What does it take to lead a WordPress release or any major open-source initiative without writing a single line of code? In this talk, I’ll walk through how I’ve helped shape and ship multiple WordPress releases by leaning on product thinking, project management skills, and “glue work”.
You’ll hear the story of a contributor who moved from helper to release deputy to AI team lead all without commit access. Along the way, we’ll explore the often-invisible roles that keep WordPress moving: coordinating feedback, managing timelines, nudging consensus across Slack and GitHub, and motivating volunteers across time zones. I’ll share practical tools, patterns, and gotchas for leading distributed contributor teams, with a focus on how you can lead even if you’re not an engineer.
Whether you’re a project manager, designer, or just someone who makes things happen, this session will help you: Recognize what leadership looks like outside the code, Understand the real impact of “glue work” in open source, Find your place in the WordPress project and level up your contributions, Leave with clear ways to get involved in releases, roadmap work, or contributor organizing.