Woo BizChat Hits WordCamp Europe with Vito Peleg and Robert Windisch

Robbie: All right. Hello and welcome to Do The Woo. We’re here with the BizChat version. I’m here with Robert and we have Vito from, please tell us your company’s name and information.

Vito: Yes. So Atarim.io, and we help with agencies and freelancers to collaborate with their clients through visual collaboration.

Robbie: And it’s a really cool tool. He was actually just showing me right before this podcast. And Robert’s also with us. So Robert, how’s it going here at WCEU?

How many superlatives can I use? It’s been fantastic. First of all, I mean, it’s really the first WordCamp in three years, plus or minus. I guess there are a couple at the beginning of 2020. But I mean, WordCamp Europe hasn’t happens since 2019. I want to touch on Vito, just for a sec. A lot of folks actually may know the product before it changed names ’cause it was WP Feedback.

Vito: Yes.

Robbie: Oh, actually I did not know that.

Robert: Correct. Interesting.

So, WP, yeah, it’s been a long week. This is the last day at WordCamp Europe. We’re all losing our voices. But yeah, how did that branding name and change come about?

Vito: So first we launched it at WordCamp Europe, back in 2019, that was the initial launch of the product.

Robert: And that was Berlin.

Vito: In Berlin. Yes. And over in about a year after, we kind of shifted from being just a standalone plugin over to being a SaaS that allows to manage all the different websites and all of the different installations from different places. But that kind of was still a challenge for about a year ’cause people were still thinking that we were plugin. And so that really what drove the rebrand and the rename. Atarim means websites in Hebrew. And so that kind of what drove me to pick that name. And yeah, and actually since then, it allowed us to reposition the entire product and to help our users and our potential users see that it’s evolved to way beyond just a standalone plugin.

Robert: So, first time as a sponsor, as a term, Atarim?

Vito: Yes. Yes, that’s true. I sponsored this WPFeedback in a few places before in WordCamp US, and a few other places. And as well as WordCamp Asia that got canceled last minute, right?

Robert: It’s coming back.

Robbie: Yes. Thank goodness.

Vito: I was looking forward to it.

Robert: So yeah, we want to touch on all the kind of sponsorship stuff, I think today. And Robbie from Mo’s Training, this is your first any WordCamp sponsorship.

Robbie: Yes. It’s our first WordCamp sponsorship. We were so excited. We were so excited it was going to be in person, first of all. And when we saw it was going to be the European one first, we were like, this is perfect because we were all wanting to target more the European market because we were more known in the US than we are Europe. And so we were like, okay, this is perfect. So it worked out that the first WordCamp we sponsor was Europe. And it has been an amazing experience. I know we were just talking about we’re all first time sponsors, as far as WordCamp Europe. Well, Robert, your company has been here before, but you have worked with them at that time, right?

Robert: No, this is the first time I’ve been part of the sponsorship madness at Cloudways, and it’s been an amazing turnout. It’s been stunning how many people have shown up. We’re still kind of feeling our way through pandemic stuff, but I think we’re around 3000 people here. This is brilliant.

Robbie: Yes, yes it is. And I’ve sponsored other events and I have to say, I’m exhausted, because I have done, it’s like nonstop. Like even the day I landed in here, there was a networking event. I’ve just stumbled into the hotel and stumbled back out to a networking event. And then it was the next day contributor day and then two networking events. And then the next day, all day booth work and then three networking. I mean, I’m just like, I’m so exhausted right now. I’m going to get sleep whenever I get home, though, I know.

Robert: There were actually six that I know of yesterday, which would’ve been Thursday.

Vito: I tried to make a small appearance, as many as possible as well. But even when we first landed, I saw you over at the airport.

Robert: Oh yeah. So this was one of the amazing things about WordCamp Europe is, how many people were arriving at the same time and you’d bump into people. I bumped into people on a connecting flight. We flew over and then you literally just walk out to the curb at the airport, and there’s like, oh, well, there’s Vito, there’s Andrew Palmer, there’s Nev Harris. And a lot of these folks I mean, not Vito and Andrew, but like Nev I think was his first WordCamp Europe. Lot of first time sponsors, I’ve seen, Extendify, Axcel. A lot of the big hosting companies that everyone knows. But training, new plugins, what are some of the cool things you may have seen just walking, if you had a chance to walk the expo area that are kind of new to you guys?

