Recommendations.

I co-founded Since AI with John, so I saw how he works when there is a lot going on and a lot at stake. During a multi-day hackathon that is basically all the time.

He led a crew of around 50 people on site, did most of the marketing himself, and kept everyone pointed in the same direction while a dozen things needed attention at once. The thing I respect most is that he never pushes the hard work onto other people. Usually he's the one still doing it when everyone else has gone home.

He's good at the actual work, and he's also good at getting a team to want to do their best, which is harder. He noticed people early, gave them real responsibility, and they grew because of it. Co-founding Since AI with him was one of the better decisions I've made. If you get the chance to build something with John, take it.

Riku LauttiaCo-Founder, Since AI

I worked on the sales side at Since AI in the early days. Small team, big goals, not much structure to lean on. John ran it like a proper startup. Clear goals, quick feedback, and he never hid from the hard work. He led the onsite crew and did a lot of the marketing himself instead of passing it off. He sets the pace and gets things done. Easy recommendation.

Arttu MyyryläinenSales, Since AI (early team)

I worked with John at Since AI, where I looked after our partnerships. My role meant working closely with him on the sponsor and partner side, and he was always clear and easy to deal with. Partners knew where things stood, and on site he made sure every sponsor felt well looked after, even while he was running the whole event.

That mix of being clear and actually following through is not as common as it should be. Working with John made a busy and demanding role a lot smoother, and I'm glad to recommend him.

Aman VyasAI Platform Partnerships Lead, Since AI

Want to work
together?

Get in touch and let's figure out if there's a fit.

I first met John through Boost Turku. When I told him I wanted to get better at public speaking, he gave me a real chance and put me on stage as a host for three days at the Since AI hackathon. He didn't make me prove myself first. He saw that I wanted it and gave me the opportunity.

I care a lot about being organised and working hard, and John did both. He had a clear plan, but he never used that as a reason to step back from the work himself. He sets a high bar and trusts people to reach it. That trust is the reason I took on something well outside my comfort zone, and I'm glad he did. John is reliable and hard-working, and I recommend him without hesitation.

Arttu KaronenHead of Finance, Since AI

John changed how my year went. We met at a Boost Turku event, and I mentioned almost in passing that I wanted to do more public speaking. A few days later he put me on stage as a host for three days at the Since AI hackathon, in front of more than 250 people. He didn't wait for me to earn it. He saw something and gave me the chance.

As Head of Content I also got to watch him build the brand and the event up close. He worked hard, he was generous with opportunities, and he stayed calm even when everything was moving fast.

The best thing about working with John is that he doesn't just talk about helping people grow. He actually creates the moments where it happens. He sees what you could do before it's obvious, then puts you in a spot to prove it. I can't recommend him enough.

Abdul Wasay MuhammadHead of Content, Since AI

I worked closely with John at Since AI as Head of Community, and it was honestly one of the best experiences I've had so far. From the start he made everyone feel like part of a real team and not just volunteers doing tasks. He trusted me to set up and run our Discord, handle the social media, and lead the attendee team for over 250 people during the event. Even when things got busy and a bit chaotic, he stayed calm and was always there to help.

What I liked most about working with John is that he genuinely cares about the people around him, but he also pushes you to do your best. He's the kind of leader you learn a lot from without even noticing. I'd happily work with him again!

Vishaka SalpiumiHead of Community, Since AI

I joined Since AI as a volunteer at the event, and that one month turned into staying on as a software engineer. John is a big reason for that.

When you start at the bottom you get an honest look at how a team is really run, and John stood out the whole time. He led the crew, sorted out problems as they came up, kept a large group of people coordinated, and still found time to help when a volunteer needed direction. He builds the kind of place where people end up doing more than they signed up for, simply because the work feels worth doing and the standard is clear.

He gets things done, and he treats the people doing the work with real respect, which I haven't seen as often as I'd like in the teams I've been part of. From someone who saw how he leads from the ground up, this is an easy recommendation.

Hasnain AjmalSoftware Engineer, Since AI

I worked with John on the Arise project, where we were building a robot to support factory workers. We started with just an idea and pushed it far enough to prove the technology actually worked, which is the hard part most projects never reach.

I started the Robotics Club at TUAS, so I've been around plenty of people who are good at talking about building things. John is one of the people who actually builds them. He's practical, he keeps the team moving, and he doesn't get stuck on the parts that don't matter. He also works a lot, and you notice it. If you're putting together a team that needs to take something from an idea to something working, John is a good person to have on it. Recommend him without question.

Iuri GonçalvesSoftware Developer

I've known John for years now and worked with him on fucard, so I've had a front row seat to how much he's grown. Honestly it's been fun to watch. He went from someone with a lot of ideas to someone who actually ships them and brings people along with him.

What stands out about John is that he never stops moving. New tools, new projects, new ways to do things better. He's curious, he works hard, and he genuinely cares about the people he builds with. If you get the chance to work with him, take it. You'll learn a lot and probably have a good time doing it!

Cheah HengAI Prompt Engineer

I hired John to build a CAD website for me, and the whole experience was smooth from start to finish. He understood what I needed early on, asked the right questions, and kept me updated as the work moved along.

What I appreciated most was that John was easy to work with and reliable. He delivered what he said he would, and the final result did exactly what I wanted it to do. As a client, that is really all you can ask for. I would happily work with him again and recommend him to anyone who needs something built properly.

Chia Chen (Tim) LeeClient

I worked alongside John Dai as a peer on several technical projects. We built in the same trenches rather than reviewing each other's work from a distance, so I've seen firsthand how he operates when a problem is unsolved and the path forward isn't obvious.

John has a strong ability to translate intent into a finished product. A concept can be handed to him in a loosely defined form, and he returns working code that reflects what was actually meant, not only what was literally specified. That translation step is where many projects lose time, and John handles it reliably and with little need for oversight.

He also builds on ideas rather than reducing them. Where some developers treat an ambiguous brief as a reason to do the minimum, John takes a half-formed idea, tests it properly, and works toward implementing it in full. The result is often stronger than the original brief.

Finally, he is a straightforward collaborator. Communication is clear, timelines hold, and there are few surprises or unnecessary rework cycles. For a client, that means a project that stays well managed and predictable.

In summary, John combines quality output with a low-maintenance working style. For any team or founder that values fast and reliable execution, he is a capable and dependable choice. I would gladly work with him again and recommend him without hesitation.

Teodor-PavelBusiness Director, Mesembria Oy