The WP Apprentice coaching and training program is shutting down on December 31, 2021. Additionally, I will be retiring my entire WordPress course catalog on the same date.
Legacy members who purchased lifetime access to individual courses will continue to have access to that training material. However, those courses will not receive future updates.
Making this decision has not been an easy process. But, after weeks of deliberation, I believe it’s the right thing to do.
I want to take a moment to explain why I made this decision and what it means for existing WP Apprentice customers.
First, Some Background
I published my first batch of WordPress instructional videos on an early incarnation of WP Apprentice in 2007. My goal was to help my clients learn how to manage their new websites. In the process, I made the videos available to anyone who wanted to learn more about WordPress. As the site’s traffic grew, I received many requests for more in-depth tutorials.
In December of 2011, I launched the first version of the WordPress Essentials course. At the time, WordPress 3.5 was the latest edition. I’ve updated WordPress Essentials for each of the 23 major releases since the original course launch.
Over the next ten years, I created a dozen courses designed to help WordPress site owners improve their websites and grow their online businesses. In addition to those premium courses, I offered free lessons to anyone who needed help getting started with WordPress.
WordPress Is Changing
WordPress has continually evolved to meet the needs of the moment. I believe that’s the main reason it’s the most widely used tool for publishing on the web.
However, the current cycle of WordPress evolution is more disruptive than any we’ve experienced in the past. The WordPress development team has a big vision for the future, and it’s quite different from the WordPress we know today.
For the record, I think the WordPress team is on the right track. However, I also think it will take a while (a few years, at least) to realize their vision fully. In the meantime, WordPress and its users are in a transitional state. We’ve got websites to build and update today, and we’ve got a changing platform that’s moving towards a very different design model.
With each new release, it becomes harder for me to offer guidance on WordPress best practices. Additionally, the rapid pace of change WordPress will experience over the next few years makes it nearly impossible to plan a curriculum, let alone record and update all of the related video lessons to support each iteration of the platform.
What This Means For WP Apprentice Customers
I want to thank you for supporting my work over the years. I believe the following plan addresses nearly every possible scenario, but if I’ve missed something, please reply to this email and share your thoughts.
- Monthly coaching and training memberships expire at the end of 2021. If your account expires during December, I will extend your account through the end of the year at no cost to you.
- If you paid for lifetime access to one or more of my courses, you will continue to have access to those courses through the legacy member portal. However, those courses will no longer be updated.
- The main WP Apprentice website will remain online as a free training resource, but with no planned updates.
Thank You!
Over the past decade, I’ve had the pleasure of helping hundreds of thousands of WordPress site owners launch websites and start new businesses. I hope that you’re one of the people who benefited from my training. I’m honored to have been part of your journey.