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Vini, Engineering Manager
Meet the Catawikian
Tell us a few words about yourself
I’m Vini, a Brazilian engineering leader living in Portugal for the past three and a half years.
I bring 20 years of experience in tech, including six years as an engineering manager.
I’m down to earth, approachable, and genuinely enjoy connecting with people.
What motivates me the most is helping others grow and reach their full potential.
What made Catawiki — and the Lisbon hub specifically — feel like the right next step in your career?
From the first conversations, Catawiki stood out as a truly collaborative and people-driven company.
There’s a strong sense of shared ownership—teams support each other and work together to deliver value.
That culture of trust and openness really resonated with me.
The Lisbon hub felt like the perfect place to grow while contributing to something meaningful.
What part of engineering leadership are you most passionate about, and how did you come to that?
I didn’t always see myself as a people manager—I originally loved solving problems on my own.
That changed thanks to a manager in Brazil who showed me how impactful empathetic leadership can be.
Listening, understanding different perspectives, and helping people grow are core to how I lead today.
I want to help others see possibilities in their careers that they may not yet see themselves.
What is the most challenging part of your role?
Dealing with uncertainty is one of the biggest challenges, especially in a fast-moving environment.
As a leader, you need to balance people’s expectations, business priorities, and incomplete information.
Making thoughtful decisions in that context isn’t easy.
Over time, though, it becomes a skill you learn to navigate with confidence.
Can you tell us about the team you manage and what they work on?
I lead a cross-functional team with backend, frontend, iOS, and Android engineers.
Our mission is to improve the logistics experience—giving buyers clear, transparent information about their orders from purchase to delivery.
Logistics is a complex challenge across e-commerce, and we’re tackling it step by step.
Despite being a small team, we’re already making meaningful progress.
Which part of Catawiki’s technology or product vision resonates with you most?
What I love most is the strong engineering mindset across teams.
People may not always know every technology in depth, but they understand systems, tools, and how to solve problems effectively.
There’s a real culture of collaboration when things go wrong—we fix issues together.
Can you tell us about the team you manage and what they work on?
I lead a cross-functional team with backend, frontend, iOS, and Android engineers.
Our mission is to improve the logistics experience—giving buyers clear, transparent information about their orders from purchase to delivery.
Logistics is a complex challenge across e-commerce, and we’re tackling it step by step.
Despite being a small team, we’re already making meaningful progress.
Is there a specific domain that energises you?
Experimentation really stands out to me at Catawiki.
Teams run many A/B tests and are comfortable stopping experiments quickly when results don’t work.
This “fail fast, learn faster” mindset allows us to move forward with confidence.
For a company of this size, the scale of experimentation is impressive.
Catawiki in Lisbon
What excites you most about helping grow the Lisbon tech hub?
Building and scaling a team in Lisbon around a highly visible domain is both challenging and exciting.
We’re not just growing headcount—we’re building culture and alignment from day one.
Keeping the same strong connection with Amsterdam while creating something local is a big opportunity.
Seeing this come together is a major reason I’m here.
Which aspects of Catawiki’s culture resonate most with you?
Catawiki’s culture feels genuinely human and approachable.
People collaborate openly, communicate informally, and enjoy working together.
There’s room to be yourself while still delivering high-quality work.
That balance makes a huge difference.
What opportunities do you see in a growing Lisbon hub?
The Lisbon hub offers the chance to help shape the future of Catawiki at a pivotal moment of growth.
Teams here work closely with colleagues across Europe, especially in Amsterdam, staying fully aligned.
You get both local ownership and international exposure.
Opportunities like this don’t come around often.
What do you enjoy most about Lisbon’s tech scene?
Lisbon has become a truly international tech hub, attracting talent from all over the world.
The mix of cultures, ideas, and experiences is incredibly inspiring.
People are drawn here not just for work, but for quality of life.
That combination creates a unique and vibrant tech community.
What can new engineers expect when joining Catawiki in Lisbon?
You can expect a fast-paced environment that still puts people first.
We build ambitious products without losing sight of balance and well-being.
Teams work collaboratively, with realistic expectations and clear goals.
It’s a place where you can grow professionally while still having a life outside of work.
Which skills will engineers develop at Catawiki?
Product ownership is a key skill engineers develop here.
People quickly grow from executing tasks to actively shaping solutions and challenging assumptions.
Engineers are encouraged to engage with stakeholders and make decisions.
That autonomy and trust help people grow fast.
What makes the Catawiki Lisbon hub an exciting place to grow a tech career?
The Lisbon hub combines the energy of building something new with the stability of a mature, international company.
You have real impact, strong ownership, and clear growth opportunities.
At the same time, you’re deeply connected to teams across Europe.
It’s an ideal environment to grow both technically and personally.
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