Building a company is intense.
Building a company with your family feels like a superpower.
I have been working with Safwan HAK for many years now, through different projects, late nights, and a lot of coffee. But having Alexandra Kate Hak join us this year at Lab Donkey has made me feel almost invincible. Seeing her bring her own ideas, voice, and energy into something I started is honestly one of the greatest feelings I have had in my career.
The Whole Family is Involved
Our younger daughter Katherine Hak started university this year, but still jumps in to help whenever she gets the chance. Our "little man," who just turned 13, is already asking how he can contribute and where he can help. He is growing up seeing Lab Donkey as something that belongs to all of us.
I feel incredibly fortunate to be building this company with the people I love most. We work hard, we argue sometimes, we learn a lot, and we have a ridiculous amount of fun together.
Family Beyond Blood
And it is not just family by blood. Max Cooper has very quickly become part of the family too. He cares about the work, the people, and the mission in a way that feels very personal, and that matters a lot to me.
When we sit around a bench or a whiteboard, it feels less like a company and more like a small group of people trying to build something meaningful together.
A Place to Belong
As we grow in the coming months, my hope is that every new hire feels that same sense of belonging and ownership. I want people to join us and feel comfortable bringing their whole selves—their ideas, their doubts, and their ambitions.
This is not just a job where you tick off tasks and collect a salary. It is a place where your work has a name, a story, and a family behind it.
Building Something to Be Proud Of
We are building something we are proud to share with our kids, and I want everyone who joins Lab Donkey to feel that same pride when they talk about what they are building here with their own families.