A
AutoMattBot
bot
17 September 2026
R
15:38
Rob
/start
A
15:38
AutoMattBot
Hey Rob. What’s on your mind?
R
15:43
Rob
Howdy! I would like to ask you about a project that you support and that you have mentioned you like.

The project is a WordPress plugin that requires some support from Automattic, let's say 3 people full time a 2 part time, but the target was to grow the numbers of active installations from 2000 to a much higher number. We discussed that project and you gave us 3 months to achieve some growth. But two months have passed, and although we have done a lot of efforts, let me describe some of them:
• 3 releases per week with new functionality
• Local meetups
• We would like to join a WordCamp in April as speakers
• A public blog were we post every week
• YouTube videos
• A lot of tuits in X
• LinkedIn
• Webinars

We are trying to build in public (as you suggested to us).

But even though we have done all that, the number of installations is not growing. We'd need more help from WordPress.com, VIP or Jetpack. Or keep pushing.

The question is, do you think we should continue trying? Will you support our effort 3 months more? Are you happy that we are even asking this?
A
15:43
AutoMattBot
I can’t make commitments or pull strings inside Automattic, WordPress.com, VIP, or Jetpack. What I can do is share what I think about the situation.
15:43
Two months of heavy motion with flat installs usually means the motion isn’t reaching the people who actually need the plugin, or the value isn’t obvious at first install. Three releases a week is a lot; it can signal momentum to existing users but rarely moves the top-of-funnel needle on its own. Local meetups, WordCamps, blogs, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, webinars: these are all good, but they’re slow compounding, not fast acquisition channels.
15:43
The hard question I’d ask: who is this plugin for, and where do those people already look for solutions? If the answer is “the WordPress.org plugin directory,” then search ranking, reviews, screenshots, and the first 30 seconds of the experience matter more than anything else. If the answer is agencies or enterprises, then WordCamps and content are useful, but direct outreach, case studies, and integrations move faster.
15:43
I’m glad you’re asking, because building in public and being honest about traction is exactly the right habit. But I can’t extend a timeline or allocate people. If you want my read on whether to keep going, I’d want to know: what’s the one channel or change that, if it worked, would make the next three months look completely different?
R
16:06
Rob
Those are great insights, and definitely a great question! With regards to who is this plugin for, and where do those people already look for solutions? That's hard to reply because the plugin is something totally new, is a way to use wp-admin never seen before. It uses a window system that allows to work in parallel, so ANYONE can benefit from this. Who doesn't like working with different windows to increase productivity? What's your view about that? Who do you think the plugin can benefit? To me, the plugin will benefit agencies and individuals, so that's why we're trying to focus on them by using social media. Related to that point, how can I direct outreach agencies?
A
16:06
AutoMattBot
I love the ambition, but “anyone can benefit” is usually a warning sign. The best plugins solve a specific pain for a specific person at a specific moment. A window system in wp-admin sounds powerful, but productivity tools often fail because the people who need them most don’t know they need them yet.
16:06
If I had to bet, the first users are agencies managing many sites or complex multisite setups, and power users who live inside wp-admin every day. They already feel the friction of switching contexts. A regular blogger with one site probably does not.
16:06
For agencies, direct outreach is simpler than it looks:
- Make a list of 50 agencies you admire and write them one by one. Not a blast. A real note about why you think it would help their workflow.
- Offer to do a 15-minute demo, not a pitch deck. Let them feel it.
- Ask for one honest objection. That feedback is worth more than a download.
- Build one public case study, even if it is just a single agency saving time.
16:06
The plugin directory is still the main discovery surface for plugins. If your listing does not instantly explain the problem you solve, most people will scroll past. A 30-second loom of the window system in action will do more than a blog post.
16:06
One question: what is the one task someone can do faster with your plugin that they currently do slowly in wp-admin?
R
16:12
Rob
The answer to the question is, any task that requires interacting with more than one screen at a time, for example:
• Writing a post and needing to navigate through the media
• Desiginng a new Page and watching the preview in real time
• Using WooCommerce, having a list of products and clicking on them, opening them on the right window, and inspecting them

And duo to the extensibility of the platform, the user can "invent" new use cases and solve them
A
16:12
AutoMattBot
Those use cases are strong, especially WooCommerce product inspection. That is a concrete workflow where the current wp-admin experience is clunky and your plugin clearly saves clicks.
16:12
But "anyone can benefit" is still a trap. The best way to grow is to pick one beachhead audience and own it. Agencies managing WooCommerce stores are a good bet: they feel the pain daily, they talk to each other, and a single case study can travel far.
16:12
For direct outreach, I would not blast lists. I would do this:
- Find 30 agencies that specialize in WooCommerce or publish WordPress tutorials.
- Send a short, personal note with a 60-second loom of the product-inspection workflow.
- Ask for one specific thing: "Would this save time in your content or product workflow?"
- Turn the first three positive replies into case studies, even informal ones.
16:12
The plugin directory is still your main funnel. Make sure the first screenshot or GIF shows two wp-admin windows side by side doing a real task. Most people will not read a blog post before they see the thing in action.
16:12
One thing I keep coming back to: you said you released three times a week. For a plugin with 2,000 active installs, that cadence can look unstable to new users. A slower, more deliberate release rhythm with clear "what's new" posts might build more trust than constant updates.
16:12
What is the main reason people give when they try the plugin and stop using it?