Name: Cody Hosterman
Cody Hosterman is a Technical Director for VMware and Cloud Solutions at Pure Storage. His team focuses on the VMware ecosystem and cloud-based offering integration with the Pure Storage FlashArray and Cloud Block Store. He has a deep background in virtualization and storage technologies, including experience as a Solutions Engineer and Principal Virtualization Technologist. In his current position, he is responsible for VMware and Cloud integration strategy, best practices, and developing new integrations and documentation.
Cody has spoken internationally on the topics of virtualization and storage at numerous conferences and events such as VMworld and various virtualization-related user groups and trade shows. He is the author of several technical whitepapers and guides related to virtualization, storage, and data center infrastructure. He is the co-author or contributor to multiple technical reference books and his frequently-updated personal blog contains his latest work and contributions.
Prior to working for Pure, Cody worked at EMC and Penn State, where he graduated with a degree in Information Sciences and Technology.
I have known Cody for a while now. He is the husband of the sister (Janice) of my daughter-in-law (Nicole). My son Anthony got to know Cody when he and Janice started dating him. Cody helped Anthony to find a job at Pure Storage. I got to know Cody through Anthony.
Wow, that was hard to explain.
Since getting to know Cody, we have spent a good amount of time together. We had Cody and Janice over to a VMware get-together during VMworld Barcelona – where he had a great time connecting with VMware folks that only knew Cody through his blog. We have gone snowshoeing. Attended Cody and Janice’s wedding. And have attended numerous family gatherings.
Cody has been an early listener of my podcasts. He gave me feedback and now that he has become a manager, is perfect to have on the show!
Questions Interview
I asked Cody three questions that were specific to him.
- You recently moved into management. Prior to that, you were a very senior individual contributor. Why did you decide to move into management?
- What are some of the surprises or ah-ha moments that you have had as a new manager – both positive and negative?
- You have a good following on social media. Tell me how you think about social media, building a brand, etc. How much time do you spend? What kinds of content do you post? What benefits have you seen?
I then asked Cody the same six questions that I ask all interviewees – in a lightning-round format.
- What’s the most important factor you consider when hiring someone?
- Who was your most effective boss, and what made him or her stand out?
- What was the most difficult transition that you made in your career?
- How do you approach helping someone with their career development or path?
- What tools and tricks do you use to find work-life balance?
- How do you go about building relationships with your peers and other leaders in the company?
Cody has a lot of experience but is new to management. You will hear the positives and learnings from this experience.
“You don’t get to know people at the same level when you are peers.
Some of them look identical on paper. But they have very different problems or struggles that they are working through to get to where they want to go.”
As a top blogger, Cody has a great process for writing his posts, making it a part of his daily workflow.
“My posts are a captains log for what I did that day.”
But as he has grown his personal brand and become an influencer, he has changed the style of some of his posts.
“My posts used to be – this is how you do this or this is how it works. Now some are – this is my thoughts on …”
It is so nice to hear from Cody as a new manager. He has been in the industry for quite a while and has had a major impact on Pure Storage. I think his perspective will be interesting to anyone who is considering a move to the management track!
Career Path
Cody has recently moved from a senior individual contributor role to managing people. It has been quite a journey and this recent change – is a big one. I think you will enjoy the path that has gotten Cody to where he is today!
See Also
My Take On “Google Says The Best Managers Have These 10 Qualities”
