We are thrilled to welcome Luke Bryant, a seasoned Support Engineer with a rich tapestry of experiences, to the Daytona team.
From mastering the precision of CNC machinery to excelling in customer success roles, Luke's journey is a testament to the seamless integration of hands-on technical skills and empathetic client support. His story is one of evolution—from tactile engineering in physical spaces to navigating and solving the digital challenges our customers face daily.
My family's history in engineering sparked my curiosity about how things worked, and it's a curiosity that's driven my career across industries.
With a craftsman's dedication to quality and a support engineer's knack for problem-solving, Luke is set to fortify Daytona's commitment to delivering top-notch customer experiences. His approach is characterized by a deep understanding of both the tangible and the intangible aspects of technology—a synergy that promises to elevate our client engagement to new heights.
The joy of crafting something tangible has always resonated with me, but now I find equal fulfillment in resolving the intangible challenges our clients face.
A Conversation with Luke
Could you start by telling us about your early career? What drew you to CNC machinery?
Absolutely, I'd be happy to share. My journey into the engineering world started organically, influenced heavily by my family background. My father was an engineer in the Royal Navy, and my grandfather was also in the field, so I grew up surrounded by machines and tools. This environment sparked my interest in how things are made. Despite not being particularly good at mathematics in high school, I found that working with CNC machinery made the practical application of math, like algebra and geometry, suddenly make sense to me. This realization was a turning point.
How did you transition from machinery to healthcare, and what customer service skills did you gain there?
The transition to healthcare was unexpected. It was triggered by personal circumstances. This period of my life led me to take a break from engineering and eventually find myself working with people with learning difficulties. And I did that for many years, and then I became very good at it. I worked for the UK Health Services, I worked for private charities, and it was great, I was able to help people.
This experience was invaluable in honing my future customer service skills. It taught me how to effectively communicate with people who were less inclined to open up, a skill that has been crucial in all my subsequent roles.
Moving into the tech world is another big transition in your career. What led you to join Dropbox as a Support Engineer, and how did that experience prepare you for your current role at Daytona?
The year 2016 was a landmark period in my life—it was the year my children were born, I got married, and embarked on an exciting journey with Dropbox in Athens, Greece. Joining Dropbox as a Support Engineer was a transformative step that brought me into the heart of the tech industry, working directly with their enterprise clients. Dropbox, a household name that has changed how the world stores and shares information, was an incredible place to expand my technical horizons.
At Dropbox, I was immersed in a fast-paced, innovative environment that challenged me to blend my problem-solving prowess with newly developing coding skills. This role was a departure from my previous hands-on work, but it allowed me to deepen my understanding of software and its impact on business efficiency. My interactions with big-name enterprise clients and developers honed my diplomatic and technical troubleshooting abilities, and I became the go-to person for resolving complex issues.
This pivotal experience at Dropbox, a company renowned for its global influence and cutting-edge technology, set a solid foundation for my role at Daytona. Here, I began to truly appreciate the seamless integration of technology with customer service and the importance of creative problem-solving. I carry with me the technical knowledge and the ethos of innovation and user-centric design that I learned at Dropbox as I continue to explore the exciting intersection of technology and service at Daytona.
It's quite a leap from the physical to the digital. What influenced your decision to move to Croatia and join Daytona?
After my stint in Athens with Dropbox, the next chapter unfolded when my family faced the decision of either returning to the UK or moving to Croatia. Given that my wife is Croatian and we had family there, coupled with the Brexit situation at the time, we opted for Croatia.
In Croatia, I first joined Typeqast as a Support Engineer, where I further developed my skills in troubleshooting and customer success. This role was crucial in deepening my understanding of the software development process and the challenges that come with it. Following the merger of Typeqast with Valcon, I transitioned to a role as a Customer Support Manager at Valcon. At Valcon, I was immersed in an environment that thrived on innovation and technology as a means to create a better tomorrow. My time at Valcon was instrumental in enhancing my leadership and coaching abilities, as well as refining my approach to customer satisfaction and problem-solving.
These experiences at Typeqast and Valcon were invaluable. They sharpened my technical and customer service skills and prepared me for my current role at Daytona. At Daytona, I see an opportunity to take these disjointed experiences from various industries to build a more coherent, customer-oriented approach to software support.
What's your vision for customer support and success here at Daytona?
Success in support means a combination of solid product understanding and trust-building with clients. We're not just problem-solvers; we're trust builders. Each client that comes to Daytona needs to feel confident that we have their back from installation onwards. It's about guiding them through their journey with Daytona's tools, filling gaps, and proactively reaching out to ensure continuous satisfaction and improvement.
Handholding shouldn't be patronizing—it should be empowering.
But where I see us truly excelling is in turning minor support interactions into major customer success stories. We do that by learning from every interaction—celebrating wins and scrutinizing where we fall short. This learning curve doesn't plateau; it scales with our ambition and our clients' evolving needs.
And as Daytona grows, how do you imagine your role will evolve?
I firmly believe Daytona is at the cusp of something transformative—something that will redefine how development environments are used and understood. As we grow, I envision my role expanding beyond solving today’s problems to anticipating tomorrow's challenges. It's about being proactive rather than reactive. Ultimately, it's those human elements, grounded in understanding and empathy, that will drive Daytona forward.
Do you have any final thoughts as we wrap up this interview?
I am genuinely excited about the transformative potential of Daytona and the role I play in shaping the developer experience. My goal is to not only ensure our clients are satisfied but also to empower them to become passionate advocates for our solutions.
Fostering enthusiastic advocacy through exceptional customer support and success is not just my role; it's my mission here at Daytona.
To connect with Luke and learn more about his vision for customer support and success at Daytona, feel free to reach out to him on LinkedIn or Daytona Community Slack.