Robbie: Wow. Well, I will say, geez, there was actually a lot. So some of the plugins that One.com owns over here, I did not know those plugins necessarily. And so it was interesting to find out more about that. Then there’s also some just more European based coasting that I had no idea existed, right? Because we’re in the US. And so that’s kind of, it’s interesting to see that. As well as the other thing that’s interesting to me are the payment processors that we’ve seen here.

Robert: Yeah. I mean, there’s Molly. I mean, we’re broadcasting out of the Peach Pay booth, and this is also their first time sponsoring WordCamp Europe. And the agencies. We have a great vantage point in which no one in the audience can see, but I see inside talking on the other side of booth, there’s one of the-

Robbie: Google’s over here.

Robert: Google’s here. If folks can hear the clapping in the background, there’s prizes being given away. No, the sponsorship area has been just robust and insane from start to finish every day.

Robbie: I was sure I was going to win the prize over at Elementor, but I did not.

Robert: And the prize was?

Robbie: You did the little ball, like you have to grab it. And I was like, I’m usually lucky at those. I thought I was going to get it, but I didn’t.

Robert: What was the prize?

Vito: It was really cool.

Robbie: It was an iPad Air. I wanted it.

Vito: That was really cool that a lot of booths have created these little games and competitions and stuff like that to kind of incentivize people to come and walk around this area.

Robert: The gamification.

Robbie: Yes.

Vito: Gamification.

Robbie: Gamification of expo’s.

Robert: Yes. We have a Plinko game board.

Robbie: Yes you do. That was fun. I thought I was going to win that too. And it was like, “Oh yeah, you’ll win. Everybody wins.” I put my little chip in and it got stuck on a peg, literally. I was like, “No way. Y’all bunked it.’

Vito: So you win by default.

Robbie: That’s right. I was like, “I think that means I win the big prize.”

Robert: So someone that actually happened at, earlier, someone did that and convinced one of our booth staff that, oh, if it gets stuck, you win everything.

Robbie: Exactly.

Robert: So that’s what you should have done, Robbie…. Oh look, it’s Topher. Hi.

Robbie: Hi, Topher.

Robert: From HeroPress

Robbie: HeroPress in the house.

Topher: Hello. Hello.

Robbie: So, one of the things I thought was really interesting as the first time sponsor of a WordCamp, like I said, I’ve done other types of events where I was a sponsor and to me, it’s always important to network with the other sponsors. That’s part of why we come, right? It’s to meet the other sponsors, so you may form partnerships you never imagined you would. And I noticed there was a definitive, and I don’t know if all the WordCamp’s are like that, but this one, it seemed like my day one of the booth was all about the attendees. It was nonstop attendees, which was great. And we really had a chance to talk to them. Vito and I’s booths are right next to each other.

Vito: Yes. So it’s just been a constant flow of people coming in. And I think that the nice thing that it wasn’t overwhelming. There were like groups of people waiting, especially that in the area that we are standing. But there hasn’t been a minute without someone standing. S

Robert: That’s a really good point. It’s a good pacing of how people are walking through the area

And there’s a ton of sessions. So people are going to sessions and coming in and out choosing what they want. So that’s been really successful.

Robbie: Yeah. But then today, especially this first half of the day, the second day, it’s been more about sponsors talking to each other. Like I went around talking to some of the others that I didn’t even have a chance yesterday to leave the booth. And so like today I’m actually getting little breaks where I can actually go out and meet the other sponsors and talk to them. And I’m having them come to our booth and yeah, do these kind of things. So first day was woo-wee, we couldn’t have done any of this, but today it’s a little bit slower.

Robert: Was that a little WooCommerce joke there? Woo. Woo-wee.

Robbie: Woo-wee. You know Bob’s going to be clipping me if we do a little woo, woo, woo-wee.

