Q&A with Nick Davitashvili, Senior Cloud Network Architect

Q. You’ve had a successful 20+ year career in enterprise networking. When you first started your career in Georgia (in Europe) as a network engineer, why did you choose this career path amongst other professional fields?

A. My reality growing up in Georgia, resembled North Korea, only with sunnier skies. Russia had invaded my country, which pulled us under the heavy blanket of the Soviet Union. The “union” was far from voluntary. My dad, being the crafty legend that he is, managed to sneak a PC into our household. I had to blow the dust off my dictionary to decipher this magical box. As a delightful bonus, I picked up a smattering of English. Fast forward to my teenage years. My then girlfriend was studying for her Cisco CCNA certification, so I decided to join the study party. Little did I know that I’d end up falling head over heels for the world of networking. It has been a love affair ever since and has opened many career doors and worldwide adventures.

Q. After spending nearly a decade in senior network engineering positions, you cut your teeth as a cloud architect in 2016 during your work stint in Australia. When did cloud networking come on your radar, and how did you obtain the skills needed to be well-versed in both private and public clouds?

A.While working in Australia, I found myself surrounded by brilliant minds. It was such an incredible experience. There are so many vibrant cultures within the country, and everyone has that “take it easy, mate” attitude. Australia has a swath of impressive schools that rank highly in my book. Back then, I thought such schools were too good for someone like me.

The companies that I worked for always tried to be one step ahead of the competition, racing to be the first company to bring that shiny new cloud technology to market. At that time, in a moment of inspiration, I asked my boss if I could join the “Cloud Club.” And for some bizarre reason, they let me in! I was tossed into the enlightenment fire—learning about VPCs and Transit Gateways and trying to figure out how to translate “geek speak” into a language that resonated with executives.

I recently relocated to Amsterdam – yes, the place with bikes and busy feet peddling away…and other recreational activities. Thanks to the wonder of time zones, I found myself rubbing virtual shoulders with the fabulous Aviatrix crew from EMEA and the US. It’s like a buffet of intellectual curiosity, know-how, and problem solving at its max. And my boss, Sr. Director Advanced Services, EMEA Karol Nedza, is in the “extra helping of wisdom” category. I feel like I’m bathing in knowledge here at Aviatrix.

Q. You were an Engineering Coach for nearly five years at a company that provides learning services and professional development solutions to IT practitioners. What top issues did you identify during your tenure, and can you share one of your students’ success stories?

A. To be honest, I ended up training people by fluke. It all started with a call one day from a frantic customer who was desperate to train the company’s network engineers, and not a single person on my team wanted to tackle it. In an instant, I thought, why not turn a spare room into “Hogwarts for Tech.” Armed with a prayer and some PowerPoint slides, I began teaching networking to the masses. The experience was so rewarding. There’s nothing better than seeing that twinkling “Ah-ha!” moment in someone’s eye. It was so infectious. I thought, “Alright, Nick, let’s make a thing of this!” I ended up churning out course after course on not just Cisco but also Linux and carrier-grade VoIP.

The cherry on top was one of my students—a DJ with zero experience in IT. Blending music theory with technology was like explaining Beethoven in binary. That said, this talented DJ-turned-techie is now a sought-after DJ in London, fixing networks by day and dropping beats by night.

Q. As a seasoned Senior Cloud Network Architect, you often advise those seeking career guidance in cloud, networking, and secure networking. What guidance would you give young students looking to get into cloud networking and those traditional networking professionals seeking to learn more about cloud networking to stay relevant and competitive?

A. Before offering advice, I’d like to offer a word of caution. More often than not, I learn from the mistakes of people who took my advice. Take the following three tips with a heavy dosage of salt.

Full disclosure: This list would be far longer but brevity reigns over volume:

• When diving into the ocean of information, consider anchoring yourself with a personal knowledge management (PKM) system. You’ll find several at no cost. They are designed to not just store information and research but interconnect your expertise – envision it as a “Map of Content.”
• Remember the Pareto principle: Value the practical 80% over the theoretical 20%. Keep experimenting, even if the full picture needs to be clarified. The cloud is your sandbox – affordable and swift for quick prototypes. And that perpetual itch to digest one more article before trying? More often than not, it’s an illusion.
• On the formal side, certifications offer a curated pathway. They package information, guiding you through a structured narrative. If you’re scouting for top-notch courses, I’d suggest peeping into what the Aviatrix Certified Engineer (ACE) program team has crafted. More here.

Q. You’ve got an amazing collection of and interests and talents, including playing numerous instruments. In the technology field, there have been parallels drawn between those who are musically/instrumentally inclined, indicating that they have an aptitude to do well in technology fields such as networking and cybersecurity. What inspires you to learn new instruments and which do you play?

A. Diving into the world of music is a peculiar adventure. It’s a realm where you’re essentially signing up for refined catastrophes, practicing how to stumble with style. Improvising? That’s a delightful exercise in mental gymnastics, like pushing your brain to a thrilling and curious edge. As for collaborating with fellow musicians, think of it as aligning different universes, trying to trace the same constellation in the vast expanse of sounds. Most importantly, you must really, truly listen. It’s about understanding intentions, sensing emotions, and picking up on the most nuanced cues.

Embracing a new instrument is akin to discovering an entirely new sonic hue, turning a humble thought into a rich tapestry of sound. At this juncture in my journey, I resonate with the Oud, Guitar, and Kora. Meanwhile, the Sitar, Gamelan, and other instruments are hibernating, nestling quietly in my chamber of sound treasures.

Q. Outside of work, what other interests can you share with our readers?

A. When it comes to interests and hobbies, I have the self-control of an unsupervised kid at a cake shop. My curious fingers have dabbled in airplane piloting (fitting as Aviatrix means female pilot), played with the brains of toy self-driving cars (DonkeyCars), designed socio-technical systems that shield our green patches from becoming gray (view my TEDx talk here) and journeyed the world with my tribe—my wife and two children.

One of the great perks of this career is that it doesn’t just pay the bills, it affords me the freedom to indulge in these eclectic interests and the flexibility to do what I love from any spot on the globe. So, while coding, consulting, or collaborating on projects, I can plan my next dive into a new hobby or map out my family’s next adventure.

I hold an unorthodox view compared to most about traveling with young children. For me, children turn the lens, making one notice the beauty we, as adults, often miss. We’ve all got baggage – our biases, the stories we’ve heard about places. Kids travel light with no judgments. And having a baby around is like toting a little puppy. Everyone melts. Everyone stops to interact and ask questions. With my children now a little older and in school, our travel pace has mellowed. Instead of snapshots, we’re into long exposures. Living in a place, becoming part of its fabric, learning, and unlearning. It’s our way of keeping our minds open, always in flow, and never stagnant.

Prior to joining Aviatrix, Nick spent nearly a decade in Australia working at Transurban, one of the world’s leading toll-road operators, as a Network Cloud Solutions Architect and Cloud Designer; and most recently as a Cloud Architect at Metro Trains Melbourne. He also served as Sr. Escalation Engineer at Neptune Managed Services based in Melbourne. He started his career in Georgia as a Network Engineer at GREENNET, the country’s leading systems integrator and network solutions provider. For nearly ten years, he worked as Sr. Network Engineer at Green Project, an international systems integrator based in Georgia, and served as Engineering Coach at Greentest, a subsidiary of Green Project, providing learning services—including skills gap services—and professional development solutions to IT practitioners in the region. Nick currently resides in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn. View the Careers page for the latest Aviatrix job openings.