Why I built YouWo. Why I keep going.
I began with a question about memory. I stayed because the deeper question was freedom: what would help more people choose who they become?
Every word should matter.
I graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2023 at 19. I loved building software, but I kept asking a more basic question: why do things work the way they do? In late 2023, that curiosity turned toward memory.
I wanted technology to remember more of what people said and meant. Accurate transcripts and useful summaries were a starting point, but the idea was larger than a recording app: a person should be able to carry their context forward.
I called the company YouWo — 由我 — because I believed technology, especially AI, could give people more freedom to do what they choose. I still believe that. I did not yet know which product would make the belief useful.
The product changed. I had to change with it.
The launch
We built a prototype and launched. Almost nobody came. I learned that building something is not the same as finding a person who needs it. We chose students, sold more directly, and listened.
The deeper work
Recordings led to documents, retrieval, and a stronger data foundation. I pushed new coding tools hard, but speed alone did not make the work valuable. Business pilots showed me the next gap: understanding had to turn into execution.
The choice
We tried to serve many kinds of customers. That taught us a great deal and made the work hard to repeat. In 2026, I chose a clearer focus: ambitious founders with a real problem, a measurable goal, and the will to build with new technology.
Who we become is of our own choosing.
Choice is not a slogan. It takes knowledge, time, tools, relationships, and room to recover from mistakes. I ask why things work the way they do, and I expect to be wrong again. Learning, correcting, and building anyway are part of the commitment.
This is a life's work.
Today, we help businesses remove bottlenecks and turn goals into outcomes. That is one practical way to expand what people can do. Over time, I want the capability and capital we build to support deeper science, healthier lives, and a future with more possibility for everyone. I intend to keep working toward that for decades.
The company journeyOur mission