About Panic Labs
Experience-driven engineering for systems where failure is not an option.
Unit Profile
Panic Labs is led by David Otano, a Principal Software Engineer with over a decade of operational experience building, maintaining, and modernizing production systems in demanding environments.
Work history includes mission-critical applications and services for organizations such as:
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
The operating model is straightforward: senior-level ownership, clear communication, and delivery that can be trusted under pressure.
Operating Doctrine
- Stability Above All — uptime and predictability are non-negotiable.
- Security By Default — access, data, and paths are treated as attack surfaces.
- Automation Over Heroics — repeatable systems beat individual effort.
- Honest Communication — clear status, clear trade-offs, no theater.
- Legacy Is Not a Liability — unmanaged legacy is. We correct that.