Adam will be joining us for the Running a WordPress Business session, which you canwatch LIVE on February 15. He’ll be teaching us about how he built a theme shop that has morphed from niche to niche, becoming even more successful with each iteration.
Where can we find you on the internet?
On twitter as @adampickering_
[Ed. Adam’s current theme shop, Astoundify, is among a select few reputable sellers selling amazing themes on ThemeForest]
When and how did you get started with WordPress?
Back in 2008, when I saw a need for band WordPress themes, there wasn’t really anything out there that looked decent. At the time, I was working with a band as their sound engineer. They wanted a website, so I decided to create a set of WordPress themes for bands and called it BandThemer.com. They ended up using one of the themes so it was a great place to start with WordPress.
What is your favorite WordPress feature/aspect?
The ability to make almost any type of application or website. If you can think of an idea you can built it with WordPress.
What resources do you turn to when you want to learn something new?
I usually search for new projects on GitHub to see what others are working on, and also check out sites like hacker news, designer news, and https://news.layervault.com/stories to see whats trending and to keep fresh.
What is one piece of advice you have for someone looking to start a business?
Don’t let fear hold you back. Try something completely new and innovative when starting a new business. Think about how you can make a new spin on an old idea or create something that has never been done before.
What advice do you have for others looking to become WordPress experts?
If you’re looking to get into WordPress, reach out to others in the industry to see if you can collaborate on a project or create a plugin or theme that extends an existing platform. I think if you can collaborate with others you can reach a larger audience than trying to do it all by yourself.
What is one interesting non-WordPress-related fact about yourself?
I’m really into cooking. I spend time most evenings creating new recipes i’ve seen on television shows or something I’ve seen online. It’s a really great way to relax.