#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
The Tim Ferriss Show
<p><strong><em>Brought to you by </em></strong><a href="https://livemomentous.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Momentous</em></strong></a><strong><em> high-quality supplements, </em></strong><a href="https://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Helix Sleep</em></strong></a><strong><em> premium mattresses, and </em></strong><a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>AG1</em></strong></a><strong><em> all-in-one nutritional supplement. </em></strong></p><p><strong>Matt Mullenweg</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/photomatt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@photomatt</a>) is co-founder of the open-source publishing platform <a href="https://href.li/?https://wordpress.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordPress</a>, which now powers over 40 percent of all sites on the web. He is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://href.li/?https://automattic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Automattic</strong></a>, the company behind <a href="http://wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordPress.com</a>, <a href="https://href.li/?https://www.woothemes.com/woocommerce/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WooCommerce</a>, <a href="https://href.li/?https://www.tumblr.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>, <a href="https://href.li/?https://wpvip.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPVIP</a>, <a href="https://href.li/?https://dayoneapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Day One</a>, <a href="https://texts.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texts</a>, and <a href="https://href.li/?https://www.pocketcasts.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>. Additionally, Matt runs <a href="https://audrey.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Audrey Capital</a>, an investment and research company. He has been recognized for his leadership by <em>Forbes</em>, <em>Bloomberg Businessweek</em>, <em>Inc.</em>, <em>TechCrunch</em>, <em>Fortune</em>, <em>Fast Company</em>, <em>Wired</em>, University Philosophical Society, and <em>Vanity Fair</em>.</p><p>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.</p><p>Please enjoy!</p><p>*</p><p><strong>This episode is brought to you by </strong><a href="http://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Helix Sleep</strong></a><strong>! </strong>Helix was selected as the best overall mattress of 2022 by <em>GQ </em>magazine<em>, Wired, </em>and Apartment Therapy. 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They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. <strong>And now, Helix is offering 20% off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at </strong><a href="http://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>HelixSleep.com/Tim</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p>*</p><p><strong>This episode is also brought to you by </strong><a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>AG1</strong></a><strong>!</strong> I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually <a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG1</a>, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in <em>The 4-Hour Body</em> in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but <a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG1</a> further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. </p><p><strong>Right now, you’ll get a 1-year supply of Vitamin D free with your first subscription purchase</strong>—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. <strong>Visit </strong><a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>DrinkAG1.com/Tim</strong></a><strong> 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! </strong>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.</p><p>*</p><p><strong>This episode is also brought to you by </strong><a href="http://livemomentous.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Momentous</strong></a><strong> high-quality supplements! </strong>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 <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">magnesium threonate</a>, <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">apigenin</a>, and <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">L-theanine</a> daily, all of which have helped me improve the onset, quality, and duration of my sleep. I’ve also been using <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Momentous creatine</a>, and while it certainly helps physical performance, including poundage or wattage in sports, I use it primarily for mental performance (short-term memory, etc.).</p><p>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. <strong>If you want to try Momentous for yourself, you can use code Tim for 20% off your one-time purchase at </strong><a href="http://livemomentous.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>LiveMomentous.com/Tim</strong></a><strong>. </strong>And not to worry, my non-US friends, Momentous ships internationally and has you covered. </p><p>*</p><p>[05:12] The Argentine Dr. Mullenweg.</p><p>[08:15] Open source.</p><p>[10:19] Secret hiring.</p><p>[12:59] Matt is always on tour.</p><p>[15:14] Texts.</p><p>[17:39] How Matt chooses his next project(s).</p><p>[21:51] Building a digital Berkshire Hathaway.</p><p>[29:01] Why Matt’s excited about messaging.</p><p>[32:03] How Matt discovers companies he buys.</p><p>[32:53] RIP, Charlie Munger.</p><p>[33:28] Worthy rereads.</p><p>[37:10] My reflections on blogging, writing, and podcasting.</p><p>[48:55] Tyler Cowen’s inimitable style.</p><p>[49:42] Matt’s high school economics competition.</p><p>[57:05] Cables.</p><p>[57:59] AI spellcasting and community.</p><p>[1:01:09] Developments that will amaze the future.</p><p>[1:04:51] AI-proofing jobs.</p><p>[1:07:23] Why Matt’s optimistic about future generations.</p><p>[1:12:17] Data Liberation Front.</p><p>[1:14:12] More open app stores.</p><p>[1:18:53] Invisible tools (and weapons) of competition.