Tokyo Tech Journey: The Spark That Changed Everything
The Spark That Changed Everything
After exiting Golmaal, I moved to Tokyo with my family. My wife is Japanese, and I wanted my son to experience early schooling in Japan. Once there, I started attending local tech events, wanting to build on my newfound love for technology.
The Inflection Point
A quiet co-working space near Tokyo Midtown.
On October 4th, 2018, I attended David Ha's presentation on "Learning Abstraction with Neural Networks" where he explored: "Can agents learn inside of their own dreams?"
In his groundbreaking work "World Models," David demonstrated the unsupervised training of a generative RNN to model RL environments through compressed spatial and temporal representations. Most remarkably, the agent could be trained entirely inside its own internal world model, and this policy could transfer back to the actual environment.
It wasn't just the theory. It was the clarity, the audacity, and the poetic ambition that AI could learn like us: abstractly, creatively, beautifully. I didn't just observe—I engaged David directly, questioned the research, and walked away transformed.
That night, I fell in love with AI.
Not from hype. Not from headlines. But from a lived moment of intellectual ignition.
Machine Learning Tokyo: The Pivotal Moment
The David Ha presentation and Machine Learning Tokyo community that sparked my AI journey - from that life-changing October 4th, 2018 session to regular community gatherings
Machine Learning Tokyo Community
David Ha Session Tokyo - The presentation that changed everything, October 4th, 2018
David Ha Session Tokyo - The World Models presentation that sparked my AI journey
Machine Learning Tokyo Session - Regular community gatherings that shaped my understanding
Machine Learning Tokyo Community - The ecosystem that welcomed and nurtured my AI curiosity
MLT at Tokyo University Hongo - Academic collaborations and deep learning discussions
MLT-SOLRT Event - Advanced machine learning workshops and networking
Machine Learning Tokyo
I became a regular at Machine Learning Tokyo (MLT) events. The community was incredible—researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs all passionate about AI's potential to solve real problems.
Building the Foundation
I started working on various projects:
- Prototype software for Blink co-working space—building management and booking systems
- Website builds—learning modern web development practices
- Managing coding bootcamp sessions—teaching others while deepening my own understanding
There's no better way to learn than to teach—a principle I'd learned from maritime training and applied at Golmaal.
Coding Bootcamps & Technical Learning
From running coding bootcamp sessions to participating in deep learning workshops - building technical foundations while contributing to the Tokyo tech community
Coding Sessions & Workshops
Coding session with instructor speaking - Teaching and learning in the Tokyo tech community
Coding sessions workshop - Hands-on learning and skill building
Deep Learning teacher - Learning from experts in the field
Deep learning teacher from TUM - International expertise and knowledge sharing
Group photo Tokyo coding sessions - Building community through shared learning
Sartaj at code session Tokyo - Actively participating in the learning community
Sartaj at code session Tokyo presentation - Sharing knowledge and leading sessions
Sartaj at code session Tokyo - Deep in technical discussions and problem-solving
Code session Tokyo Python - Building technical foundations in programming
Deep learning session Tokyo - Diving deep into AI and neural networks
Project time at coding session Tokyo - Hands-on application of learned concepts
Sprints in Tokyo - Intensive coding sessions and rapid prototyping
Hackathons & Innovation
I participated in hackathons like the Rakuten hackathon, applying my growing technical skills to real-world problems and connecting with Tokyo's innovation ecosystem.
Rakuten Hackathon & Innovation
Participating in hackathons and demo days - applying technical skills to real-world challenges and building connections in the innovation ecosystem
Rakuten Hackathon Experience
Rakuten hackathon demo day party - Celebrating innovation and collaboration
Rakuten hackathon demo day party - Team collaboration and networking
Rakuten hackathon demo day party - Presenting innovative solutions
Rakuten hackathon demo day party - Building connections in the tech community
Rakuten hackathon demo day party - Celebrating achievements and learning
The Spark Becomes Vision
That spark from David Ha's presentation became more than fascination—it became mission. I realized that AI, like fashion at Golmaal, was fundamentally about understanding human needs and creating systems that serve them authentically.
The same intuition that led me to create the perfect fit for Indian women now guided me toward creating AI that fits human emotional needs—technology that doesn't just process, but truly understands.
From Tokyo to the Future
Tokyo taught me that the future belongs to those who can bridge technical capability with human understanding. The city's blend of cutting-edge technology and deep cultural wisdom showed me what's possible when innovation serves human flourishing.
This philosophy now drives everything we're building at MyOrbit—AI that doesn't just automate, but truly understands and supports human potential.