Meet the Experts: Luke Patterson

WP Engine’s success is driven by a combination of deep technical expertise and an unwavering dedication to our customers. 

Whether they are a product expert gaining a better understanding of our customers’ needs, an engineer building the tools and platform enhancements that will help customers grow exceptional digital experiences, or support specialists troubleshooting a site issue, each member of WP Engine’s global team plays a vital role.

In this edition of Meet the Experts, we’re excited to introduce WP Engine Senior Product Manager Luke Patterson. Based in Houston, Texas, Luke has been with WP Engine for more than seven years, helping shape the company’s approach to customer-inspired innovation and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

Say hello to Luke!

Luke is an avid reader, Houstonite, and senior member of our Product team who’s leading AI innovation across our platform and products. His role is about understanding the needs of our customers and finding new ways to build tools that connect the dots between those human needs and technical innovation. In fact, it was a human connection that led Luke to WP Engine in the first place.

“A former colleague had just been hired at WP Engine and couldn’t stop talking about the culture,” he recalls. 

“She said it was a place full of brilliant people who trusted each other and were working toward a customer-focused mission. She kept saying, ‘The people are so amazing, I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop!’ For me, it never did.”

Seven years later, Luke still finds that the best part of WP Engine is, indeed, the people behind the scenes. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been at a company with such a high concentration of wonderful humans,” he says. 

“The low barriers to collaboration and how easily you can reach across departments make WP Engine such a great place to work.”

Outside of work, Luke is a writer and poet who recently finished a collection based on his time as an EMT in Houston, which he called, “another career from what feels like a million years ago.”

When he’s not writing, he’s likely exploring Houston’s vibrant food scene, which he calls “the most underrated in America.”

Luke’s career journey

Luke’s professional path is a testament to following curiosity and building expertise through experience. As Senior Product Manager for WP Engine’s AI Product Line, Luke leads efforts to integrate AI across the company’s platform in ways that align with customer goals.

“My job is to take a Customer-Inspired approach to how we build AI into our product offerings,” Luke explains. 

“First and foremost, it’s about understanding what our customers need and how we can help them succeed online. Only after that do we ask, ‘How can AI help us do that better?’”

He credits his success to empathy—a trait he considers the most important skill for anyone responsible for managing updates to digital products. 

“You build these products for people, not for yourself. Understanding their needs, hopes, dreams, and experiences is the most important part of the job,” Luke says. 

Luke’s love of learning (and reading!) has also been key to his growth as a product leader. Early in his career, he was deeply influenced the book Inspired by Marty Cagan—a book his current VP of Product, Keith Fafel, brought to the office years before Luke joined his team. 

“That book hooked me on product management,” Luke says. 

“One of the ideas that’s always stuck with me is that if you’re not up for talking with customers literally every day, being a product manager isn’t for you.”

Navigating the rapidly changing AI landscape comes with challenges, but Luke stays grounded by focusing on what matters most: the customer. 

“It’s impossible to keep track of every new development in AI, but you don’t have to,” he says.

“If you’ve interviewed 100 customers in the last 100 days, you’ll know exactly what to do next.”

Words of wisdom: Find inspiration in real relationships

When it comes to career advice, Luke’s philosophy is simple but powerful: relationships are everything.

“It really is a small world, so how you treat people matters,” he says. 

“That includes your colleagues, your customers, and your bosses. The more trust you can build with people along the way, the more dividends you’ll see as you grow.”

Luke is also a big believer in learning by doing. 

“When you’re immersed in solving problems for customers, you’re learning every day,” he says. 

“I’ve learned that curiosity, experimentation, and even failure are what build real expertise. Try things, fail a lot, dust yourself off, and keep going.”

Among the many lessons he’s absorbed from mentors over the years, one remains the most relevant reminder for him as a product manager: “That’s a great idea—how many customers have you talked to about it?”

Powered by people

For Luke, WP Engine’s people and culture are what make the company truly exceptional. 

“Every day I get to work alongside talented, thoughtful, and collaborative people who genuinely care about helping our customers succeed,” he says. 

Interested in joining Luke and the rest of the global team that’s powering confidence online? Explore WP Engine’s current openings and find out how you can grow your career with us.