Catalin Acaei: "There's never a dull moment"

In the vast ocean of technology, having a reliable crew is crucial. Join us #InsidetheArk as we set sail on a journey to get to know the Kubeark team: the individuals who bring their unique skills and expertise to the table, ensuring that our ship stays on course in the ever-evolving tech sea.

Today we are introducing Catalin-Marian Acaei, an accomplished Senior Software Engineer at Kubeark who has a wealth of experience in developing and integrating cutting-edge backend services with the frontend platform.  

With a clear passion for innovation, Catalin's responsibilities encompass leading the charge in identifying and delivering the latest software solutions, guiding, and supervising the work of the dynamic Frontend development team, and driving the development and implementation of state-of-the-art architecture across all facets of the development process. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Catalin is a true leader in his field and continues to inspire his colleagues at every turn. 

Catalin, what is something that has surprised you about your chosen career path?  

One of the most exciting things about my career path has been the constant flow of new information and improvements. It's amazing how much there is to learn, and I'm always surprised by how wide and deep the topics I learn about are.  

There's never a dull moment, whether I'm learning new programming languages, finding cutting-edge technologies, or just keeping up with the latest trends in my fields of interest. The journey of lifelong learning is a thrilling adventure, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. 

Have you ever had to had to “unlearn” something in your professional life? 

The ongoing development of technology is one of the most exciting elements of being a software engineer and keeping up with the most recent developments frequently requires learning new programming languages.  

I occasionally had to "unlearn" ideas, instruments, or methods that were no longer pertinent or helpful to the project I was working on. So, in my career, I had to switch between a variety of programming languages (from PHP, C#, NodeJS, Kotlin, to Python, and now Go), and this has required me to not only learn new syntax and semantics but also to rethink my approach to problem-solving. 

One of the reasons I find this work so intriguing, and fulfilling is that it is a testament to the flexibility and adaptation needed in the changing industry of software engineering. 

Mentoring and inspiration

What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received? 

It may sound blunt, but when something is unclear read the documentation accurately and, when using a library, don’t blindly trust that the author knew what he was doing and inspect the code you’re referencing. 

What’s your favorite famous or inspirational quote? 

“There are only two hard things in computer science: cache invalidation and naming things.” — Phil Karlton

Let's be honest, as an engineer, I can say with complete certainty that this quote is 100% accurate. Nothing beats the thrill of finding a good name for a variable, except maybe the frustration of invalidating a stubborn cache. It's the little things that keep us on our toes, right? But in all seriousness, this quote serves as a great reminder that sometimes the simplest things in our profession can be the hardest to get right. 

Working at Kubeark

What’s the coolest or most interesting thing you’re working on right now?

The coolest and most interesting project that I'm currently working on is a service that aims to revolutionize the way we manage automatic infrastructure provisioning. With this project, I'm tasked with developing a new solution that makes infrastructure management more streamlined, efficient, and user-friendly. It's an exciting challenge that requires me to leverage my skills in coding, software architecture, and innovative thinking to create a product that will make a real difference in the industry. I'm thrilled to be part of such an ambitious project that will transform the way we approach infrastructure management. 

Why did you choose Kubeark?

One of the reasons I chose to work at Kubeark was the technology stack involved and another reason would be that it’s trying to solve real life problems in the current cloud environment from the applications lifecycle management perspective. 

In what ways are you most thrilled to see Kubeark enable hyperscaling for its customers?

Our technology enables the ability to manage multiple applications on different clusters simultaneously through a single, intuitive dashboard. This allows our clients to streamline their processes and ultimately save valuable time and resources. It's incredibly rewarding to work on a product that has such a significant impact on our customers' success, and I feel proud to be part of a team that's revolutionizing platform engineering, lifecycle management, and distribution. 

Life outside the Ark

After a long day at work, I like to do a few things to relax and get my energy back. One of my favorite things to do is to cuddle up with my wife and watch a thrilling Netflix series. I also like to unwind by playing games from my backlog library. I can get lost in the game and discover new worlds. 

What’s your favorite hobby?

My favourite hobby is playing video games in the time that I can spare. I always find it to be a great way to unwind and disconnect from the stresses of daily life. I love exploring new games and finding new genres to delve into.

If you are curious to find out more about Catalin’s professional journey, you can follow him on LinkedIn: Catalin Acaei