![\"Per](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Per-Esbensen.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nPer<\/a> is an entrepreneur whose ultimate goal is to make people happy. Business matters, of course, but nothing makes him more fulfilled than seeing his community having fun at work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With this mission in mind, he founded Codeable<\/a> – a place where all WordPress experts can find clients, and grow together as professionals and as human beings. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n You don’t have to be a developer to appreciate Codeable. The community built around this company is so awesome that we wanted to learn more about Per’s leadership vision. Here’s Per telling us his story: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t When and how did you start working with WordPress? Is there an interesting story here?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per Esbensen:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Eleven years ago, while I was running an online agency, we were working with TYPO3 (Danish CMS) and met Tomasz. There was an issue we couldn\u2019t solve so I went to elance and found Tomasz through that post. Of course, he became my go-to guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Six months in, we had this idea and started building a business. We wanted to disrupt online outsourcing because the bidding war was creating a hostile working environment. It was a race to the bottom. We wanted to do something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After analyzing the market, we realized WordPress is big and was getting bigger. Starting a company with only one vertical seemed easy to do and that is how we came into WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We started to get to know the community. WooThemes was our first approach since they needed a go-to place for experts to solve their issues. They believed in us and our model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WooThemes became WooCommerce and later was acquired by Auttomatic. We have grown together with these amazing players.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n How do you define “being successful?”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per Esbensen:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n I believe success is equal retention \u2013 where clients are coming back and employees\/experts are happy to be part of our community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Describe the WordPress community in one word.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per Esbensen:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before starting Codeable, our agency was working with bigger brands in the corporate world. The best part of transforming my business into WordPress is the people. I love that everybody is the same. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re a CEO or a dev; you feel relaxed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The camaraderie, the sense of belonging, and working together for a common goal are thrilling. The Codeable Community DNA within the WordPress community is similar in its approach \u2013 it is built with and for experts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What’s the no. 1 thing a new business entering the WordPress space should do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per Esbensen:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n New businesses in the WordPress ecosystem should find a way to embrace and involve the community within their product. The Open Source DNA for WordPress is about collaboration and sharing, finding a way to enable and work together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What’s your favorite\/must-have WordPress plugin and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per Esbensen:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The must-have WordPress plugin is WooCommerce<\/a>. This is the primary way to transform a website into a store. This potentiates a business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n How do you help the Codeable team become growth experts?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per Esbensen:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n To help the Codeable team become growth experts, we have a continuous learning process. We work with our experts in different areas to equip them to continuously grow \u2013 personally and professionally. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPer Esbensen Interview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n