Wendy Ang: Escaping the 8-Hour Grind

I first met Wendy Ang back when we were Computer Science students at De La Salle University–Manila. Wendy has a reputation of being a top-notch coder. Software development projects were tackled by her effortlessly.

Years later, we found ourselves working indirectly together, for a San Francisco-based startup founded by Matt Savage (although we didn’t work on the same projects and there was only a short overlap before I left Matt’s startup to join another firm). Wendy’s one of the top-notch software and web developers during our time, very smart and works really fast, no B.S. just pure coding talent.

‘WENDS’ OF ALL TRADES

Today, Wendy, or Wends as she is fondly called by friends, wears many hats: she is the Founder of Optimind Technology (2002–present), Founder of WK Outdoor Retail Inc. (2019–present); and Co-founder of Premium Outdoor Lifestyle Trading Inc. (2022–present). Her career is a blend of tech innovation and outdoor adventure—two worlds she’s managed to magically juggle and merge in ways that only a few could imagine.

Q&A with Wendy Ang

You’ve built a long-running tech company and later branched out into the outdoor lifestyle space. What drove you to start Optimind, and how did that evolve into your more recent ventures?

Wends: I founded Optimind back in 2002. After so many years, its operations have become quite stable, and I no longer need to be involved in the day-to-day work—only in a few urgent or high-profile projects. Because of that, I found myself with more time to focus on my personal interests: camping, photography,  traveling, and spending time with my dogs.

These interests, combined with my entrepreneurial nature, led me to create WK Outdoor, where we distribute  outdoor and pet brands and sell similar line of products online,  and Premium Outdoor Lifestyle Trading, which offers high-quality outdoor brands. These brands truly reflect how I live outside of work.

“I love being outdoors. I go camping a lot, and I used to run a campsite on my property in Tanay, Rizal.” – Wendy Ang

That’s impressive! You mentioned the outdoors. It looks like you are more often outdoors than indoors. I know for a fact that you are into camping and that you travel a lot.

Wends: (laughs) That’s true! I love being outdoors. I go camping a lot, and I used to run a campsite on my property in Tanay, Rizal. These days, I live in Antipolo, where I’m surrounded by 360° views of nature—and I even have a roof deck where I can look out at the city once in a while. It’s the perfect balance between peaceful living and staying connected.

I also love traveling—Japan is one of my favorite destinations. And then there’s travel photography, which ties everything together. I bring my camera wherever I go—whether I’m hiking, exploring, or simply relaxing under the stars.

Can you tell us more about how you got into travel photography? I really like your IG feed where you feature photos using fully manual cameras. What’s your usual gear?

Wends: My favorite camera to use right now is the Leica M6. It’s a film camera, so everything has to be set manually—which I love because it forces me to slow down and really think about each shot. I also use a Mamiya RB67, another fully manual camera. I usually bring it for portrait photography when I’m traveling locally since it’s quite heavy to carry around.

I also keep a digital Fuji camera with me as backup, just in case I run out of film or when the lighting conditions are too dark for film to handle.

On traveling: I found two interesting travel destinations that I wanted to ask you about– that picture of you on top of the– wait, was it the Canadian Rockies? And there was a trip to South Africa that you did, where you had that “buwis buhay” (translation: life-risking) photo! Very curious to know about that, but also glad you are still alive! (laughs)

Wends: Ahh yes, that was taken at Spences Bridge in British Columbia. It happened in 2018 during a road trip loop where I did some camping along the way. It’s one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen—the landscape was breathtaking, with rolling mountains, open skies, and that sense of freedom that only road trips can bring.

The “buwis buhay” photo was taken in 2022. We were constantly reminded to stay close to the vehicle since lions or hippos could attack anytime. I couldn’t resist—I walked away from the vehicle (even at night!).

And about the “buwis buhay” (translation: risking one’s life) photo —that was taken in 2022. I went on an overland trip across Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, and for most of the journey, I slept in a roof tent out in the wild. We were constantly reminded to stay close to the vehicle since lions or hippos could attack at any time. But when I saw a perfect photo opportunity, I couldn’t resist—I walked away from the vehicle (even at night!) to capture a shot of our campsite under the Milky Way. Definitely one of those moments when passion took over common sense! (laughs)

Going back to tech– it was still many years with Optimind before you ventured into your e-commerce businesses fueled by your hobbies.  Has there been a time when your hobbies, like photography or travel, actually blended with your work with Optimind back then?

Wends: Yes! Back in 2018, I had a project with a Philippine real estate developer for their website’s lifestyle and neighborhood guide. I convinced them to let me handle the photography for that section, so they literally paid me to travel around their properties across the country and take photos. It was such a fun experience—doing what I love and calling it work. (smiles)

Another question: If you weren’t running these businesses now, what do you think you’d be doing?

Wends: To be honest, I’d probably still be doing something entrepreneurial, but I’m not sure what I’d be selling. (laughs) I think selling has always been one of my passions. Did you know that I started trading when I was seven years old? I used to buy a bar of clay with my allowance, slice it into smaller pieces, and sell each piece to my classmates. I’d make a profit of two pesos from every bar I resold!

No wonder you’ve managed to build multiple e-commerce companies easily — it was in your nature since you were a kid! Anyway I had fun with our Q & A, and happy that you really live a very balanced, adventure-filled life.

Wends: I think real success is being able to live life on your own terms and love what you’re doing. I spend most of my days outside the office, which for me is a huge accomplishment. I’ve built teams and systems that allow me to step away from the eight-hour office grind. It’s freedom through structure—once you’ve built something solid, it gives you the space to live.