Creating a software catalog taxonomy can initially seem daunting for DevOps and platform engineers, but the process is made manageable through a series of structured steps. This approach involves identifying a central entity, often a microservice, and mapping relevant information such as links, team management, and language. It emphasizes the importance of defining the data needed to answer specific questions about services, environments, and deployments, and advocates for a role-based access control system to manage data visibility. The software catalog serves as a crucial tool to improve developer productivity by reducing cognitive load and providing a platform for self-service actions, which can include spinning up environments and performing operations. The catalog also enhances transparency and accountability in the deployment process, offering developers real-time insights and historical data to troubleshoot and optimize application deployments. By adopting models like C4 or variations offered by tools like Port and Backstage, organizations can effectively address the complexities of software development lifecycles and create a robust internal developer portal that supports scalable, efficient workflows.