Richard Seroter
Senior Director at VMware
Richard Seroter is a Senior Director at VMware, with a master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Colorado. He’s also a 12-time Microsoft MVP for cloud, Pluralsight trainer, lead InfoQ.com editor for cloud computing, frequent public speaker, and author of multiple books on software design and development. Richard maintains a regularly updated blog on topics of architecture and solution design and can be found on Twitter.
How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?
What topic areas are you most passionate about?
I’m passionate about the actual application of technology by real people. I like a “hello world” example as much as the next person, but I’m more excited by real use cases, and the chance to use technology to solve meaningful problems. Today, modern cloud architecture, serverless computing, continuous delivery, and the ideas behind DevOps all keep my attention.
Which influencers influence you within those key topics?
It’s always changing! Which is great. That means new voices keep emerging. I learn from my colleagues like Ray O’Farrell, James Watters, Raghvender Arni, and Joe Beda. I pay attention to a wide set of industry folks like Corey Quinn, Simon Wardley, Josh McKenty, Cornelia Davis, James Governor, Fintan Ryan, Nichole Forsgren, Asim Aslam, and countless others. There’s so much I don’t know, and it’s exciting to learn from others.
Outside of your key topics what other topics are you interested in?
Besides tech topics, I do try and learn from those who seem to have a handle on leadership, strategy, and management. I’m still a work in progress as a leader, so I like listening to folks like Kim Scott, Martin Casado, and Shane Parrish.
How would you describe your offline influence?
I like getting out of the office. I usually speak at 4-7 events per year, not counting customer visits where I can present, but also listen and learn. My online activities (blogs, training courses, podcasts, InfoQ journalism) afford me the opportunity to speak offline, which I’m grateful for.
If a brand wanted to work with you, what offline/online activities would you be most interested in?
I usually stay independent, minus my own employer.
What’s your best source of information for getting ahead of a story?
I subscribe to 200+ blogs and spend too much time on Twitter. This helps me “see” things before everyone else does. And, I work with a lot of smart colleagues, so it helps me test out ideas, and learn from their experience.
Which non-paid activities would you be keen to take part in if the opportunity raised your profile or delivered value to your audience?
- Provide a quote for content or news article
- Speak at or attend an event
- Participate in a podcast or webinar
What are your passions outside of work?
My family, traveling, reading books, sports.
What businesses/organisations are you affiliated to?
I work at VMware. I teach courses for Pluralsight. I write news stories for InfoQ.com.
What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?
You can get in touch via my Twitter or LinkedIn