After a long break, we’re excited to welcome readers back to our WP-Professional of the Month series. We’re pleased to feature Adam Silver, who is widely recognized for his work as the host of KitchenSinkWP, a weekly podcast that has become a trusted source of practical guidance and community stories for WordPress professionals.
A creative thinker with a strong foundation in WordPress and podcasting, Adam has built a career that blends technology, design, and education. He has spent years contributing to the WordPress ecosystem — organizing and speaking at WordCamps across the United States, while also mentoring and training others to grow their skills.
Beyond podcasting, Adam leads initiatives in business coaching and consulting through AdamSilver.com and offers web development services via ConciergeWP.com. He recently joined WebDevStudios, stepping into a new chapter while gradually winding down his agency work. His multifaceted journey reflects his passion for empowering entrepreneurs and fostering innovation.
He can be contacted via his website and LinkedIn.
Take us back to the beginning – how did you first discover WordPress, and what made you stick with it?
I started a blog way back around 2006 or 2007 for the photography side of my business after talking with another photographer who was absolutely crushing it. She told me a blog was key, so I jumped onto Blogger and set one up. At the time, my company offered web, video, and photography.
A client later asked me to help set up an intranet and chose Joomla. I dove in, got everything working… and about six weeks later, the company went out of business. So that was fun. About a year later, my photography work had grown, and it was time to revamp my own site. Somehow, I stumbled onto WordPress. I loved the idea of having everything in one place and actually owning it. That was the hook, and I’ve been here ever since.
Where are you based? Does your location influence your work?
Just outside Raleigh, NC. I’m location independent.
The name “KitchenSinkWP” stands out. What is the story behind the name?
Easy one. Back in the old TinyMCE editor days, there was a tooltip that revealed extra formatting options. That hover state was literally labeled “Kitchen Sink.” It immediately clicked with me. Everything WordPress, except the kitchen sink. Very much an American saying. Of course, the very next WordPress release removed that tooltip entirely. Timing is everything.
What trends in client requests have you noticed recently (e.g., block editor, performance, security)?
Security, without question. I’m constantly reminding clients to use strong passwords, and thankfully, most of them actually listen. As for the block editor, I don’t think clients actually care. They don’t want to debate editors. They just want something simple that lets them add content without breaking things.
From your perspective, how has WordPress evolved over the past decade, and where do you see it heading next?
There have been some big shifts, especially the block editor and hosting. Ten years ago, having proper dev and staging environments was much harder. Now it’s basically table stakes. For larger projects, running updates on staging instead of live is a must. Cowboy coding belongs in the past. Running WordPress locally has also gotten much easier, which is a huge win. Looking ahead, I’d love to see some UI and UX updates in core, and real-time collaboration would be a game-changer.
What trends or shifts in WordPress development and business are you paying close attention to right now?
There’s always a new shiny platform trying to grab attention, usually backed by a lot of marketing dollars. WordPress is far from perfect, but its market share is still a massive strength. Many of the alternatives are pay-to-play forever, which works for some companies but not for many small businesses. Ownership still matters.
In your view, what’s the biggest challenge WordPress faces today, and how can the community address it?
Consolidation is a big one. A lot of companies are being absorbed into a small handful of players. There’s also a noticeable shift where many long-time contributors are stepping away, retiring, or chasing new interests. That’s natural, but it creates a gap. It’s become harder to attract new people into the ecosystem, regardless of age. COVID didn’t help either. The WordCamp and meetup scene took a hit, and I’m not sure we’ll ever fully return to those “good old days.”
How do you think AI and automation will impact WordPress development and support services in the coming years?
Absolutely, and it already has. I use AI constantly. It’s great for getting started and escaping the blank-screen problem. That said, verification is critical. It’s a powerful tool, not a magic solution that replaces thinking.
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in the WordPress ecosystem?
Talk and tinker. I’ll talk to anyone, and I’ll tinker well into the late hours of the night.
Life has both success and failure. Please share one mistake that you made early in your career.
Not hiring and scaling sooner. Using a CRM and bringing on a project manager was a turning point.
What is Adam like away from WordPress? What are your ways of chilling?
Running ultra marathons. (You can follow his adventures here)
The WP-Content team wishes Adam all the very best in his future endeavors and hopes to see him make more contributions to WordPress.
Meet our previous WP-Professionals of the Month – Rodolfo Melogli, Mike Hansen, Kimberly Coleman, Birgit Pauli-Haack