At BarCamp Orlando 2014 Adam Soucie, WordPress developer at Highforge, shares his experiences in getting started as a WordPress developer. Learn the positives and the pitfalls you should be aware of as you begin your own WordPress journey from someone that's been there and back again.

1. 5 Things I Wish I Knew
Before I Became a WordPress Developer

2. Adam Soucie
• Highforge
• Web Developer
• Content writer
• 2014 WordCamp Orlando
Organizer

3. • 5 minute install
• Tons of free resources
available
• Massive community of those
willing to help
• Events all throughout the
country
WordPress is easy

4. • More than just
another blogging
platform
• Lots of “bad”
resources with high
Google rankings
• Heavy reliance on
plugins
WordPress is hard.

5. • Yes, WordPress has
standards!
• Not as promoted as they
should be
• Don’t necessarily apply to
final production code
Standards Mean Something

6. • Just because
WordPress is free
doesn’t mean you
should be
• At the end of the day,
people are making
money off of your
work
• You have value
WordPress isn’t cheap

7. • Hardest lesson to learn
• 10,000 hours
• There will always be
someone you can learn
from
Have Patience

8. Any questions?

9. More info:
www.adamsoucie.com
www.highforge.com
Illustrations by:
Tina Fiume