Miguel Ángel Garzón discovered his talent for computers during childhood. “I was the kind of kid who learned to type DOS commands before getting decent at handwriting,” he recalls.
He also realized at a young age that technology could make people’s lives easier. For example, he saw firsthand how using tech tools made his dad’s workload as a teacher more manageable.
“That was a big part of what inspired me to make a career of working to advance technology,” he says. “I love solving problems and helping people improve their productivity and quality of life through technology, which pointed me to the fields of engineering and computing.”
Today, as a senior engineering manager at the software supply chain management company Sonatype, Garzón oversees teams that create products developers use to build software. He’s based in Colombia, where Sonatype is currently working to build and expand its teams.
Here, Garzón talks about why working at Sonatype is a dream come true, how the company has made him a better leader, and what makes the company’s approach to new hire onboarding so effective.
What initially led you to Sonatype, and how did you know the company would be a good fit?
Before I joined Sonatype, I worked for edtech and financial companies that relied heavily on Java-based technologies. Because of that, I already knew about Sonatype as the creator of the Nexus Repository Manager and the steward of Maven Central, the world’s largest repository of Java open-source components. I was very motivated to be part of an organization that cares about the developer community, creates technology to improve software development security, and helps users to innovate faster. It sounded like a dream come true to work at the company.
I knew the company would be a good fit after talking to different Sonatypers during the interview process and seeing how they truly had a sense of purpose and autonomy. It was also nice to find out that most of the leadership came from a technical background and had a good understanding of the peculiarity and complexity of software development.
What are you responsible for in your role?
As a senior engineering manager, I work with the engineering team along with the product and design teams to help define how we build our products. I’m also responsible for people management, which includes determining the team composition, hiring and onboarding, and facilitating conversations to drive the tech roadmap and ensure performance, scalability, and flexibility of our current technology. I identify and mobilize the right teams and individuals so they can give their best to code, operate, instrument, and deliver technology solutions that impact the user’s ability to innovate faster. I also promote agile practices, advocate for complying with quality and security standards, and help orchestrate the support and operations of the platform and services we build.
How would you describe your leadership style? How has the company supported your growth as a leader?
My style falls pretty much under servant leadership: As a natural helper, I try to leverage team members’ strengths and foster collaboration and diversity of thought. Sonatype has helped me develop as a leader through several avenues. First, by being part of a fast-growing team on developer-focused solutions, I’ve been able to navigate different experiences in a short period of time, from up-scaling the team and applying different frameworks to finding product market fit while maintaining sound technology and healthy execution methodologies. I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in management training programs with Sonatype and its majority investor, which has allowed me to meet and learn from other engineering managers.
How does Sonatype set up employees for long-term growth and success?
The company provides a career pathing framework. Employees and their direct manager use it to identify their current gaps as well as opportunities to move into the next step in their career, whether that’s within the same professional track or by making a lateral move. One of our company values is to pursue growth, so setting up challenging goals and keeping track of the skills we want to improve is baked into our process. Also, Sonatype recently completed a pilot for a new Leadership Development Workshop, a 20-hour intensive program for all managers and high-potential individual contributors rooted in emotional intelligence.
In what ways does Sonatype stand out as a remote-first, international company?
I’ve had the opportunity to work for international companies before, but none had perfected remote work like Sonatype, which has been doing it since its inception 15 years ago. The way they incorporate distributed diverse teams was unique to me. During my onboarding phase, the different collaboration spaces, asynchronous communications, regular touchpoints, and meet and greets with different people all helped establish powerful connections regardless of the distance. That was mind-blowing to me during my first weeks at the company.
What can candidates expect from the company’s revamped onboarding program?
Our world-class talent development team has put together an experience that, a year after launch, still has a 100% satisfaction rate among new hires. They have frequently said that the onboarding is the best they’ve ever had, whether virtual or in person.
What sets us apart is our blended approach. We have a combination of self-guided, asynchronous work alongside interactive sessions with subject-matter experts. We also intentionally have content that focuses on mental health and wellness and career development on top of the standard HR and IT sessions you usually see during onboarding. And while the “info downloads” are important for getting new people up to speed quickly, the ultimate mission is to build community by establishing internal networks and discovering where to access resources.
Tell us about improvement day at Sonatype. What’s this initiative and what kind of impact has it had on you and/or your team?
Every two weeks, we have a full day to focus on whatever work we want to prioritize or anything we feel will benefit us and Sonatype. That can range from creating a new feature or solving that annoying engineering bug to reading a book, taking a course, or learning a technical skill. I’ve had the chance to help improve the quality of some products, read books on leadership, and refresh my agile toolkit through training. This time has also allowed team members to validate interesting ideas and launch them as tangible products that have a direct impact on thousands of users.
Why is it an exciting time to join Sonatype?
Sonatype works in cybersecurity, which is an interesting space that’s been getting more attention lately since so many companies are impacted by a lack of strong software supply chain and risk management practices. On top of that, employees have great work-life balance and the chance to work on diverse teams across different geographies, including Canada, Colombia, the U.K., and the U.S. Seeing the world from different perspectives fosters a lot of opportunities to grow personally and professionally. There is also a great culture of collaboration. Everyone has the best intentions and teammates make an effort to support you to achieve collective goals. It’s a phenomenal environment to work in.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m a long-distance runner. I run half and full marathons—and maybe ultra-marathons and triathlons in the future. I love getting to know different cities while running, and it is surprising how much mental endurance, preparation (anticipating weather conditions, training with proper gear, and following a nutritional plan), and racing strategy goes into achieving each goal. Running is also a great opportunity to meet new people and learn about different points of view. Whenever I can, I look for an excuse to train and get to know a new course, and working remotely allows me to freely move to those locations to do that.