From a plugin constructed for a neighborhood baseball group to one of the crucial trusted instruments within the CMS ecosystem, TablePress is a narrative of regular development, group focus, and user-first growth.
Its creator, Tobias Bäthge, didn’t begin as a software program engineer. He studied management engineering and stumbled into plugin growth whereas serving to his sports activities group with their web site. What started as a aspect undertaking has grown right into a full-time enterprise now utilized by over 700,000 web sites worldwide.
In our interview, Tobias shared classes from almost twenty years of plugin growth—why regular help, considerate options, and doing much less (however higher) result in long-term success.
“An important factor proper now isn’t truly coding—it’s discovering a product concept and bringing it to the individuals.”
Tobias Bäthge – Creator of TablePress
Preserve studying to learn the way Tobias turned a free plugin right into a thriving enterprise, with out shedding sight of the individuals who use it on daily basis.
That is a part of our #MyWordPressStory collection, that includes actual tales from individuals utilizing CMS to make a significant impression.
Wish to be featured? Attain out by our contact kind to share your CMS journey.
Video Interview with Tobias Bäthge
If you happen to’d like to observe the entire video interview with Tobias, then you’ll be able to test it out right here:
Or you should utilize the hyperlinks under to see what we coated within the interview (and extra):
🙋 Meet Tobias Bäthge: From Baseball Fan to Extension Creator
Tobias Bäthge didn’t plan on changing into a CMS developer. He was learning management engineering at college when he joined a neighborhood baseball group and supplied to assist with their web site.
They wanted a option to publish schedules, stats, and participant data, however there weren’t any appropriate plugins accessible.
“In baseball, what do you want tables for? Schedules, rosters, statistics… the plugin I discovered didn’t have all of the options I used to be in search of.”
This sort of origin story—fixing a private want with out a larger plan—is one we see typically at WPBeginner. It’s how most of the most helpful CMS plugins get their begin.
Tobias discovered that CMS was simple to make use of, but it surely didn’t have a superb resolution for managing tables. So he took issues into his personal arms.
That plugin turned WP-Desk Reloaded, and it rapidly discovered an viewers past the baseball area. Different CMS customers began putting in it, providing suggestions, and asking for brand new options.
What began as a private undertaking become one thing a lot larger, utilized by hundreds of people that wanted a greater option to handle tables in CMS.
It’s a sample we’ve seen throughout many profitable CMS plugins: begin small, keep helpful, and let real-world use information your development.
📈 From WP-Desk Reloaded to TablePress: Constructing for Actual Customers
As extra individuals began utilizing WP-Desk Reloaded, Tobias discovered himself spending extra time within the CMS boards answering questions, fixing bugs, and serving to customers get probably the most out of the plugin.
When customers take the time to present suggestions, it’s an indication they consider in your plugin’s potential. Tobias acknowledged this early and made positive to be attentive to his customers.
“I feel individuals valued that they acquired quick and immediate help… I feel that’s actually one key factor that folks realized: in the event that they get caught, they will at all times method me.”
In truth, Tobias has posted over 50,000 occasions in help boards.
That degree of dedication constructed his plugin’s status as a reliable, well-supported software.
He additionally made a aware choice to maintain the plugin centered. As a substitute of including each function request, he used his personal wants as a filter and punctiliously weighed the long-term impression of every change.
“I at all times tried solely doing issues that I assumed I would wish myself… as a result of should you add one thing, you’ll be able to’t actually take away it later.”
Across the identical time, he additionally began digging by the code of different common plugins, learning how they used CMS APIs and structured their recordsdata.
At WPBeginner, we regularly suggest this type of hands-on exploration. For a lot of builders, real-world examples are the quickest option to degree up.
By 2011, Tobias realized that WP-Desk Reloaded wanted a recent begin. The unique codebase had grown too limiting, and a few of the early design selections have been holding the plugin again. So he began over—and TablePress was born.
“I noticed it’s laborious with the present technical setup of the plugin… if I begin recent, I can arrange a greater basis.
Tobias additionally made positive the transition from WP-Desk Reloaded was seamless, constructing automated import instruments to stop customers from shedding any information.
The outcome? TablePress saved the clear, user-friendly expertise individuals cherished whereas changing into far simpler to keep up, prolong, and help. That’s why we nonetheless consider it’s among the finest CMS desk plugins in the marketplace.
🚀 Going Full-Time With TablePress: Enterprise, Steadiness, and Motivation
For years, TablePress was one thing Tobias labored on in his free time. However in 2022, he made a significant choice: to go away his job as a analysis assistant at a college and concentrate on TablePress full-time.
It wasn’t simple, particularly with out a enterprise background or entrepreneurial position fashions to comply with. “I didn’t have a job mannequin. All people round me had jobs, nobody was self-employed. So I had a whole lot of respect for the enterprise aspect,” he mentioned.
The transition meant studying all the things from tax legal guidelines to cost techniques, on high of constructing new premium options and sustaining the free model. Nevertheless it additionally required one thing deeper: studying to say no.
“Studying to say no is what helped me to start out doing TablePress as a occupation.”
That meant saying no to a gradual job, no to distractions, and even no to sure function requests, in order that he may construct one thing sustainable on his personal phrases.
One of many largest rewards? The liberty to design his day round what actually issues.
