Impressive Hosting

The web lost its sense of fun somewhere along the way, and Nick Hamze wants it back. In this episode of Impressive Hosting, he and Jesse Friedman trade ideas about a future where websites are an expression of both the creator and the visitor, not a sea of beige and sans-serif sameness. They riff on RSS, semantic content, and the idea of layering your own design over any page you visit. Imagine str...

Nick Hamze is building 500 WooCommerce themes with AI while he and Jesse talk. Nick explains why niche themes for plumbers and pizzerias beat the same old coffee shop demo. This conversation will change how you think about AI in WordPress hosting. The future of WordPress is weirder and more wonderful than you think.  Regionally Famous Miles Jetpack Rich Tabor Storefront Brew Protect Click here to...

Why is every hosting company suddenly launching an agency program? Jesse Friedman and Miriam Schwab, head of WordPress at Elementor, explore what's driving the shift. They discuss the economic value agencies bring, why their feedback matters most, and how hosting companies can build real relationships with the people building sites every day.  Elementor Elementor Partners Program Hidden Door Blueh...

What happens when AI deletes a production database and its backups? Jesse Friedman and Miriam Schwab discuss the real risks of AI in WordPress, why off-site backups matter more than ever, and how Elementor's Angie keeps experiments safe from production disasters.  Elementor Angie Elementor One Jetpack CloudFest WordCamp Europe WordCamp Asia Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Are we all just orchestrators now? Jesse Friedman and Chris Coyier discuss the shift from writing code to conducting AI agents, what that means for the future of websites, and why the web might end up bigger and healthier because of it.  CodePen CSS-Tricks Jetpack Paperclip Multica Bluehost Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Chris Coyier has been building websites for over 15 years. He joins Jesse to talk about CodePen 2.0, the open web, and why URLs are the foundation of everything. They also discuss why CodePen has zero AI features for users and what makes that a strategic advantage.  CodePen CSS-Tricks Porkbun Dribbble Jason Santa Maria Jetpack WordPress Playground Click here to watch a video of this episode.

What if hosting companies sold solutions instead of server specs? Jesse Friedman and Cory Miller of Hosting.com explore why aligning your product with customer intent, rather than infrastructure metrics, could be the key to reducing churn and growing long term.  Hosting.com Post Status Rocket.net iThemes 10up WebDevStudios Crowd Favorite CloudFest PressConf Click here to watch a video of this epis...

WordPress runs on 60 to 70 percent of most hosting company infrastructure - so why aren't more hosting companies actively investing in the WordPress ecosystem? Host Jesse Friedman and Cory Miller explore the business case for giving back to the WordPress community.  Hosting.com iThemes Liquid Web Post Status My Agency Success WP Vibe Five for the Future WordPress Boston Meetup Microsoft NERD Cente...

Can a plugin teach WordPress users better security habits? Dan Knauss introduces WP Sudo, which forces re-authentication before high-risk admin actions. Jesse and Dan also explore what hosting companies owe the open source ecosystem and why community investment creates long-term customer gravity.  Post Status WP Sudo Two-Factor Authentication Plugin Fortress Ryan Holiday Rick Rubin Jesse's Blog (S...

Hosting companies compete on price while quietly cutting security features customers assume they're getting. Jesse Friedman and Dan Knauss break down the gap between what managed WordPress promises and what customers actually receive out of the box.  MalPress Post Status Multi.dev Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Review Signal WordCamp Canada 2025 WordCamp Asia Dan Knauss GitHub Dave Winer...

Very few who buy a website or hosting cares about MySQL or bandwidth. While at WordCamp Asia, Stacy L. Osten and host Jesse Friedman break down why hosting companies should package niche solutions instead of server specs, and how influencers can distribute those solutions to the right audiences.  WooCommerce Jetpack Pressable WordPress.com Tumblr Day One Woo Payments Data Liberation Project WordCa...

Stacy L. Osten runs Automattic's affiliate and influencer programs across WordPress.com, Pressable, Jetpack, and more. At WordCamp Asia, Stacy and Jesse Friedman talk about helping creators own their audience, diversify their content, and stop relying on platforms that could disappear tomorrow.  Pressable Jetpack WooCommerce Marketplace Tumblr Day One Porkbun Mailpoet Linktree Redirection Plugin J...

