#713: Matt Mullenweg — The Art of Crafting a Sabbatical, Tips for Defending Against Hackers, Leveraging Open Source, Thriving in an AI World, and Tips for Life’s Darkest Hours

Brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement. Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) is co-founder of the open-source publishing platform WordPress, which now powers over 40 percent of all sites on the web. He is the founder and CEO of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, WPVIP, Day One, Texts, and Pocket Casts. Additionally, Matt runs Audrey Capital, an investment and research company. He has been recognized for his leadership by Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, Inc., TechCrunch, Fortune, Fast Company, Wired, University Philosophical Society, and Vanity Fair. Matt is originally from Houston, Texas, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and studied jazz saxophone. In his spare time, Matt is an avid photographer. He currently splits his time between Houston and San Francisco. Please enjoy! * This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the best overall mattress of 2022 by GQ magazine, Wired, and Apartment Therapy. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk-free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, Helix is offering 20% off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim. * This episode is also brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG1 further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.  Right now, you’ll get a 1-year supply of Vitamin D free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit DrinkAG1.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive daily, foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole-body health. * This episode is also brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements! Momentous offers high-quality supplements and products across a broad spectrum of categories, and I’ve been testing their products for months now. I’ve been using their magnesium threonate, apigenin, and L-theanine daily, all of which have helped me improve the onset, quality, and duration of my sleep. I’ve also been using Momentous creatine, and while it certainly helps physical performance, including poundage or wattage in sports, I use it primarily for mental performance (short-term memory, etc.). Their products are third-party tested (Informed-Sport and/or NSF certified), so you can trust that what is on the label is in the bottle and nothing else. If you want to try Momentous for yourself, you can use code Tim for 20% off your one-time purchase at LiveMomentous.com/Tim. And not to worry, my non-US friends, Momentous ships internationally and has you covered.  * [00:00] Start [05:12] The Argentine Dr. Mullenweg. [08:15] Open source. [10:19] Secret hiring. [12:59] Matt is always on tour. [15:14] Texts. [17:39] How Matt chooses his next project(s). [21:51] Building a digital Berkshire Hathaway. [29:01] Why Matt’s excited about messaging. [32:03] How Matt discovers companies he buys. [32:53] RIP, Charlie Munger. [33:28] Worthy rereads. [37:10] My reflections on blogging, writing, and podcasting. [48:55] Tyler Cowen’s inimitable style. [49:42] Matt’s high school economics competition. [57:05] Cables. [57:59] AI spellcasting and community. [1:01:09] Developments that will amaze the future. [1:04:51] AI-proofing jobs. [1:07:23] Why Matt’s optimistic about future generations. [1:12:17] Data Liberation Front. [1:14:12] More open app stores. [1:18:53] Invisible tools (and weapons) of competition. [1:23:40] Online security advice for the layman. [1:26:21] WordCamp Asia. [1:32:12] Taking a sa-Matt-ical. [1:45:25] Rethinking nuclear energy. [1:47:20] Rethinking psychedelics risks. [1:57:59] Rethinking breathwork. [2:02:05] Coping with depression. [2:15:16] Rethinking TikTok. [2:16:40] Blogging: absurd and beautiful. [2:18:40] Rethinking Vienna sausages. [2:19:57] Pocket ranch. [2:21:36] Answering ancient emails. [2:22:45] The curse of the ultra-critical eye. [2:25:51] Rethinking meditation. [2:28:38] Bacterial dentistry. [2:32:06] Pocket party. [2:32:55] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. 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