Every line of code added, removed, modified, or intentionally left unchanged in WordPress impacts millions of websites and hundreds of millions of users worldwide. But who decides what changes make it into Core, and how are those decisions made?
This talk takes you behind the scenes of WordPress Core development, shedding light on the decision-making frameworks, philosophies, and trade-offs that shape the platform. We’ll explore what factors determine whether a feature gets merged, a bug gets fixed, or a change is too risky—all while balancing backward compatibility, security, stability, and long-term maintainability.
Whether you’re an aspiring Core contributor, a plugin or theme developer, or a business owner curious about how WordPress evolves, this session will give you a deeper understanding of the thought process behind decisions that impact an entire ecosystem from a 6+ year Core committer with over 12 years experience contributing to WordPress.