Team Profiles: Dan Catalano
Get inspired by the talent and passion that drives Validation Cloud forward. Meet Dan Catalano, our skilled Senior DevOps Engineer based in Montana.
Q: What inspired you to join the Validation Cloud team and how do you see your role contributing to the mission of the company?
A: I was inspired to join the Validation Cloud team during the interview process. The interview process was thorough and allowed me time to get to know some of my future teammates, while they were evaluating my fit as a potential team member. The interview process was engaging and fun, giving me insight into the role.
I see my role contributing to the company’s mission by working alongside the entire team to efficiently scale our platform. This will be accomplished by extending the amazing in-house tools and pipelines and, introducing a select set of tools for scalability purposes.
Q: What is your role at Validation Cloud, and could you share some details about your previous experience and background?
A: My role at Validation Cloud is on the Infrastructure team as a Senior DevOps Engineer. My previous experience focused around Kubernetes, writing backend services to facilitate automating routine infrastructure tasks, and securing operations using tools such as HashiCorp Vault, PostgreSQL, and Ansible. Over the course of my career, I’ve also worked in application development and QA. Past careers include suppressing wildland fires as well as work in the meteorology and oceanography fields.
Q: What are your thoughts on the potential impact of Web3 technology, and how do you think Validation Cloud can help organizations tap into its potential?
A: Having moved from another Web3 company to Validation Cloud, it should come as no surprise that I believe in the potential of Web3. Administering Web3 infrastructure can be tedious and pose unique risks for novice parties. Validation Cloud helps all types of organizations, large or small, tech or non-tech, reduce the hurdles of Web3 and get moving forward on their Web3 journey.
Q: What do you think sets Validation Cloud apart from other Web3 infrastructure companies?
A: The vision of our leadership, our global reach, and the professionalism of the team. Together these qualities set Validation Cloud apart from many engineering teams, Web3 or not.
Q: Which team values resonate with you the most, and why?
A: Integrity and commitment to excellence are a great pair. No one wants to do business with a Web3 company lacking integrity. Many problems in the Web3 space are not trivial, requiring solutions that focus on a commitment to excellence. Determination rings true to me because it can also be viewed as a commitment to one’s teammates and team cohesion through joint determination, greatly impacts customer success. As for solutions orientation, focusing on the opportunity/challenge is what makes us problem solvers. Leave behind the ego and it makes us good humans. Together these traits make us successful engineers capable of working together on tough challenges.
Q: How do you plan on collaborating with other team members to deliver highly performant and customizable products in staking, node, and data-as-a-service?
A: I plan to collaborate across the various teams by actively listening, observing outcomes, and sharing past experiences where applicable. There is a lot of experience across Validation Cloud teams and getting to collaborate with such know-how is inspiring and humbling.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work? Any hobbies or interests outside of Web3?
A: I love being outside exercising whether it be trail running, mountain biking, hiking, or skiing (all of which I do slowly). I also love traveling and looking for new culinary experiences. When it’s too cold to be outside, I love reading by the wood stove.
About Validation Cloud
Validation Cloud is a Web3 data streaming and infrastructure company that connects organizations into Web3 through a fast, scalable, and intelligent platform. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Validation Cloud offers highly performant and customizable products in staking, node, and data-as-a-service. Learn more at validationcloud.io| Linkedin | X | Medium
