Who we are
We’re builders, parents, and former tech leaders who’ve felt what it’s like to pour everything into work — while still trying to show up at home. We’ve missed things we shouldn’t have. We’ve also seen firsthand how hard our partners work to hold everything together — from logistics to schedules to all the invisible mental load in between.
One of us once even dropped off a toddler at daycare… on Halloween… without a costume.
That’s when we say: “Some help would be really nice…”
Esse is our answer to that chaos. Not a chatbot. Not a task list.
A Personal Intelligence Executive — built to filter the noise, protect your time, and stay one step ahead when your brain’s already at capacity.
Daniel is a product leader and working parent driven by a personal mission: to make life simpler and more predictable. At Amazon, he led product for Alexa Smart Home, designing features that gave people control without complexity. He’s also led infrastructure products at Microsoft Azure and began his career in identity and security.
Daniel started Esse to solve a problem he lived daily — constant fragmentation, endless decisions, and no time to think. Esse is his answer: a partner that protects your time and helps you focus on what matters most.
Daniel Wu - Co-Founder & CEO
Janlyk is a systems engineer and architect who led the development of Amazon’s Product Knowledge Graph, enhancing product discovery and search across the shopping experience. He also worked on Fire TV and Alexa, and earlier built secure identity systems at Microsoft.
As both a technologist and a parent, he’s seen how life’s complexity piles up. At Esse, he’s building a personal intelligence layer that connects the dots — so users can stay ahead without constantly managing the mess.
Janlyk Choo - Co-Founder & CTO