</p><p>[1:23:40] Online security advice for the layman.</p><p>[1:26:21] WordCamp Asia.</p><p>[1:32:12] Taking a sa-Matt-ical.</p><p>[1:45:25] Rethinking nuclear energy.</p><p>[1:47:20] Rethinking psychedelics risks.</p><p>[1:57:59] Rethinking breathwork.</p><p>[2:02:05] Coping with depression.</p><p>[2:15:16] Rethinking TikTok.</p><p>[2:16:40] Blogging: absurd and beautiful.</p><p>[2:18:40] Rethinking Vienna sausages.</p><p>[2:19:57] Pocket ranch.</p><p>[2:21:36] Answering ancient emails.</p><p>[2:22:45] The curse of the ultra-critical eye.</p><p>[2:25:51] Rethinking meditation.</p><p>[2:28:38] Bacterial dentistry.</p><p>[2:32:06] Pocket party.</p><p>[2:32:55] Parting thoughts.</p><p>*</p><p><strong>For show notes and past guests on </strong><a href="https://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>The Tim Ferriss Show</em></strong></a><strong>, please visit</strong> <a href="https://tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-description" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>tim.blog/podcast</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p><strong>For deals from sponsors of 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href="https://twitter.com/tferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitter.com/tferriss</a> </p><p><strong>Instagram</strong>: <a href="https://instagram.com/timferriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">instagram.com/timferriss</a></p><p><strong>YouTube</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">youtube.com/timferriss</a></p><p><strong>Facebook</strong>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">facebook.com/timferriss</a> </p><p><strong>LinkedIn: </strong><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linkedin.com/in/timferriss</a></p><p>Past guests on <a href="http://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>The Tim Ferriss Show</em></strong></a> include <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/12/08/jerry-seinfeld/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jerry Seinfeld</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/06/26/hugh-jackman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hugh Jackman</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/04/16/jane-goodall/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Jane Goodall</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2018/11/27/lebron-james-mike-mancias/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LeBron James</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/20/kevin-hart/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kevin Hart</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2018/09/07/doris-kearns-goodwin-leadership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doris Kearns Goodwin</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2015/12/06/jamie-foxx/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jamie Foxx</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/19/matthew-mcconaughey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Matthew McConaughey</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/05/21/esther-perel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Esther Perel</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/08/elizabeth-gilbert/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elizabeth Gilbert</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/12/20/terry-crews-how-to-have-do-and-be-all-you-want/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terry Crews</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/08/12/sia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sia</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/27/yuval-noah-harari/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yuval Noah Harari</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2016/06/21/malcolm-gladwell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Malcolm Gladwell</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/27/secretary-madeleine-albright/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Madeleine Albright</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/03/30/cheryl-strayed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheryl Strayed</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jim Collins</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/11/11/mary-karr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Karr,</a> <a href="https://tim.blog/2014/10/21/brain-pickings/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maria Popova</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/15/sam-harris-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam Harris</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2021/01/21/michael-phelps-grant-hackett/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Phelps</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/01/16/bob-iger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bob Iger</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2019/10/31/edward-norton-motherless-brooklyn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Edward Norton</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2015/02/02/arnold-schwarzenegger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2014/06/24/neil-strauss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neil Strauss</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2019/09/12/ken-burns/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ken Burns</a>, <a 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href="https://tim.blog/2018/02/20/gabor-mate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Gabor Maté</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2021/07/09/anne-lamott/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anne Lamott</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2022/01/12/sarah-silverman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Silverman</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2021/07/06/andrew-huberman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Andrew Huberman</a>, and many more.</p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>