“I truly take the liberty of taking my youngsters to kindergarten first within the morning. It provides me power.”
That steadiness can be what retains him motivated, together with the chance to continue to learn as CMS evolves.
“What retains the motivation excessive is I can be taught whereas working.”
For Tobias, going full-time wasn’t about going quick. It was about specializing in what issues, constructing sustainably, and staying linked to the group that helped him get began.
💡 Actual Discuss: Recommendation for Aspiring CMS Extension Builders
Tobias didn’t construct a profitable plugin in a single day. TablePress grew slowly, by constant enhancements, consumer suggestions, and a robust basis of belief. That’s additionally the place he thinks each plugin developer ought to begin.
“Within the very starting, offering quick, useful help can go a great distance.”
In Tobias’s case, these early interactions constructed momentum. Answering questions, fixing bugs, and easily being accessible created word-of-mouth buzz and belief, lengthy earlier than being profitable got here into play.
We’ve seen again and again: sturdy help is commonly a plugin’s greatest advertising.
However help isn’t the one piece of the puzzle. Tobias recommends beginning with an actual want—ideally, one you could have your self.
That approach, you’re fixing an issue you perceive deeply, fairly than guessing at what customers would possibly need.
“It’s important to sort of do the analysis first… you want one thing that separates you from current options.”
He additionally sees the freemium mannequin as among the finest methods to construct and validate a plugin enterprise, however cautions that it requires cautious steadiness.
“The free model has to supply worth by itself… however you’ll be able to’t give away too many options or individuals gained’t improve.”
For Tobias, it’s not about constructing one thing flashy. It’s about staying grounded, fixing actual issues, and doing it in a approach that customers genuinely recognize.
💥 Associated Article: In search of extra inspirational content material? Try our interview with Ionut Neagu, the founding father of Themeisle.
🧠 Staying Targeted and Productive as a Solo Founder
With over 700,000 energetic installs and no full-time group, TablePress is a solo operation at scale. Which means Tobias needs to be additional intentional together with his time, instruments, and power.
One of many first classes? Studying to say no, not simply to function requests, however to himself.
“Studying to say no—to your self and to others—is vital to setting priorities.”
Tobias breaks up his day into blocks of time centered on totally different areas of the enterprise, together with help, growth, advertising, and documentation. That helps him keep away from context-switching and make actual progress with out burning out.
One other key to his workflow is automation. Over time, Tobias has constructed techniques that deal with all the things from plugin releases to syntax checks to model testing. This has freed up time for extra necessary work.
Many solo builders in our group inform us the identical factor: automating routine duties is the one option to scale sustainably.
“These duties must be automated… they simply work within the background and free you from a lot stress.”
He remembers when pushing a brand new model of the plugin was a tense, handbook course of, and the way that stress generally delayed releases by weeks.
“Now I’ve the testing arrange within the background… I can a lot faster and simpler say, okay, new plugin launch, click on, increase.”
It’s a reminder that good techniques don’t simply make you extra environment friendly. They make you extra assured, too.
🔮 Wanting Forward: TablePress and the Way forward for CMS
Tobias is optimistic about the place CMS goes, particularly with the continuing evolution of the block editor and a shift towards extra interactive, browser-based experiences.
“There’s a significant change taking place within the modifying expertise—it’s a wholly new programming paradigm.”
That change presents new alternatives for TablePress, from improved interfaces to richer interactions inside CMS itself. And for Tobias, it additionally brings new motivation.
However he’s additionally cautious to not change issues simply to get individuals’s consideration. In truth, one of the crucial necessary classes he’s discovered is how overwhelming updates may be for much less technical customers.
To get his level throughout, he shared a relatable anecdote from his personal life. He talked about seeing his grandparents, who’re of their late 80s, navigate new know-how. Tobias, the cautious observer, notices once they wrestle with updates on their smartphones.
When issues transfer or change unexpectedly, it’s simple for customers to really feel misplaced. That has formed his design philosophy.
“Ironing out wrinkles and making issues simpler to make use of is typically extra appreciated than an enormous new function.”
As CMS continues to develop and alter, Tobias is targeted on preserving TablePress intuitive, constant, and dependable for learners and superior customers alike.
💭 Remaining Ideas
Tobias Bäthge didn’t got down to construct a enterprise, however he did got down to construct one thing helpful.
Almost twenty years later, TablePress stands as a mannequin of centered growth, user-first design, and long-term sustainability within the CMS ecosystem.
His story is a reminder that you simply don’t want to maneuver quick or make a whole lot of noise to achieve success. As a substitute, consistency, readability, and group help can take you a great distance.
For Tobias, what issues most is constructing one thing dependable—one thing that solves an actual drawback and retains working over time. Which means saying no to vary for change’s sake and placing consumer expertise first.
“Generally an excessive amount of change is an excessive amount of… particularly for much less technical customers.”
Whether or not you’re constructing your first plugin or attempting to show your aspect undertaking right into a full-time enterprise, Tobias’s journey is proof that considerate, regular progress can nonetheless assist you to win.
📚 Bonus: Skilled Assets for CMS Extension Builders
Wish to comply with in Tobias’s footsteps and construct your individual profitable plugin? Listed here are some useful WPBeginner assets that may assist you to out:
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