Contact Form 7 has been installed more than 3 million times and has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, making it one of the most sought after plugins in the WordPress ecosystem. It comes ready with REST API custom endpoints in its latest version.
Still, the author Takayuki Miyoshi is humble enough to call it “Just another contact form plugin. Simple but flexible.”
We were fortunate to have had an opportunity for a short, heart-to-heart conversation with Takayuki about his work, life and WordPress. Let us draw some inspiration from him:
First of all, could you tell us how your WordPress journey began?
Thirteen years ago, I was preparing to start a business. I needed to develop a web service, but I didn’t have enough skill to do it from scratch. I searched something I could use as a development base and found WordPress. Few people in Japan knew WordPress at the time.
Even now I discover new aspects of WordPress, and they always inspire me.
Takayuki Miyoshi, author of Contact Form 7
With 3 million plus active installs of Contact Form 7, WordPress would never have been the same without your contribution. What is your advice to WordPress lovers trying to draw inspiration from you, and make a similar dent in the WordPress universe?
You can learn a lot of great things from WordPress core design. Even now I discover new aspects of WordPress, and they always inspire me.
Could you share a few tips on being productive and efficient as a programmer?
I myself am not a productive or efficient programmer so I have no tip to share. I rather want to be a patient and deep thinking programmer who can make a difference in a large sense.
When you are not working with WordPress, how would you love spending your time?
Difficult question since I have no particular hobbies. Sid Meier’s Civilization often thieves my time.
We have seen a lot of local WordPress communities rising in various cities across the world. What advice would you give to these nascent communities, to help them keep rising and contributing to the global WordPress family?
I know maintaining a local community is really difficult. I’m not good at it. My advice is like this: Never mind if a meet-up doesn’t go well.
Finally, could we have a few words of guidance for young professionals thinking of building a career with WordPress?
- Keep the quality of your products high.
- Learn from quality feedback from users and other developers. That is essential.
- Keep your products open and free, both as in speech and as in beer!