Who is Automattic? More Than Just WordPress.com
While best known for WordPress.com, the platform that powers a huge portion of the web, Automattic's ecosystem is vast. Founded by Matt Mullenweg, the company also owns essential web tools like:
WooCommerce: The leading e-commerce plugin for WordPress.
Tumblr: The popular microblogging and social networking site.
Akismet: The go-to spam-filtering service.
Gravatar: The service for globally recognized avatars.
With a valuation of over US$3 billion, Automattic has proven that its unconventional structure is not only sustainable but incredibly profitable.
The Philosophy: Why a 'Distributed Company' Wins
Automattic operates as a 100% distributed company. This means its entire team of over 1,200 employees, spanning 75 countries and speaking 93 languages, works from wherever they choose. The CEO works from home, just like everyone else.
Founder Matt Mullenweg's core belief is simple but powerful: "Talent and intelligence are equally distributed around the world, but opportunity is not."
Instead of limiting recruitment to tech hubs like San Francisco or London, Automattic deliberately seeks out the best and brightest minds on the planet. This global talent pool gives them a significant competitive advantage and fosters immense diversity, a key ingredient for innovation.
How They Make It Work: Culture, Communication, and Perks
Managing a global team without a central hub requires a unique approach to culture and operations.
Asynchronous Communication: The majority of work and communication happens online, primarily through text. This asynchronous model allows employees in different time zones to collaborate effectively without needing to be online simultaneously.
The 'Gran-Meet Up': To foster personal connections, the entire company gathers once a year for a grand meet-up. This event is part work, part team-building, ensuring that colleagues can bond beyond their avatars and text chats.
Remote Work Stipend: Automattic provides its employees with funds to create a productive work environment. This isn't just for a fancy chair or monitor. It can be used for anything that boosts productivity, including covering your daily coffee expenses if you work from a café—a perfect perk for the digital nomad.
Hiring for Success: The Automattic 'Tryout'
Automattic recognizes that remote work isn't for everyone. It requires discipline, proactivity, and excellent communication skills. To ensure a perfect fit, their hiring process is unique.
Final candidates are invited to a paid, contract-based 'tryout' lasting from three to eight weeks. During this period, you perform the exact tasks you would as a full-time employee. It's a two-way street: the company assesses your skills and work style, and you get a real-life taste of Automattic's culture. The process even concludes with a final text-based interview with the founder, Matt Mullenweg, who remains deeply involved in building his team.
Output Over Hours: Killing the 9-to-5 Grind
One of the most radical—and appealing—aspects of Automattic's culture is its dismissal of the traditional 9-to-5 workday. Matt Mullenweg is a vocal critic of 'presenteeism'—the idea that being present or looking busy equates to productive work.
At Automattic, the focus is on output, not input. What matters is what you create and deliver, not how many hours you clock or whether you're at a desk during 'business hours'. As long as the work gets done and communication is clear, working after midnight is just as acceptable as working in the morning. This results-oriented environment is the ultimate dream for any entrepreneur or digital nomad who values freedom and efficiency.
Happy Tools: The OS for Distributed Work
Having perfected the remote model for over a decade, Automattic decided to package its internal solutions into a product for other companies. In 2019, they launched Happy Tools, a productivity suite built specifically for distributed teams.
Dubbed "the future of work," it's designed to run a business smoothly without a physical office. Key features include:
Seamless integration of calendars, reports, and live chat.
Intuitive schedule management across multiple time zones.
A clear, easy-to-use interface.
With a 30-day free trial and a price of $5 per user per month (with a minimum spend suggesting it's ideal for teams of 12+), it’s a powerful tool for any growing remote business.
