Tag: Automattic

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Automattic

Sabbatical

Five years have passed in a blink of an eye. However, it feels like it was yesterday when I passed the Trial and started working for Automattic. Time definitely flies!

One of the perks of working for Automattic is that every five years you become eligible for Sabbatical – i.e. you get a 3-month vacation. Sabbatical felt so far away when I got hired in 2016. but I blinked and here it is. Today is the first day of my Sabbatical 🙂

I’ve got so many plans for the upcoming 3 months but having just an opportunity to completely recharge – that is just incredible. Thank you, Automattic 🙇 I’m off to enjoy my Sabbatical and now I’ll disappear 🙂

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Automattic Miscellaneous

Dokkodo

One of my favorite quotes of all time (I do have a lot of favorite quotes, though) is attributed to Miyamoto Musashi.

Dokkodo 1

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

WhyWhenHow

I believe we need to remind ourselves about how miniature we are compared to the world itself. It also ties to the context of giving and that we should always be looking for a way to make someone’s life better.

Always. Life is music, as Alan Watts says.

In our everyday thoughts and deeds. No matter how insignificant it can seem, a good deed can cause a snowball effect of happiness.

Dokkodo 2

I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.

Gandalf

There’s no progress bar on this 🤷

Thinking lightly of myself and deeply on the world
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However, we can try to bear this thought in mind at all times and wherever we go.

Miyamoto Musashi’s Dokkōdō

This book has been on my mind for a while now. With my upcoming Sabbatical on May 20th (a 3-month paid vacation after 5 years of working for Automattic and yes, I’m counting days, hours, minutes, and seconds to its start, as you can see) 👇

Days
Hours
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I’m looking forward to reading Dokkōdō. And at least a couple of other books that have been on my mind for a while. However, in today’s post, I wanted to mention the 21 precepts of Dokkōdō I found quite admirable. Here they go 🙇

Accept everything just the way it is.

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

Never be jealous.

Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.

Do not pursue the taste of good food.

Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.

Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.

Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.

Be detached from desire your whole life long.

Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.

In all things have no preferences.

Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.

Do not fear death.

You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.

Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.

Do not regret what you have done.

Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself or others.

Be indifferent to where you live.

Do not act following customary beliefs.

Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.

Never stray from the way.

I wanted to somehow give these a five-star rating 🤷
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Automattic Customer Happiness WordPress

Bluegrid.io – Customer Happiness is All About Empathy

I’m honored and humbled that I had a chance to write about Customer Happiness and what it means to me in an interview I gave for Bluegrid.io 🙇🏻‍♂️

As a Happiness Engineer at Automattic, I am able to combine my two greatest passions – WordPress and helping people – and I am forever grateful for that opportunity.

Bluegrid.io - Customer Happiness is All About Empathy 3

Big thanks to the folks from Bluegrid.io for the awesome questions and for adding the interview to their blog!

P.S. Automattic is hiring more Happiness Engineers!

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Automattic WordPress

WordPress Virtual Meetup

On September 24th, we had a WordPress meetup. Due to the current situation in the world, the meetup was virtual and we used Zoom to gather.

My colleague and friend Luminus gave us a fantastic walkthrough of the WooCommerce setup and what one needs to pay attention to when first setting up a store.

Luminus provided a gold mine of WooCommerce info and the best part is – the whole meetup was recorded so you can watch it at any time. Enjoy!

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Automattic Miscellaneous WordPress

My Dearest Possessions

My workspace got completely pimped up and it makes me feel really happy 🙂 After spending a bit over 4 years at Automattic, I received a gift in a form of a W laptop and it’s absolutely fantastic!

WordPress laptop, a gift from Automattic
WordPress Macbook Pro

And on top of that, I received two figurines as a birthday present from my brother. These aren’t Son Goku or dragon figurines this time. These are Naruto and Pain, from the Naruto anime – in my opinion, easily one of the top 3 TV shows ever made.

My Dearest Possessions 4
My Dearest Possessions 5

The figurines depict one of the most legendary battles ever created. The first time I started watching the battle, I thought I’d just watch a couple of episodes while I was grabbing lunch. Fast forward, it’s way past midnight and I’m still in front of the TV. Yes, it was that addictive!

If you are reluctant to watch Naruto, don’t be. It’s an incredible anime, with fantastic plot twists, and character depth. I have yet to discover another TV show as complex as this one. The biggest downside, though, is that it has around 700 episodes 😬 However, given the current state the world is in, it’s even better that Naruto has this many episodes 🙂

Also:

time inception

P.S. Automattic is still hiring! Check all the available positions on our official Work With Us page.