Hai Ta is the founder and CEO at Olli, where they build BuddyOS, the turnkey AI and hardware platform, to empower toy companies to build the next generation of AI Toys. 

With BuddyOS, toys are no longer inanimate objects on the shelf, but are now companions who can talk, play, tell stories, share pivotal moments, and grow with kids. 

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👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

It’s like riding a rollercoaster. It starts out slowly at first, but when it gets going, it’s a bit crazy. As an engineer, learning to do marketing, financial projection, and sales has been quite challenging, but also fun. 

You can be on top of the world after solving a pesky problem, but then a moment later, you start to question why you even got on the ride in the first place.

But the elation is there, and it is hard to let go when you have a taste of it. Going from 2 to 5 is great, but it’s nowhere near climbing to 10 from 0. 

I guess that’s why kids love riding a rollercoaster, and why I love running my company. 

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🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

I think I am lucky to have Olli as something I want to build, not having to build. It may sound strange, but after building it for 8+ years, I am still looking forward to what tomorrow brings. 

A new product feature, a new customer, more complaints from customers, or seeing children of our seasoned members throwing a tantrum in the company. 

All of these excitement, anxiety, joy, or concern make every morning different, every moment different. 

I know this is not something I can take for granted, and I am grateful for the bold decision of starting Olli back in 2016. 

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🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

We survived two brutal layoffs in 2023 and 2024, followed by a year of relentless cash strain and delayed salaries. 

Morale was shaken, stress ran high, but no one quit. 

We stood firm. We pushed forward, together. That resilience was the fuel that kept me going and the defining moment of my career.

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🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

The blending of AI and hardware. The rise of new consumer devices, such as AI toys. I think we are at a point where software alone is not enough of a protection, especially when countless startups can go bust at the whim of big LLMs’ rollouts. 

Founders whom I have talked to have been exploring hardware in a more serious sense to not only increase the response speed from AI but also to build the protective barriers, the differentiators for their startups. 

The convergence of Sam Altman and Jony Ive helps consolidate this approach, and I am excited to see where it’s going. 

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💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry? 

Remember to have fun and stay positive, especially with your team. Bumps on the road are inevitable when you choose this path. 

It’s how we react that will make or break the company, and I bet a full-of-laugh journey is better than a gloomy one. 

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours? 

Toys. I’ve always been fascinated by the success and psychological factors of hit toys in the past, as well as the emergence of the next generation of smart toys and their new values. 

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🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show? 

The Toys That Made Us.

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Vanilla.

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FYI. We've edited this interview for clarity.