WordPress 7.1 is out in the world! 🎉
I have been part of WordPress releases before, including serving as Test Lead twice. Those experiences taught me a lot about testing, coordination, and working with contributors across the project.
But 7.1 was different. As this time, I stepped into the Release Coordinator role. It was something I was genuinely excited about, but also something completely new for me. I had never really been in a leadership role like this before.
So, what did I learn?
Leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers
One of my biggest learnings was understanding what leadership can look like in a release.
As a Release Coordinator, I wasn’t expected to know everything or personally solve every problem. A big part of the role was noticing what might need attention, asking questions, flagging things early, and connecting the right people.
There were plenty of moments when I had to ask:
- Do we still need this?
- Who needs to be involved?
- Are we ready for this step?
- Is there anything we are missing?
And I realised that asking those questions is part of the roles and responsibilities!
Things change. Be ready for it.
If there is one thing a release teaches you quickly, it is that plans can change. 😄
Features can be added and/or dropped off. Timelines can move. Priorities can change. And sometimes things happen at the very last minute.
Initially, it can be tempting to hold tightly to the original plan.
But releases don’t always work that way.
I learned to become more comfortable with change and focus on what the release needed at that moment, rather than worrying about whether everything was happening exactly as originally planned.
And yes, last-minute changes are normal. 🤷♀️
Coordination is about people
One of the important things I learned was how important it is to check in with the people who will actually be needed during the release.
- Who needs to be available?
- Who needs to perform a particular step?
- Who has the required access?
- Who needs to review or confirm something?
This becomes especially important when you’re coordinating across teams, time zones, and people you may have never worked with before.
The dry run was a great example of this. Having a checklist is useful, but knowing who owns each step and making sure those people are prepared is important.
A release is ultimately a team effort, and good coordination helps make that effort smoother.
Stepping outside my comfort zone
I’m not really from the Marketing space, but this release gave me the opportunity to work on a couple of release announcement posts.
I got to think about how we communicate technical changes from an end-user perspective:
What does this mean for someone using WordPress? Why should they care? How can we explain it clearly?
The feedback and review process also taught me a lot. Writing the first draft is only one part of the work; listening to feedback and improving the content is equally important.
It was a nice reminder that there are always opportunities to learn outside the areas we normally contribute in.
And yes, AI was part of the journey
I would definitely say that AI became part of my toolkit throughout this release cycle.
It helped me get started with drafts, organise my thoughts, rework messages, and explore different ways of communicating something.
It made some parts of the work easier. But I also learned that AI is a tool, not the solution to the work itself.
A first draft still needs context, and suggested response still needs judgement. You need to understand the people, the history, the current state of the release, and all those little details that aren’t necessarily written down anywhere.
AI can help you move faster, but you still need to be the person thinking, deciding, and taking responsibility for the outcome.
What I’m taking away from 7.1
It is the experience of stepping into something unfamiliar and learning along the way.
- I learned that you don’t need to have all the answers to be useful.
- You don’t need to have led a release before to take on a new responsibility.
- And you don’t have to do everything yourself.
- You need to be willing to ask questions, communicate, adapt, and trust the people around you.
That is what WordPress 7.1 taught me.
Thank you ❤️
A release doesn’t happen because of one person or one role.
It happens because a whole group of people show up, collaborate, answer questions, review things, test things, fix things, change plans, and help each other through the process.
I am incredibly grateful to everyone I had the opportunity to work with during WordPress 7.1 and especially those I was meeting and working with for the first time.
Thank you for answering my questions, helping me understand things, being patient with my follow-ups, and making this such a positive experience. 🙇🏻♀️
A special thank you to my co-Release Coordinator, Benjamin Zekavica, and to the entire WordPress 7.1 Release Squad! ❤️
A very special thank you to Amy and Akhaya Rane for generously giving their time, guidance, and support throughout this release. I truly appreciate everything you both did to make this journey easier and more meaningful. ❤️
This was my dream release, and I’m so happy I got to experience it from this side of the table.
I came into 7.1 wanting to learn.
I’m leaving it with a better understanding of what it means to coordinate a release, a lot of new experiences, and an even greater appreciation for the people who make WordPress what it is.
What’s next?
WordPress 7.1 is released, but the contributor journey continues.
The WordPress 7.2 cycle is already getting started, and there is a call for volunteers for WordPress 7.2.
If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to contribute, but I’m not sure where I fit,” maybe this is your sign to give it a try.