Why We’re Moving Kiah to a For-Profit Path

December 17, 2025 · 6 min read · Category: Update

TL;DR: Kiah started as a build-for-ourselves autonomy project with a “maybe we keep it philanthropic” mindset. Reality check: people don’t pay attention until the flood is at their door. To move faster and deliver something real, we’re leaning into a focused, limited-run product: Kiah Box—a private, portable AI supercomputer. Pricing is TBD. If you want in, join the waitlist or email ottobot2025@proton.me.

Why shift to for-profit?

  • Ownership and speed: Building a self-contained hardware+software stack that works out of the box is expensive and time-sensitive. A for-profit model keeps us focused and accountable.
  • Real demand shows up with real offers: “Sounds cool” isn’t commitment. A concrete product (Kiah Box) with a limited run will separate curiosity from intent.
  • Sustainability: Continuous updates, support, and hardware sourcing need a funded engine, not just goodwill.

What Kiah Box is (and isn’t)

  • Is: A closed-stack, portable AI supercomputer (4090-class GPU, local LLM, 70+ modules, 96K+ knowledge base, autonomy framework) that plugs into anything with a digital input.
  • Isn’t: A cloud subscription or open-source drop-in. We’re prioritizing reliability and support over unlimited distribution—at least for the first run.

How to get involved right now

  • Join the waitlist: Use the waitlist on the homepage (ottobot.org). That’s where we’ll announce availability, pricing, and timelines.
  • Email me directly: ottobot2025@proton.me. If you’re serious (especially if you have hardware to allocate), say so.

About donations and hardware

We’re removing philanthropic positioning from the site. If you still want to help, treat it as a gift with no obligation. If you contribute meaningful hardware (e.g., a 3090-class GPU), I’ll log it and plan a future credit toward a product if/when we ship—details to be finalized with you directly.

What stays the same

  • Kiah is still built for our own use first (dogfooding = quality).
  • Privacy-first, local-first architecture.
  • Transparent updates via ottobot.org and @ottobot2025.

What changes

  • We’re aligning messaging around Kiah Box as a product, not a philanthropic experiment.
  • Waitlist + direct outreach become the primary paths to access.
  • Donations reframed as gifts, with potential future credit if we launch a product.

Next steps

  • Set the waitlist live with the new Pages function (done).
  • Finalize a small batch plan and publish availability timelines.
  • Document a clear path for hardware contributors and early adopters.

Thanks for following along. If you want in, hit the waitlist or email ottobot2025@proton.me. We’ll share specifics as soon as they’re real.