This week we brought Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic and co-founder of WordPress onto the show, along with Kishan Bagaria, the founder of Texts.com. Automattic bought all-in-one messaging app Texts.com for $50 million back in October. Well, we had questions, not only about the deal, but also the state of the written word online.
A few notes before you hit play. First, Automattic is more acquisitive than you thought. A look at its history of purchases is critical context for our conversation. And, second, TechCrunch uses WordPress. We in fact are WordPress VIP customers. Neither fact is news, and of course had no bearing on our choice to bring Mullenweg and Bagaria on the podcast, but felt worth noting all the same.
Alright, sit back, hit play, and have some fun with us! We’re back on Friday with our news roundup!
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For episode transcripts and more, head to Equity’s Simplecast website.
Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders and more!
Credits: Equity is hosted by Editor in Chief of TechCrunch+ Alex Wilhelm and TechCrunch Senior Reporter Mary Ann Azevedo. We are produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.
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Equity Monday: TikTok loves ecommerce and VCs think Mistral AI will be fine (potential EU regulatory overhang or not)
Chain Reaction: Crypto VC space may be on the cusp of recovery (w/ David Pakman)
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Equity Monday: Bitcoin is on the move as Spotify cuts staff, and more money floods AI
Big wins for Latin America, climate tech momentum and Rover’s $2.3B sale
What founders can escape venture's no-man's land? (w. Anu Hariharan update)
How soon can I get a computer-brain implant?
Special Episode: Who's betting on fashion tech?
Will the OpenAI chaos boost open-source models?
Catching up on OpenAI’s wild weekend
The future of M&A and why founders are getting whiplash
What you need to know about Google's search antitrust case
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