March 14, 2024
Who is Devin Walker?
Devin Walker is an important figure in the world of software development and digital commerce. With a passion for creating products that make a positive impact, Devin has been the key to the success of various brands and projects.
Devin is known for his commitment to building “damn good products” that contribute to the improvement of the world. His notable work includes the development of GiveWP, the leading donation plugin for WordPress, which has processed over a billion dollars in payments through platforms like Stripe and PayPal since 2018.
He played a pivotal role in the startup and growth of several popular software products for WordPress, including the leading fundraising plugin for the world’s number one Content Management System (CMS).
With over 8 years of experience in management positions, Devin served as the CEO of Impress.org for more than 5 years, focusing on business growth through exceptional products, marketing, sales, and leadership.
Devin’s business acumen is evident in his successful business exits, particularly Impress.org in mid-2021. He was General Manager of GiveWP, SolidWP, KadenceWP, and IconicWP until the end of 2023.
Devin Walker is SVP – Chief Innovation Officer at StellarWP, which means he leads growth initiatives primarily with their commerce solutions.
Devin Walker’s personal website and blog serve as a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences in development, design, and professional growth. As he continues to explore new ideas and connect with like-minded individuals, Devin’s dedication to learning, growing, and creating together is evident.
His willingness to engage in potential partnerships, investments, and collaborations demonstrates his commitment to advancing the field of software development.
1. What key skills and qualities do successful WordPress professionals possess, and how can job seekers develop or demonstrate these traits?
Devin Walker:
There are many types of WordPress professionals. Each possesses a unique set of skills and qualities, but they also share similarities regardless of their role.
The WordPress career pathway you choose depends on what you’re most interested in and what your skill sets align with. If you like writing, perhaps you’re suited for a marketing position. Dabble with code? Then perhaps you want to dive headfirst into building plugins or themes.
For myself, I’ve spent most of my time working on the product side of my career. I consider myself good at design, development, and business know-how. I feel this is a unique combination that allows me to build products that are not only very pleasing to use but also convert customers and grow the underlying business so that they are well supported and last for many years to come.
The differentiator is showing that you can both talk the talk and walk the walk.
I see a lot of folks trying to enter the WordPress arena who are not qualified and are typically looking to make a quick buck. They typically have not heard of the WP community and don’t understand how the ecosystem really works. Don’t be this person.
Take the time to learn about WordPress. Build your first, second, and third sites. Install a ton of plugins. Break things, and then fix them. Put yourself out there on your blog and social media. Oh, and go to WordCamps and Meetups. Eventually, if you’re smart with your decisions and meet the right people, you will find success. There’s plenty of excellent career pathways to go around.
2. Can you share a personal or professional setback you faced in your WordPress career and how you overcame it? What lessons did you learn from that experience?
Devin Walker:
The lack of focus early on in my career led to some setbacks and important learnings.
When I first started building products for WordPress, I thought it was a game of numbers. The more plugins I get out there, the more profit I’ll make. Sounds pretty basic, right? It’s not. And it starts breaking down pretty quickly.
I found that the problem with trying to cast too wide a net is that I couldn’t support, market, develop, design, and focus across multiple brands. Some products would sit on the shelf and not get enough development, support would be overloaded, and I wasn’t happy with the quality of the end solutions.
After a few years, I found that some of the brands I built grew enough to sustain myself financially at the time, but overall, it wasn’t enough to build a real team or grow beyond just myself. It wasn’t until I met some very talented partners who rounded out my traits that things really started to take off.
3. What advice do you have for job seekers who feel discouraged or overwhelmed during their job search? How can they stay motivated and maintain a positive mindset?
Devin Walker:
The job hunt can be exhausting and often discouraging. It’s easy to feel imposter syndrome as well. The best advice I can provide may seem somewhat generic, but I feel it’s truly good advice. Create action from the feedback you receive. For instance, if you’re looking for a role in WordPress development but haven’t worked with PHP, React, or WordPress, then it’s going to be difficult to convince a potential employer that you are qualified.
The best demonstration you can show a potential employer is that you have the experience necessary for the job. Code a cool plugin, give it a nifty brand name, and put it out there for free. Not only will you learn a lot and do something good for the community, but you’ll also have ammunition going into that next developer interview.
Listen, I get it. Receiving critical feedback and missing out on that job you were really excited about can be a big letdown. What can separate you from the pack, though, is your willingness to take action toward self-improvement. Keep your head up, remain confident, and eventually you will find yourself achieving the goals you seek.
4. How can job seekers differentiate themselves in a competitive job market? Are there any unique approaches or strategies that you recommend?
Devin Walker:
In my role at StellarWP, I see hundreds of resumes for each role we hire. Out of, let’s say, 300 resumes, we typically select less than 10–20 to enter first-round interviews. That’s a very low percentage. So, the question is: what makes those stand out above the rest?
I’ll break it down plain and simple: you have to stand out.
- First and foremost, answer the pre-qualifying questions thoroughly for any role you’re completing. For each role, we add some basic questions like “What’s your favorite WordPress plugin?” to see if folks actually care enough to take the time and answer them. You’d be surprised at how many people do not complete this section. And if they don’t, they more than likely won’t get a second look at it.
- Have an active personal website built on WordPress. Oh, and make sure it looks decent. Few things show a potential WordPress employer that you know WordPress more than actually having a website powered by WordPress that you actually use. I love seeing this and getting to know a person from their showcase, blog, and About Us pages.
- Are you a developer? Please have an active GitHub. For all developer roles, we ask for their GitHub username. If they don’t have one, that’s almost a red flag. If they do and it’s a zero commit, no avatar, or shell of an account, then it’s a little bit better but still an orange flag. It’s a big bonus if you’ve already developed a plugin. For all development roles we hire, we want to see that you know at least the basics of WordPress development.
5. What are the emerging trends or areas of growth in the WordPress industry, and how can job seekers align themselves with these opportunities?
Devin Walker:
There are a lot of emerging areas within WordPress that need qualified people. If you’re a developer, knowing React with WordPress-specific knowledge of how to integrate with core APIs is a very unique and hard-to-find trait. We see a lot of developers apply for positions, yet when they provide code examples, it’s coded in the 2015 WordPress way. This is no longer the way.
Security is also an area I see getting a lot of attention. There are very few developers out there who know how to not only write secure code but also discover vulnerabilities in existing code. There are likely hundreds of thousands of undiscovered vulnerabilities in the WordPress ecosystem, just waiting to be discovered responsibly by a security researcher. If security piques your interest, this is an area where you can absolutely find an excellent career pathway.
Another area that’s still very new and emerging is artificial intelligence. We’ve seen an explosion of WordPress products that can do everything from adding ALT tags to your images to building you an entire website. AI can also be used in marketing and SEO. It can turn some heads if you’re passionate about AI and can show how you bring value to a specialized field.
Thank you, Devin, for this priceless interview!
You can find Devin Walker on Twitter, LinkedIn, GitHub, and his blog.
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