In celebration of its 20th anniversary, WordPress hosted a private event on May 17, where co-founders Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little sat down with Drupal founder Dries Buytaert on stage at the Royal Society of Arts in London for a talk on the history of WordPress over the last 20 years.

The three founders, who spearheaded the open-source revolution, discussed various topics. As part of the exciting conversation, they shared how they started the journey. The fascinating stories about their encounter with the idea of open-source and their first contributions are worth listening to. The speakers also delve into the technical aspects of the software.

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The historic conversation between the pioneers of open source publishing can be watched in the embedded video below, allowing viewers to gain insights into the philosophies and visions that have shaped the WordPress and Drupal projects. The video is posted on the Automattic YouTube page. Watch the video here.

The co-founders of WordPress and Drupal, two of the most prominent content management systems in the world, shared their personal journeys and how their lives were shaped by the principles of open source. They emphasized the importance of building their respective projects around the freedoms that open source provides.

During the conversation, Buytaert highlighted the benefits of open source collaboration, describing it as a flywheel effect where continuous improvements accumulate over time. He praised the dedication of both WordPress and Drupal communities in pushing the boundaries of open source technology.

Reflecting on the early history of WordPress, Mullenweg emphasized the significance of seemingly insignificant actions, such as leaving a comment on a blog. He explained how these small steps can pave the way for a better future for the web. While acknowledging the challenges of reaching everyone with the open source philosophy, Mullenweg stressed the importance of prioritizing the best user experience, a principle that has guided WordPress over the past two decades.

WordPress, known for its user-friendly interface and extensive plugin ecosystem, has thrived by leveraging the power of its open source license. The freedoms provided by open source have fostered a vibrant and collaborative community that continually contributes to the platform's evolution.