
youtu.be/bUiSXkTxPA4
Women in WordPress: Rae Morey
YouTube video by Post Status
youtu.be
April 2, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Post Status is celebrating Women in WordPress through brief interviews with @michellefrechette.bsky.social.
In this interview, meet @raemorey.bsky.social!
youtu.be/bUiSXkTxPA4
In this interview, meet @raemorey.bsky.social!
youtu.be/bUiSXkTxPA4
I've been having lots of different fun discussions around AI the last few weeks, but there's one that we simply have to shed more light on. In order to appear in AI, you can't build fancy headless websites. AI simply does not execute JavaScript when crawling your site. 1/2
March 26, 2025 at 9:29 AM
I've been having lots of different fun discussions around AI the last few weeks, but there's one that we simply have to shed more light on. In order to appear in AI, you can't build fancy headless websites. AI simply does not execute JavaScript when crawling your site. 1/2
I wrote about my experience at the #cloudfest Hackathon #cfhack and what I think the #WordPress world could learn from that:
progressplanner.com/cloudfest-ha...
progressplanner.com/cloudfest-ha...
CloudFest Hackathon: Old-school WordPress contributing vibes
The CloudFest Hackathon reignited the old WordPress contributor spirit—innovation, teamwork and real progress in action!
progressplanner.com
March 25, 2025 at 11:53 AM
I wrote about my experience at the #cloudfest Hackathon #cfhack and what I think the #WordPress world could learn from that:
progressplanner.com/cloudfest-ha...
progressplanner.com/cloudfest-ha...
Reposted by Joost de Valk
WP-CLI + MCP combines visionary technology and I‘m assembling an overall winning dream team to break any barriers. This is going to be a *pitch perfect* Hackathon project that allows you to master social media—I mean, WordPress—using AI. #CFHACK25 #CloudFest
March 15, 2025 at 10:27 AM
WP-CLI + MCP combines visionary technology and I‘m assembling an overall winning dream team to break any barriers. This is going to be a *pitch perfect* Hackathon project that allows you to master social media—I mean, WordPress—using AI. #CFHACK25 #CloudFest
I'm at the #Cloudfest #CFHack Hackathon!
I've joined the WP CLI as an MCP host team (and yes that is a LOT of abbreviations in one sentence, we'll be using the #CLI-MCP hashtag).
I've joined the WP CLI as an MCP host team (and yes that is a LOT of abbreviations in one sentence, we'll be using the #CLI-MCP hashtag).
March 15, 2025 at 11:36 AM
I'm at the #Cloudfest #CFHack Hackathon!
I've joined the WP CLI as an MCP host team (and yes that is a LOT of abbreviations in one sentence, we'll be using the #CLI-MCP hashtag).
I've joined the WP CLI as an MCP host team (and yes that is a LOT of abbreviations in one sentence, we'll be using the #CLI-MCP hashtag).
I wrote a thing, mostly fun for search geeks: should we standardize redirect-by?
Redirect-By HTTP headers
Should we standardize Redirect-By HTTP headers?
joost.blog
March 13, 2025 at 12:28 PM
I wrote a thing, mostly fun for search geeks: should we standardize redirect-by?
Reposted by Joost de Valk
We (Marieke, @joost.blog, and me) have just started a new blog series "Progress for WordPress" on the @progressplanner.com website.
Marieke wrote the first article "Why WordPress is a tough sell for marketing students".
Go check it out at progressplanner.com/why-wordpres...
#Progress #WordPress
Marieke wrote the first article "Why WordPress is a tough sell for marketing students".
Go check it out at progressplanner.com/why-wordpres...
#Progress #WordPress
Why WordPress is a tough sell for marketing students
We’re launching Progress for WordPress, a new blog series on WordPress trends. First up: why marketing students struggle with WordPress.
progressplanner.com
March 11, 2025 at 2:23 PM
We (Marieke, @joost.blog, and me) have just started a new blog series "Progress for WordPress" on the @progressplanner.com website.
Marieke wrote the first article "Why WordPress is a tough sell for marketing students".
Go check it out at progressplanner.com/why-wordpres...
#Progress #WordPress
Marieke wrote the first article "Why WordPress is a tough sell for marketing students".
Go check it out at progressplanner.com/why-wordpres...
#Progress #WordPress
I love it when I can send bug reports to a team, and they tackle them as pro’s, like The Events Calendar team did here:
Announcing Major SEO Improvements to The Events Calendar
A good community has your back. They want you to succeed and will help make your success a reality. Being part of a good community is a wonderful thing–it’s empowering, rewarding, and humbling all at…
buff.ly
March 4, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I love it when I can send bug reports to a team, and they tackle them as pro’s, like The Events Calendar team did here:
Very thankful for our experience with PersonalizeWP and the team at Filter. While this was not our aspired outcome, I’m grateful for having the honest conversations and making the right choices when needed. I wish the team all the best!!
personalizewp.com/blog/announc...
personalizewp.com/blog/announc...
2025 - A Year of Refinement and Improvements | PersonalizeWP
Curious about what’s in store for PersonalizeWP in 2025? Dive into our latest article to discover our exciting plans for the year ahead!
personalizewp.com
February 19, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Very thankful for our experience with PersonalizeWP and the team at Filter. While this was not our aspired outcome, I’m grateful for having the honest conversations and making the right choices when needed. I wish the team all the best!!
personalizewp.com/blog/announc...
personalizewp.com/blog/announc...
Yesterday we released Progress Planner Pro into the world.
For me, it's what made me excited about developing for #WordPress again, as I truly thinks it helps people make & maintain their websites better.
I'm super excited about it, so let me tell you about it:
For me, it's what made me excited about developing for #WordPress again, as I truly thinks it helps people make & maintain their websites better.
I'm super excited about it, so let me tell you about it:
January 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Yesterday we released Progress Planner Pro into the world.
For me, it's what made me excited about developing for #WordPress again, as I truly thinks it helps people make & maintain their websites better.
I'm super excited about it, so let me tell you about it:
For me, it's what made me excited about developing for #WordPress again, as I truly thinks it helps people make & maintain their websites better.
I'm super excited about it, so let me tell you about it:
So... We've acquired Post Status and then immediately handed it off to a new, non profit, foundation (I'm in that foundation too, of course, but not alone):
poststatus.com/ringing-the-...
Making sure Post Status keeps on being available for the community.
poststatus.com/ringing-the-...
Making sure Post Status keeps on being available for the community.
Ringing the Bell for Our Own Acquisition
Big News We, Marieke and I, are acquiring Post Status from Cory and Lindsey Miller. And we're excited about this community and the history that has
poststatus.com
January 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM
So... We've acquired Post Status and then immediately handed it off to a new, non profit, foundation (I'm in that foundation too, of course, but not alone):
poststatus.com/ringing-the-...
Making sure Post Status keeps on being available for the community.
poststatus.com/ringing-the-...
Making sure Post Status keeps on being available for the community.
Help me out people: where can a student create a free WordPress site?
(no domain needed, just something temporary)
(no domain needed, just something temporary)
January 19, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Help me out people: where can a student create a free WordPress site?
(no domain needed, just something temporary)
(no domain needed, just something temporary)