Robert: And there come the edits.

Robbie: Exactly. Bob’s like, he’s like cussing us right now.

Robert: Well, so audience, Bob isn’t here. We’ve stolen the mics.

Robbie: That’s right.

Robert: It’s a like pirate podcast here.

Robbie: It’s like in New York, we stole his mics and we said we locked him in the closet. We really didn’t, because I think that might be illegal. But we just said, we locked him in the closet and stole the podcasting equipment.

Thanks to our Pod Friends

Robert: So we got what? Well, technically we have a few hours left, but we know that the after party’s going to go on till 5:00 AM.

Vito: 5:00 AM.

Robbie: Not for me.

Vito: There’s people that are going to drive straight to the airport from the party.

Robbie: Wow. Exactly. I’m like, no thank you.

Robert: But like prior to the final party there’s Matt. So that’s what I was going to say. What are you guys looking forward to in the next like four hours?

Robbie: One, I feel like we’re probably going to have another little bit of surge of attendees because they know the booths are going to be closing soon.

Robert: Try to grab that last bit of swag.

Robbie: Yes, yes. But they will be coming for the swag, which is great because I don’t want to take it home. So please come by the booth. Exactly.

Robert: Whatever we don’t get rid of stays with Vito, right? Is that-

Robbie: Exactly. That’s right.

Vito: I’m taking it home.

Robbie: Yeah. And then I’m going to go in and listening to Matt, and then the closing remarks and everything. Since I really have been stuck at the booth, so I haven’t got to go in and listen to much, I’m looking forward to actually just hearing Matt’s spill. And I’m assuming we’ll find out where WCEU is going to be next year at that point. And then-

Robert: I might already know.

Robbie: We’re going to twist your arm after this.

Robert: I’ll give a couple hints. It’s in Europe.

Vito: Okay. That narrows it down.

Robert: It narrows it down. So WordCamp Europe will be in Europe.

Vito: Just keep Going. Keep going.

Robbie: I like that. It’ll be in 2023.

Robert: It’ll be in 2023.

Vito: And what else? What else?

Robert: It is actually an EU member. So that limits it a little bit, literally limits down. And it will be in, let’s say a similar climate.

Vito: Okay. So we’re going to Spain.

Robert: I cannot say anything more.

Vito: Can’t confirm or deny?

Robbie: I cannot confirm or deny.

Robert: I’ve been sworn to secrecy for at least the next three hours.

Robbie: Absolutely.

Vito: I like it. Awesome.

Robbie: Now I’m looking forward to the after party just because I can finally kind of just relax, you know? I mean, the networking has been relaxing, but I kind of feel like it’s still, you know you’re in a networking.

Vito: It’s work. You’ve got to be on all the time.

Robbie: I haven’t been to one of these after parties, but I’ve heard the after party is literally, it’s like, everybody’s just lets their hair down and relaxes.

Robert: Yeah. It’s going to be huge. I just want Robert to come in over here for one sec. Just say hi to everyone. So we have an agency on board.

Robert W: Hi.

Vito: Hi there.

Robert W: How you doing?

Robert: Hey, Robert.

Robert W: I’ve taken your microphone away from you.

Robert: And now pirate Robert has taken away pirate Vito’s microphone.

Robert W: Oh, another one. Okay. How many hours do we have in this podcast?

Robert: We are an hour 17. We’re doing a Guinness book of World Records marathon.

Robert W: Thank you for having me.

Robert: Robert, why don’t you tell the audience who you are and what Insight is.

Robert W: I call myself a dinosaur in WordPress. So I’m since 2005 in WordPress.

Robert: So we can find you at WP Dinosaur?

Robert W: Yes. I’m not sure. I’m not sure if this domain is still available, let’s see. But I’m from a agency doing enterprise websites and we are doing like products. And I’m from the German, started a German WordPress community. And now I’m like looking over the project from a global perspective to see like how can we help improve things where there are some points. So I’m working behind the scenes, like doing good work.

Robert: And I’m really glad you were walking by so we could grab you because you are an open source believer, preacher, transformer, evangelist, everything.

