BUILDING YOUR START-UP
WITH WORDPRESS
4 Important things to consider before you build.
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO AM I?
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

CODY LANDEFELD
DIRECTOR @ codyL
10+ YEARS IN WEB DEV
7 YEARS IN WORDPRESS
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

CODY LANDEFELD
DIRECTOR @ codyL
10+ YEARS IN WEB DEV
7 YEARS IN WORDPRESS
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
IDEA GUY
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
IDEA GUY
TECHNOLOGY
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
NEWS/PUBLISHING
IDEA GUY
TECHNOLOGY
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
A CLIENT
CASE STUDY
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
IDEA GUY
• Heard WordPress is free
• Plugins are cheap or free
• You can do anything with plugins
• Development should be cheap
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
IDEA GUY
What usually happens with
“Idea guy?”
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
IDEA GUY
• Smart enough to be dangerous
• Chooses based on price alone
• Ends up putting project “on hold”
Friday, September 27, 13

WHO BUILDS THEIR
START-UP ON
WORDPRESS?
IDEA GUY
• Smart enough to be dangerous
• Chooses based on price alone
Friday, September 27, 13

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP “IDEA GUY?”
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
PLANNING
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
PLANNING
• Hire a mentor or coach
• Consult a web development
company (no assumptions)
• Bring marketing people into the
fold
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
PLANNINGFUNDING
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
PLANNINGFUNDING
• Time is more important than
money
• Invest right the first time
• Find funding in unique areas
(partners or no)
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
PLANNINGFUNDINGIS OPEN SOURCE RIGHT?
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
PLANNINGFUNDINGIS OPEN SOURCE RIGHT?
• Ownership of the code / CMS /
plugins
• Maybe WordPress isn’t right
• Steer your app towards
WordPress
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
INVEST IN DESIGN
Friday, September 27, 13

4 IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
INVEST IN DESIGN
• What’s the experience like?
• Development alone won’t win an
audience.
• Details matter.
“It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big
things happen.”
- John Wooden
Friday, September 27, 13

IN CONCLUSION / RE-CAP
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

OTHER IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13

OTHER IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
KEY POINTS
Friday, September 27, 13

OTHER IMPORTANT
THINGS TO CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU BUILD
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
KEY POINTS
• Plan, Execute, Repeat!
• Fund Your Idea
• Design Well! / Details matter
Friday, September 27, 13

THANK YOU
@codyl // codyl.com // #wclax
Friday, September 27, 13