Thomas Raef from We Watch Your Website argues that every hosting company should be analyzing access logs and scanning for threats in real time using AI, not waiting until a site is already compromised to review what went wrong. In part two of his conversation with Jesse Friedman, the two explore what it would actually take for hosts to bring that capability in-house and why farming security out to...

Over 65% of hacked WordPress sites trace back to stolen user credentials, not outdated plugins. Jesse Friedman and Tom Raef of We Watch Your Website break down why local device hygiene and credential management are the most overlooked security risks hosting companies and agencies need to address.  Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Jesse Friedman revisits a conversation with Brad Williams, co-founder of WebDevStudios, about the critical partnership between WordPress agencies and hosting companies. They discuss why relationships matter more than vendor transactions, the "triangle dynamic" between agencies, hosts, and clients, and what managed WordPress hosting means from an agency perspective. Brad shares practical strategies...

Jesse Friedman revisits his conversation with Tom Fanelli of Convesio about strengthening cooperation across the WordPress ecosystem. They explore host contributions to plugin improvement, value alignment between service providers, and Convesio's WP Cloud integration. Tom also shares his vision for white-label support that frees agencies to focus on creative work.  Convesio WooCommerce WS Form Gra...

What does it mean to own your influence? In a special episode recorded at WordPress Campus Connect in Sylhet, Pakistan, Jesse Friedman makes the case that building on the open web is an act of independence. He challenges students to protect it, contribute to it, and never take it for granted.  WordPress Campus Connect Cory Doctorow Jason Silva - Radical Openness Brute Protect Web Designer's Guide...

Owning your slice of the web has never mattered more. That is the through line of this roundtable episode, where Jesse Friedman, Leanne Hogben, Ronald Gijsel, Elise Prather, and Joshua Goode make the case that domains and hosting together form the foundation of brand independence. Joshua Goode goes further, arguing that in an AI-saturated world, having your own domain and your own hosting is how y...

Jesse Friedman brings together domain experts from across Automattic for a unique registrar registry roundtable. Leanne Hogben, Head of Registry Services, Ronald Gijsel, Head of Registrar, Elise Prather, VP, Partnerships & Growth at WP Cloud, and Joshua Good, Technical Solutions Engineer, share insights on how domains and hosting intersect in the WordPress ecosystem. The conversation covers th...

Jesse Friedman interviews Jake Goldman of Fueled, and they explore how AI will reshape website experiences while arguing that commerce sites will remain essential. Not everything moves to chatbots and voice interfaces.  10up Fueled WordPress VIP ElasticPress Jetpack WordCamp Boston Site Kit Distributor ClassifAI Jake Goldman on LinkedIn

What does it take to build a successful WordPress business while staying true to open source values? Jake Goldman shares lessons from growing 10up into a leading WordPress agency and how those principles apply to hosting companies today. The discussion covers Goldman's transition from 10up to Fueled, exploring how WordPress fits into broader digital experience strategies. They examine why managed...

Season two shifts focus from hosting basics to bigger questions. Jesse discusses how hosting companies can be profitable while educating customers about independence, ownership, and building beyond social media platforms.  Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Season two of Impressive Hosting kicks off with Jesse reflecting on key lessons from season one. He discusses why hosting companies have a responsibility to preserve the open web and protect WordPress users from poor first experiences.  Referenced Episodes How is the Secure Hosting Alliance Building a Safer, Freer Internet? What the Frick is Managed Hosting? How Did Convesio Scale Their Hosting Bu...

The domain industry is evolving beyond simple registration. Jesse and Eddie Barksdale discuss how Porkbun integrates AI site builders, community support, and strategic timing to help customers transition from domain ownership to live websites.  Porkbun WordCamp US WP VIP Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Porkbun just hit 3 million domains under management. Eddie Barksdale shares how registrars can guide customers from domain registration to WordPress hosting without overwhelming them with upsells.  Click here to watch a video of this episode.