Hi, I'm Vikas!

Vikas Reddy

Vikas

4 minutes read

It feels strange to put this in writing, but here goes - I am no longer in an operational role at Occipital, but remain on the board.

I’m incredibly sad about this, especially because I’m not there to help guide the company through these times - a company I started and built with my friend Jeff into a leading computer vision and spatial computing contender.

Brainstorming at the Occipital office

Brainstorming at the Occipital office

I still believe in the amazing team at Occipital. We’ve worked to refocus the company on a mission of putting an accurate 3D model of your home in your pocket while continuing our Structure 3D scanning platform that’s been transformative in industries like orthotics and prosthetics. Jeff is also moving on, and we’re actively recruiting a new CEO. This CEO is going to get to work with one of the best computer vision and spatial computing teams assembled - a team that knows how to combine groundbreaking technology with intuitive consumer applications and make money doing it.

Offsite with some of the leaders of our augmented home products

Offsite with some of the leaders of our augmented home products

I feel very privileged to have the opportunity I did over the last 10 years - not many do. I got to work with some amazing people over the years, including my co-founder. Jeff has had my back through it all, even after the time I forgot a line in our elevator pitch and said “Fuck” in front of over hundred Silicon Valley VCs and angel investors. He’s one of the most original thinkers I’ve met, and somehow manages to ask the right questions about a technical approach, marketing, or product direction.

I also had the amazing support of my wife Elaine and a great network of family and friends to lean on in hard times. Elaine has been with me every step of the way, starting from when we were working out of a little windowless basement office back in 2009. She has also helped keep me grounded by calling me on my bullshit, which is probably something a lot of us entrepreneurs could benefit from.

One of the many adventures I’ve had with Elaine.

One of the many adventures I’ve had with Elaine.

I’m proud that I never quit on the team or myself, always did what I thought was best for the company and team even when it wasn’t convenient, and left everything I had out on the field. I learned tons of painful lessons of what not to do and made lifelong friends with fellow founders and team members. I experienced incredible lows like the crushing emotional pain of losing key team members and highs like eBay acquiring RedLaser and the Structure Sensor launch.

Through it all I can say I was never bored for even one single minute.

RedLaser reaches #1 on the App Store and featured in an Apple commercial

RedLaser reaches #1 on the App Store and featured in an Apple commercial

Our Kharkiv office!

Our Kharkiv office!

Trip to Tel Aviv with Forrest, Candemir and Jeff to close a deal with PrimeSense

Trip to Tel Aviv with Forrest, Candemir and Jeff to close a deal with PrimeSense

Showing an early Structure Sensor prototype to Nicolas Burrus before we acquired ManCTL

Showing an early Structure Sensor prototype to Nicolas Burrus before we acquired ManCTL

Occipital Retreat 2013

Occipital Retreat 2013

Structure Sensor launch video

Trip to Shenzhen with Jason Huang and XJ to cement a relationship with Foxconn

Trip to Shenzhen with Jason Huang and XJ to cement a relationship with Foxconn

Occipital Retreat 2016

Occipital Retreat 2016

Occipital Retreat 2018

Occipital Retreat 2018

As I reflected on the last 10 years of adventure, I found myself reading this short letter I wrote with Jeff for new hires.

There are people that things happen to. There is a much smaller group of people that make things happen.

You’re joining a team at Occipital that’s firmly in the latter camp. We work hard. We are incredibly passionate about our work. And we are genuinely nice people who strive to do the right thing.

20 years from now, you’ll look back and be able to point to something you worked on that mattered at Occipital. You’ll have made life long friends - people that you laughed with, argued passionately with, and did the best work of your life with.

It’s going to be a wild ride.

Welcome to Occipital.

For the first time in 10 years, I don’t know what I’ll be doing next. But I do know it’s going to be a wild ride.

- Vikas

P.S. As I figure out what to do next, I’m re-connecting with friends and family, working on Feed the Frontlines Boulder and helping other entrepreneurs. You can email me at v@vikasreddy.io or sign up below for updates - I would love to hear from you!

Looking forward to more adventure with my family!

Looking forward to more adventure with my family!

About

Hi, I’m Vikas! You might remember me from such things as co-founding Occipital or helping start Feed the Frontlines Boulder.

At Occipital I built one of the best computer vision and spatial computing teams in the world with my co-founder Jeff Powers, and we created groundbreaking products like Canvas, Structure Sensor, and RedLaser (acquired by eBay). I’m no longer in an operational role at Occipital, but remain on the board.

I'm a mentor in Techstars Boulder, a board member of the BCH Foundation, a Michigan grad (Go Blue!), and lately enjoy not getting enough sleep due to my wife and I having a 2-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter.

I’m currently figuring out what to do next.