Cody Landefeld is the CEO and co-founder of Kinsta, a managed WordPress hosting provider. He has been in the WordPress hosting industry for over 10 years and has seen the industry evolve from the early days of shared hosting to the modern era of managed WordPress hosting. In this interview, Cody shares his insights on the WordPress hosting industry, the challenges of running a managed WordPress hosting provider, and his vision for the future of Kinsta.
Q: What inspired you to start Kinsta?
A: I had been working in the WordPress hosting industry for over 10 years and had seen the industry evolve from the early days of shared hosting to the modern era of managed WordPress hosting. I saw a need for a hosting provider that could provide a reliable, secure, and scalable hosting solution for WordPress websites. I wanted to create a hosting provider that could provide the best possible experience for WordPress users, and Kinsta was born.
Q: What challenges have you faced in running a managed WordPress hosting provider?
A: One of the biggest challenges we face is keeping up with the ever-evolving WordPress ecosystem. WordPress is constantly changing and evolving, and we have to make sure that our hosting platform is able to keep up with the changes. We also have to make sure that our hosting platform is secure and reliable, as WordPress websites are often the target of malicious attacks.
Q: What do you think sets Kinsta apart from other managed WordPress hosting providers?
A: We strive to provide the best possible experience for our customers. We have a team of experienced WordPress experts who are available 24/7 to help our customers with any issues they may have. We also have a powerful and reliable hosting platform that is optimized for WordPress websites. We also offer a wide range of features and services that are designed to make managing a WordPress website easier and more efficient.
Q: What do you see as the future of Kinsta?
A: We are constantly looking for ways to improve our hosting platform and services. We are also looking to expand our services to other platforms, such as WooCommerce and Magento. We are also looking to expand our customer base by offering our services to more countries around the world. Ultimately, our goal is to become the go-to managed WordPress hosting provider for businesses and individuals alike.
You can find Cody on LinkedIn or Twitter. This is our recent interview with him, as part of our Kinsta Kingpin series.
Q1: What is your background, & how did you first get involved with WordPress?
I started out as a self-taught website designer back in 2000 while attending college. I learned the basics of Photoshop and HTML that allowed me to build static websites. I went forward to create multiple sites using different frameworks with mixed results until in 2006 I discovered that other sites were using WordPress as a full-fledged CMS. After creating my first website using WP I never looked back.
Q2: What should readers know about all the stuff you’re doing in WordPress these days?
We’re covering a lot of conversion tactics for WooCommerce stores. At Mode Effect, we’re creating different projects using WooCommerce to manage an aspect of the experience. There will be more content coming soon on how we’ve used this successfully in our client projects.
Q3: What challenges did you face in getting to where you are now professionally?
How much time ya got buddy? I’d say my challenges are related to how to run a business. I never sought out to work for someone else and have always wanted to build my own company so growing from a one-man army to become a small agency has been a process.
Those challenges are always related to the tools necessary to building a business. So after moving on from WP, I can sell insurance or pest control. 😉
Q4: Has anything surprised you while coming up in the WordPress world?
Getting to know the WordPress community and to discover so many genuine and thoughtful people. This isn’t always the case with every community. I’ve been a part of.
Q5: What does the future look like for you in the WordPress world?
We obviously love WP as a CMS and want to continue that as our go-to solution for client websites. I’d like to continue speaking at WP events and share our knowledge in more venues to bring value for customers using WP.
More to come!
Q6: What do you look for in a WordPress host?
Stability and speed are key. Then support that’s available to help us solve common issues for our clients. Exclusivity of WP as a platform is also key for our clients.
Q7: What do you enjoy doing when you’re away from your laptop?
I enjoy live music, sports, video games, and watching movies. Hanging with my family is also key! That’s the reason I do what I do.
Q8: Whom should we interview next & why?
Catch up with Bryce at Metorik!
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