This year, Human Made turns 15 🥳
That’s 15 years of building with WordPress. Of championing the open web. Of working remotely, long before the rest of the world caught on. And 15 years of growing a company built not just with code, but with care.
To mark the moment, we’re doing what we do best: being human.
In the latest episode of our podcast, Being Human, Human Made’s co-founders Joe, Tom, and Noel sit down together to reflect on how far we’ve come and what the future might hold.
Pull up a chair, hit play, and join us for a trip down memory lane, then read on for some highlights.
From a two-man agency to a global team
It started, as many good WordPress stories do, with a freelance gig and a shared love for building on the web. Joe and Tom teamed up on projects under the name “Edge Designs” until a lawyer’s letter nudged them toward a rebrand. Human Made was born.
The early years were scrappy, exciting, and completely improvised. Then Noel joined. The team shifted to remote work. Projects got bigger. Products like Happy Tables and WP Remote launched. Human Made earned a spot on WordPress VIP. Over time, the company built a reputation as one of the world’s leading WordPress agencies.
“We didn’t set out to build a company this size,” says Tom. “We just wanted to do good work with good people.”
Learning as we go
Growth brought its own challenges.
“Going from 10 people to 50 is hard,” says Joe. “You stop doing the thing you love and start learning how to run a business. Hiring, managing, letting go.”
There were product pivots and leadership lessons. There were moments of uncertainty. “It hasn’t always been smooth,” Noel adds. “But we’ve stayed true to who we are.”
That meant embracing remote work long before it was mainstream. Supporting open source without expecting an immediate return. Choosing values over venture capital. And building a place where people actually enjoy working.
Building WordPress and building community
Over the years, Human Made has contributed to WordPress in countless ways. From core development, including the REST API, to event organising like WordCamp Europe, to leading conversations around the open web.
“We’ve always believed that contributing to WordPress means more than just code,” says Noel. “It’s about community, culture, and connection.”
It’s also about creating opportunities for others to grow. As Joe puts it, “If there’s anything I’m proud of, it’s that we’ve built a place where some of the best people in the industry have wanted to work.”
So… what’s next?
Fifteen years in, the tech world looks very different. But our North Star remains the same.
Looking ahead, we’re excited about what’s coming. Whether it’s AI, the next evolution of WordPress, or new ideas in open source, we are staying curious, collaborative, and committed to the web.
“We’ve come full circle,” Tom says. “The things that mattered to us in the beginning – doing good work, supporting open source, being kind humans – those are still the things that matter most.”
Of course, we wouldn’t be where we are without the amazing support, dedication, trust, and talent of our past and present humans and our wonderful clients. We’d like to take this opportunity to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who’s been a part of this decade-and-a-half of Human Made. It’s been quite the ride!
Here’s to the next 15!