Robert W: Call me evangelist.

Robert: We’ve known each other for a number of years because of open source in general. But how do you feel that WordCamp Europe takes advantage of just the open source mindset?

Robert W: Yeah. It’s still the same. So it’s still, I heard people going like, yeah, but what about all the acquisitions and all this money going in.

Robert: That’s exactly. I’m leading you.

Robert W: You know, I’m totally relaxed with this question. So like CEFA said at the last WordCamp, WordCamp US, that there is like so much movement. And Matt, and also like at the state of the world said there is so much money current in the world that searches for a new home that we are just like one of the tip of the iceberg of that. And if you know the WP engine document with like the ecosystem is $600 billion. So like that’s a big number, that’s just like growing ever since. So money is everywhere. So, it needs to be done and it can help like fuel development, and this can help fuel making things better, if the rules are transparent, open and collaborative.

Robert: So we have like two minutes and I want to get to one of your great ideas that you’re trying to get a lot of the community to really embrace, and that’s the sharing of sales back to the open source project, right?

Robert W: Yes.

Robert: I might be describing it poorly.

Robert W: Yeah. The gist is, and sounds like for people who don’t know me go like, “Oh my God, he’s insane.”

Robert: He is insane.

Robert W: People who do know me go like, when I have a goal in my head, I know where I need to go there. So the gist is to, I’m currently working to utilize the way open source is funded. So that’s suspension and I think we leave it there.

Robbie: So, how do we find out more?

Robert W: Later. There needs to be like certain things need to be in place and there needs to… The easy answer is, someone needs to stand up, they need to prove the point.

Robert: Yeah. We’ve had discussions over the last year, I guess. We’ve talked at Cloud Fest and all that, about how we can find new ways to fund open source there.

Robert W: The thing is like, I had a conversation at a Drupal conference, DrupalCon like ages ago, but some WordPress community and was asked like, “How do we get more people, like more companies and stuff to contribute to open source?” I was like, “I don’t currently have time for that to think about that.” And a few years later, I was like, I got it. You just need to like read the, everyone contributes to get a living with WordPress should contribute. And I just saw the sentence and was like, I know the period at the end. I know what the needs to be done. Because currently, like nobody’s currently doing that for a reason. I got pushback in our company. It’s really, we want to tell our audience or clients something that they are currently not aware of. And it will be interesting for them. And it will be not an easy way about it. The benefit is if this succeeds, we will have an open shareable documents, workflows, pitch sets for everyone to get. How do we get everyone involved?

Robert: Perfect.

Vito: There’s a few companies that are already doing this, or starting to kind of get into this game. For example, there’s in some companies dedicated people that are actually that just working on advancing the open source project. At Yoast and Automattic and GoDaddy and stuff like this, where the people or the teams, all they do all day long is just contribute.

Robbie: We have the Five For The Future.

Robert W: The Five For The Future is also part of that goal.

Robbie: But it’s very interesting. And we will have to have you back on Biz Chat sometime to go in a deeper dive on that.

Robert W: I will be. I will be. My lip will be sealed from that because we need to prove the point.

Robert: Too late. We already know. And we’re excited and interested.

Robert W: The thing is like, talk the talk, and walk the walk. I’m currently like walk the walk. I will talk the talk after walking the walk.

Robbie: All right. Well, after you walk the walk, we will have you back on.

Robert W: Would love to talk.

Robert: Thank you, Robert.

Robbie: Vito, thank you so much for coming on as well. And we look forward to learning more about your product. We’ll have you back on as well.

Vito: Awesome.

Robbie: I would be very interested to have you back on, and let’s talk about the whole decision of going SaaS over a plugin, but still having a WordPress plugin. So I really like that. I’d like to talk about that. All right. Robert, I think we probably need to get back to our booths, don’t we?

Robert: Booths, meetings, the whole shebang.

Robbie: That’s right.

Robert: I guess from Robbie, Robert, Robert, and Vito, of course there’s got to be someone who’s different in the group, thank you all very much.

Robbie: Yes. Thank you. And listen to the next Do the Woo, thanks.