Oday is the Founder of OP8 Industries, where he is developing the "Autonomy Operating System" (AOS) to power the next generation of industrial robots. Based in Vancouver, he previously held roles at VersaFile and Collabware, specializing in bridging the gap between complex software and enterprise operations. A systems architect by trade, Oday is now applying that technical foundation to the world of heavy machinery, creating the edge AI required for cranes and excavators to navigate and operate in unstructured environments without human intervention.
01
Figure out what you stand for before you start building. When things get chaotic, and they will, your values are the only thing keeping you from making decisions you'll regret. Every partnership, every shortcut someone offers you, every compromise runs through that filter. If you skip this step you'll stay busy, but you won't build anything that matters.
02
I was in biochemistry when I wanted computer science. Couldn't afford to switch programs so I dropped out. Worked retail, sold phones at a mall kiosk, kept applying to tech companies until one said yes. Within a year of that first job I was presenting at the Pentagon. No degree. Eight years in tech after that. Did a couple years in the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, military intelligence. Then a health setback knocked me sideways and it taught me the same thing dropping out did: you don't need perfect conditions to start. So I quit my job and went all in. Built Vote.Direct for secure voting. Built Sonitura.com to help people communicate better. Now I'm competing in Anduril's AI Grand Prix as OP8.ai, representing a Vancouver, BC team building autonomous drone navigation. Two setbacks, same lesson. You work with what you have, and you work hard.
03
The next big thing isn't some product or technology waiting to be found. It's what happens when you stop treating your time, your health, and your word like they're disposable. Start with reality. Your health problems, your bank account, your responsibilities are part of the work, not separate from it. Own your response to things, even the ones you didn't cause. Be the person who does the right thing when nobody's watching, not the person who performs integrity for an audience. Then just keep going. Not some dramatic reinvention. Small consistent actions that compound until the results speak for themselves. Build clean. Legal, ethical, nothing that takes advantage of people or trades the future for a quick win. And when you do get strong, use it. Build things that give options to people who never had them.
One thing to take away
You already have enough to start. So start. And if you're not using AI yet, that's where I'd begin. It's the most powerful tool available to regular people right now. The barriers to building something real have never been lower. What are you waiting for?
