Mark Westguard

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A conversation with a brilliant developer who's also a nurturing Father.
In this episode, I sit down with Mark for an in-depth conversation about his life and career. We kick things off as I prepare for the recording, expressing my anticipation for the questions I’ve lined up. The conversation begins with Mark sharing his background, including his parents’ history, his upbringing, and his education in electrical and electronic engineering. Mark takes me through his early fascination with computers, how he learned programming with his father’s guidance, and his eventual shift into computing and information systems.

As we dive deeper, Mark opens up about his personal life, particularly his relationship with his wife, Casey. He shares the story of how they met, their marriage, and how these moments intertwined with the events of Hurricane Katrina. Mark also talks about their two children, Harry and Ollie, giving me a glimpse into their family life and the dynamics of parenting.

The conversation flows into Mark’s professional journey, with a strong focus on his work with WordPress and his development of the WS Form plugin. I express my admiration for the plugin, and Mark explains the motivation and technical details behind its creation. We also touch on some of the operational challenges he’s faced in the industry, his dual citizenship, and his philosophy on balancing continuous work with life.

As we near the end, we encounter some technical difficulties while wrapping up the recording, which adds a casual and authentic touch to our chat.