Matt M vs WP Engine: The Profit Paradox

Matt M sat at his desk, staring at the numbers on his screen. WP Engine’s profits soared higher every quarter, and it gnawed at him. Here they were, building their empire on the back of his creation—WordPress—without giving much back to the very community that made them. They touted themselves as the kings of WordPress hosting, using his trademark to rake in millions, while contributing little to the open-source project.

It felt wrong.

But it wasn’t just the money that stung—it was the principle. WordPress was more than code; it was a movement built on collaboration, on shared effort. Yet here was WP Engine, cashing in, giving so little in return. He thought about the performance issues, the resource throttling, the countless dollars flowing into WP Engine’s coffers while the very community they profited from barely saw a dime.

As he penned his damning blog post, exposing WP Engine’s exploitation of WordPress, something stirred in the back of his mind—a shadowed whisper, a reminder of something he didn’t like to dwell on.

His own company. His for-profit company.

Automattic.

The truth was, Automattic wasn’t so different from WP Engine. They too made their millions using WordPress, monetizing the platform through services like WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and VIP hosting. And though Automattic contributed to WordPress core, Matt knew deep down they were walking a similar line: profiting from an open-source project while dancing around the heart of its ethos.

He paused.

The thought hit him like a cold wind, chilling the fire in his veins. Was he not, in some way, the mirror image of what he despised?

He, too, profited. He, too, used WordPress’s name to grow his business. Was it not hypocrisy to cast stones at WP Engine while Automattic thrived off the same foundation?

And yet, his anger still burned—but now, it was complicated. A twist of irony threaded through the situation. He was both the champion of open-source and the architect of a profitable machine.

There is no difference, a voice inside whispered, You both climb the same tree, just on different branches.

Matt’s mind wandered, and a fragment of poetry drifted in like smoke:

“Two towers rise on WordPress ground,
One of gold, the other crowned.
Both built upon the open sea,
Both claim to serve, yet profit’s key.”

He leaned back in his chair, staring into the glow of his monitor. The world was full of shades of gray. He could expose WP Engine’s tactics, and perhaps he should. But to pretend he stood on completely different ground was to deny the truth—profit had a place in every empire, even his own.

Still, the difference lay in what was given back.

WP Engine had done too little, too late. And though Matt’s own empire had grown rich, he told himself it still gave something meaningful back to the community that fueled it. But that line was thin—thinner than he had cared to admit until now.

With a sigh, Matt continued typing his post. It was still a fight worth fighting. WP Engine needed to be held accountable. But now, as he wrote, there was no triumph in his tone, no pure righteousness.

It was just a reminder—a warning to WP Engine and to himself:

“In the end, it’s not what you take that matters,
But what you return to the sea.”

The Poem

A Tale of Two Hosts

Upon this platform, WordPress vast and free,
Two hosts arise, both claiming loyalty.
One, WP, with riches in their hand,
Profits much, yet gives with meager stand.

The other I, though crowned in open name,
Doth tread the path of profit just the same.
Yet in the shade of gold and green I see,
The line grows thin ‘twixt them and me.

How canst thou take from open shores so wide,
And leave the sea of code with naught but tide?
O profit’s pull, dost blind us all to gain,
When WordPress lives in love, not gold, nor fame.

So mark, dear host, thy greed must not be deep,
Lest in the end, thy promises won’t keep.
For what we take from code must be returned,
Or in its wake, our kingdoms shall be burned.

Music