How I Solved the Problem of Setting Up WordPress Hella Fast (And Why I’m Starting This Site)

We all got into software and engineering because we love solving problems. If you don’t like solving problems, you might want to rethink a few life choices.

Me? I love using AI, YouTube, other people’s hard-earned lessons—and yeah, sometimes just beating my head against the wall until something finally works.

There’s something addictive about the moment it clicks—when you take a tangled mess and turn it into something smooth and functional. And if I can write it up in a way that helps you too? Bonus points.

This site is where I’ll start putting those wins. If I fix something with code, a workflow, a script, or just a better mental model—you’ll find it here.

Today’s win? Getting WordPress spun up hella fast on AWS.

✅ How I Set Up WordPress Hella Fast in AWS (Step-by-Step Edition)

1. Logged into AWS Console

• Went to: https://lightsail.aws.amazon.com
• Signed in using my AWS credentials.

2. Created a Lightsail Instance

• Clicked “Create Instance”
• Platform: Linux/Unix
• Blueprint: WordPress
• Instance Plan: Picked the cheapest one ($3.50/month or whatever’s lowest)
• Instance Name: something like chris-wordpress
• Hit “Create Instance”

3. Assigned a Static IP

• Went to the Networking tab in Lightsail
• Clicked “Create Static IP”
• Chose the running WordPress instance
• Gave the IP a name and clicked Create
• That IP became the public address of the WordPress site

4. Accessed WordPress

• Opened a browser and visited:
  http://<my-static-ip>
  Example: http://3.144.112.36
• Saw the Bitnami WordPress homepage ✅

5. Logged into WordPress Admin

• SSH’d into the instance from the Lightsail console:

cat /home/bitnami/bitnami_credentials

• Got the default admin username (user) and auto-generated password
• Logged in at: http://<my-static-ip>/wp-admin
• Changed the password and started customizing

6. Installed a Theme

• Inside WordPress Dashboard:
  • Appearance > Themes > Add New
  • Searched for Astra
  • Installed + Activated it
  • Clean, fast, flexible

7. Added Key Plugins

• Plugins > Add New:
  • Elementor – for easy drag-and-drop editing
  • UpdraftPlus – for site backups

8. Set Up a Blog Page

• Pages > Add New > Blog
• Then:
  • Settings > Reading
  • Set “Posts Page” to Blog

9. Connected My Domain

If using Route 53:

• Go to Route 53 > Hosted Zones
• Add an A record: Type: A Name: chrissolvesyourproblems.com Value: <Lightsail static IP>

10. Set Up SSL with Let’s Encrypt

SSH into your instance:

ssh -i path/to/your-key.pem bitnami@<your-ip>

Run Bitnami’s SSL tool:

sudo /opt/bitnami/bncert-tool

You’ll be prompted to:

• Enter your domain(s):
  chrissolvesyourproblems.com www.chrissolvesyourproblems.com
• Agree to HTTP → HTTPS redirect
• Agree to set up automatic renewal

This tool installs a free Let’s Encrypt certificate and configures auto-renewal via cron.

Once done, your site will be available at:

https://chrissolvesyourproblems.com

11. Wrote This Blog Post

Because documenting wins is how we compound momentum.

Hope you liked it,

Chris