From idea to developing a product delights you as a developer. But how do you get it out there for others? How do you market and sell your product? How do you know what to price it at or how to support it? Enter the world of product management and in any software business this is a fundamental necessity to making your new product into a successful venture.

Who’s ready to start using CSS grids in WordPress? Welp – I’ve got ‘em going in a couple Genesis child themes. Browsers are all in with support. They work with Flexbox, so we can use both at once. And they help make previously painful layout problems solve themselves. So let’s take a look at the hard work of the two engineers who have spent years getting these blocks stacking – CSS celebs Jen Simmons and Rachel Andrew. Let’s take a look at the simplest ways to use Grid, because at that level it’s pretty much indistinguishable from magic. For one thing, you can save floats for wrapping text around objects (and the swimming pool). For another, you can cut a whole lot of cruft from a style sheet. So what’re you waiting for? Let’s get our themes on the grid!

Your website content has two audiences: Human readers and search engines. Writing website content that appeals to both is something that all writers and website owners should know how to do. Whether you’re a professional copywriter or a small business owner who writes for your own website, knowing how to write content that satisfies both of these audiences is an essential (and profitable!) skill. This presentation will teach you exactly how to do that, using modern-day approaches to semantic and contextual keyword optimization.

Chris Lema talks to John Maeda

Market penetration is the first step some startups take towards business growth. Perhaps, the most import component to consider is whether the time is right to attempt this. A dependable market penetration plan begins with identifying which of your WordPress products or services to focus on. This is intended to be a low-risk business growth strategy typically focused around increasing marketing and sales efforts, and sometimes even increasing your business locations. I’ll cover a few important things for a WordPress developer in business to get started with including knowing the right time to localize your theme or plugin, how to prepare your WP directory listing in a foreign language, a pricing strategy and marketing channels in the foreign market. By the end of my session you’ll walk away with several techniques and you will know four key factors in developing a successful foreign market penetration strategy for your theme or plugin.

How to get your words from your brain to your paper? Do you have writers block? Unscramble your thoughts and uncover your true abilities. This class will show you how to formulate your words. It all begins with a thought. Lets begin to discover how creative you are.

This talk will look at the best practices for building and customizing themes and plugins for WooCommerce. We’ll talk about: * Keeping template files up to date; * Useful actions and filters; * Custom solutions for unique eCommerce situations

“Freelance to Agency: How To Make The Leap This talk is geared towards freelancers who are ready to turn their small business into a full agency. We will go over some of the basics and necessary steps to incorporate a business, and give some tips and advice for freelancers with the entrepreneur bug. This talk is a bit different from many “”how to start a business”” talks, as we will discuss some of the critical support systems needed, and mindset changes that need to take place, when shifting your company from a freelance business to a full agency. A quick rundown of what will be in the speech: How to stop thinking like a freelancer. Defining your staff. Learning to delegate. LLC vs S-Corp vs Corp: What you need to know, where to file, and how to find legal resources. Finding the right support system of professionals to get your business started on the right foot. Increasing prices to pay for your bottom line. Find the right team members. An overview of how to hire, who to hire, and how to keep your employees happy. Things to consider when seeking out an office, or location to headquarter your business. Goal setting: think toward the future.”

Part 2 My goal is to free the audience from their fear of failure so they can either start posting content or so they can increase the amount and quality of content they are posting. I will do this by sharing past experiences that outline the value of taking the risk, facing your fears, and putting yourself out in the world. I will teach them to focus on what they can change and ignore the things they can’t change or that they can’t change right now. I will use the example of my first website at the midway marketplace, my first post as the blind blogger, and my successful Amtrak Writers In Residence Application. In the end I wil challenge them and remind them that if a guy like me can do it with all he has going against him, then what is their excuse.

Part One My goal is to free the audience from their fear of failure so they can either start posting content or so they can increase the amount and quality of content they are posting. I will do this by sharing past experiences that outline the value of taking the risk, facing your fears, and putting yourself out in the world. I will teach them to focus on what they can change and ignore the things they can’t change or that they can’t change right now. I will use the example of my first website at the midway marketplace, my first post as the blind blogger, and my successful Amtrak Writers In Residence Application. In the end I wil challenge them and remind them that if a guy like me can do it with all he has going against him, then what is their excuse.