The Lesson Aldo Cattano Brought to Windtracx

Aldo Cattano had worked on aircraft structures and wind turbine blades. He could see how those two fields might come together. A drone connected to the ground by a cable could fly into stronger winds, pull on that cable and drive a generator. That became the work of Skypull, which he co-founded.

Building the technology meant finding people who understood the engineering. Aldo concentrated on that. He gave less attention to choosing the people who would manage the company.

Looking back, he calls that “the worst thing I could do.”

Eventually, he left. He gave up his shares for free and chose to start again. In his account, the management arrangement was no longer working, and he decided leaving was the better option. He still believes it was the right decision.

Restarting after Skypull was, Aldo has said, the hardest part of his entrepreneurial journey. The team acquired hardware from the previous venture and began building a new project around a different application: using the pull of a drone to help move vessels.

That became Windtracx.

The idea brings wind back into propulsion, with a drone doing the work of a sail. Connected to the vessel by a cable, it takes off using electric motors, then flies on the wind and generates a pulling force. The system manages flight and landing automatically. Windtracx is developing it to help vessels use less fuel and produce fewer emissions, starting with yachts and working toward larger commercial ships.

When Aldo talks about what keeps him going, he goes back to hiking, climbing and sailing. Those adventures have been part of his life since he was young. They taught him that you cannot stop just because the exciting part is over. On a mountain, reaching the top still leaves you with the descent.

He brings that same attitude to building a company. Getting the technology to work is an achievement. Testing it, improving it and getting it ready for customers still need to follow.

His experience at Skypull changed what Aldo values in a management team: people who know how to run the business and share his vision for the company.

He is still working on how to put the wind to use. He is thinking more carefully about who he builds with.

Further reading: windtracx.com

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