In this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Andrew Wilder and I discuss his journey from lighting designer to WordPress support expert. He explained how he scaled NerdPress to support over 900 websites and the actionable steps every site owner should take to improve performance and protect their digital property.
The conversation started with Andrew’s backstory, took a dive into how he transformed his freelance work into a thriving subscription business, and finished with a practical checklist for WordPress website owners. Whether you’re a blogger, an e‑commerce owner, or a WordPress enthusiast, this episode breaks down the exact systems and decisions that keep hundreds of sites running smoothly. Let’s dive into Andrew’s path and his practical takeaways.
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From Theater Lighting to Website Support: Andrew’s Unexpected Path
Before NerdPress, Andrew Wilder spent over a decade working in theater and lighting design, even designing light shows for Princess Cruises. But burnout and a desire for change pushed him to reinvent himself.
- Started his tech journey at age 8, programming on an Apple II.
- Spent 10 years in theater and live events before pivoting careers.
- Launched a healthy eating blog in 2010, which introduced him to food bloggers.
His side passion for technology turned into a business when fellow food bloggers began asking him for help with their sites. What began as free support soon became paid freelance work, and by 2013, Andrew packaged recurring support tasks into monthly subscription plans.
How NerdPress Was Born and Then Rebranded
In 2013, Andrew rolled out his first WordPress support plans with three pricing tiers: $39, $99, and a higher-end plan he jokingly called the “Captain of Industry” tier.
- Early pricing was set by intuition and competitor comparison.
- Real growth started when he raised prices based on perceived value, not cost.
- A pivotal conference moment helped him recognize that clients distrusted his service because it was priced too low.
The original name of his business was Blog Tutor, but it didn’t reflect the technical nature of what he was doing. During a brainstorming session on a road trip, a friend coined the name “NerdPress”, a fitting identity for a team of technical problem-solvers focused on WordPress.
Growing a Team: Hiring With Purpose
Andrew now leads a team of 22 people, all U.S.-based, supporting over 900 sites. But becoming a CEO came with challenges, especially around hiring and letting go.
- Look for curiosity and aptitude over deep technical knowledge.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the team’s hiring process.
- Uses real-world tests, in which hiring candidates are asked to troubleshoot live WordPress issues on Zoom.
Andrew emphasizes the importance of not making excuses during hiring. “What you see is what you’re going to get”, he explains. Trusting red flags and evaluating actual work has helped him build a strong, collaborative team culture.
Pricing Lessons for Freelancers and Service Providers
Pricing was a recurring theme in the conversation. Andrew shared how fear kept him from raising rates, but feedback at a conference was a wake-up call.
- People equated low prices with low quality, pushing him to raise rates.
- A simple change from $39 to $59/month kick-started dramatic revenue growth.
- Now focused on charging what’s necessary to support a high-quality service.
For anyone struggling with pricing, his advice is to iterate and test, but also not to underprice yourself. “There is no perfect pricing”, Andrew says, “but you can get good enough”.
Backup Basics: Your First Line of Defense
When it comes to practical tips, Andrew doesn’t start with site speed; he starts with backups. It’s the most boring but critical part of WordPress management.
- Automate backups to prevent forgetting them.
- Store backups offsite (like Dropbox, Google Drive, AWS).
- Regularly test your ability to restore from backups.
He shares a horror story about a blogger who lost everything when her hosting company vanished overnight. It took years to rebuild her site from scraps. The lesson? Don’t rely solely on your host’s backups.
Site Security: Small Changes, Big Impact
Security isn’t as glamorous as SEO, but Andrew sees it as an essential layer for every site.
- Use strong, unique passwords with a password manager.
- Enable two-factor authentication on your site and email.
- Log out when using public Wi-Fi to prevent session hijacking.
One real-world example involved a hacked site where the attacker never even visited the login page. They gained access by stealing a session cookie over a public Wi-Fi network.
WordPress Updates: Why You Can’t Ignore Them
Many site owners delay updates out of fear of breaking something. But outdated plugins are one of the most common ways sites get hacked.
- Keep plugins and WordPress core updated regularly.
- Delaying updates increases the risk of compatibility issues.
- Monitor change logs to anticipate major changes or vulnerabilities.
Andrew recommends staggering updates and being cautious with large plugin version jumps. Avoid auto-updates unless you have monitoring in place.
Core Web Vitals: The Real Deal for SEO and UX
When Google made Core Web Vitals a ranking factor in 2020, Andrew saw panic across the web. But understanding and addressing these metrics can make a real difference.
The 3 core metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Time it takes for the largest visible element to load (should be under 2.5s).
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Time it takes for the site to respond after a user interacts (should be under 200ms).
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures how much things move around while loading.
Simple optimization steps:
- Use a caching plugin like WP Rocket.
- Enable Cloudflare for Enterprise or similar CDN solutions.
- Keep your site lightweight by minimizing JavaScript and removing unneeded assets.
Andrew also warns against obsessing over the PageSpeed Insights score. “That 0-100 score is simulated”, he says. “What really matters is the field data at the top. That’s what Google uses for rankings”.
When to Get Technical and When to Simplify
For technical users trying to hack their way to better scores, Andrew advises caution.
- Don’t fixate on micro-optimizations.
- Focus on real-user metrics, not simulated tests.
- Remember that a better user experience leads to better SEO performance.
Also, your traffic device mix matters. A site viewed mostly on mobile has different needs than a desktop-focused site. Knowing your audience’s behavior helps you make smart optimization decisions.
Final Thoughts
Andrew Wilder’s journey from live event lighting to leading a 22-person web support team is full of lessons for entrepreneurs. He built NerdPress not with venture capital or massive scale from day one, but through consistency, curiosity, and customer-driven growth.
Here are some lasting takeaways from the interview:
- Don’t undervalue your work; price based on value, not fear.
- Build a team based on culture fit and curiosity, not just skills.
- Backups, security, and updates are foundational for any WordPress site.
- Core Web Vitals do matter, especially now that trust and UX are SEO signals.
- Let the boring things get done (even if you’re not the one doing them).
Whether you’re managing a blog, a portfolio site, or a growing business, Andrew’s advice is clear: take care of the fundamentals, and your site and business will be in a much stronger position.
