About Me

Daniel Zotti: Software Engineer & Creative Performer in Trieste.

If you are looking for a traditional, code-confined software engineer in Trieste, Italy, you might be in the wrong place.

I define myself as a serial experience seeker convinced that life should be lived firsthand and that the only way to grow is to constantly challenge myself.

✨ Here is what drives my creativity and everyday life when I am not writing production-ready code. ✨

🤩 On the stage

The stage is my best training ground for stress management, public speaking, and rapid problem solving. Every show sharpens the same skills I bring to software engineering.

🎭 Theatre improvisation

Since 2022, I have been actively practicing theatre improvisation in Trieste with Improvvisamente Trieste APS: a fantastic association that keeps me present, reactive, and fully connected with people.

🎤 Stand-up comedy

I am an active performer and host in Gin Comici, presenting comedians and delivering original monologues across FVG venues.

🕵️ Murder mystery dinners

I collaborate as an actor with Gli Indiziosi, blending theatre and immersive audience interaction to solve mysteries between dinner courses.

🎸 Air Band champion

Alongside my group Ban Halen, I won the historic 2012 Air Band Contest at Round Midnight / Stazione Rogers with epic mash-ups.

🧪 Creative Tech Lab

My technical background has always been fueled by artistic curiosity. In my digital lab I mix code, visuals, and storytelling to create interactive experiences.

🎹 Music-first mindset

My creative roots started at age 3 when I started playing the piano with my grandmom, and music is still the soundtrack of my life. At university, I even played in a rock band made entirely of software and electronic engineers.

🎬 Video production & vector graphics

From VHS editing in middle school to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, visual storytelling has always been part of my toolkit.

💻 Creative coding & apps

I build playful digital experiments like the Meteoropathic Website, the Fake 3D Website, and Slide Roulette.

🎙️ Podcasting & branding

I co-host Shiftati di Testa with Stefano, discussing tech, culture, and odd life questions.

♥️ Triestine Heart

Trieste is part of my identity. I love local traditions that blend irony, community spirit, and a healthy dose of playful madness.

💦 Olimpiade delle Clanfe

Olimpiade dele Clanfe is a historic and eccentric water-splashing and diving competition in Trieste, where the biggest splash and funniest sketch take the crown.

⛰️ Rampigada Santa

Rampigada Santa is a grueling 2 km vertical uphill race in Trieste that I complete on foot, often handing out cold beers for moral support along the way.

🎭 Muggia Carnival & flashmobs

I join Muggia's traditional Carnival with satirical costumes inspired by current events, and I am also guilty of participating in pop-powered flashmobs in downtown Trieste.

🌬️ InVento Trieste

In 2017, I won the InVento Trieste competition by designing the city tourism logo, slogan "We are inTRIESTEing", and promotional video.

🎉 360° Event Planner & Sports

I enjoy designing events that connect people and create memorable moments. Sports, games, and collective experiences are a natural extension of how I work and live.

🍀 Giochi Senza Speranze

An annual goliardic multi-sport tournament (from basketball to beer pong) that I founded in 2018 to celebrate my first 10,000 days of life. For those who remember it, it's kind of like “Games Without Borders”, but with more beer and fewer rules.

🌪️ ImproBora Festival

ImproBora is a theatre improvisation festival in Trieste that I've co-organized since 2025: workshops led by international teachers, dinners in beautiful locations, amazing shows, with a touch of "morbin".

🤝 Corporate team building

I designed engaging event formats such as Fortigames (a multi-sport company tournament) and Fortitudex (an interactive Pokemon-style corporate game) for Fortitude Group.

🚶 Sports & fitness

After 20+ years of competitive soccer with Esperia and a 2-year stint in table tennis, I now keep fit with walks through Trieste on my way to the office, brainstorming new ideas and thinking about life (and ice creams).