Table of Contents
Table of Contents
David Olubaji’s journey into technology began humbly in a Lagos cybercafé, where as a teenager he sold internet access tickets after school hours. Today, he stands as a seasoned senior software engineer contributing to some of the world’s most prominent applications. Yet, many recognize him more as Blak Dave-the acclaimed DJ and music producer. What bridges these two seemingly different worlds? An unwavering commitment to precision and excellence in every detail.
His weekends often oscillate between spinning tracks at Sunday midnight raves and joining early morning standup meetings with his engineering team based in the United States.
“My friends often ask if I ever get enough rest or if I’m okay,” he chuckles. “But honestly, this rhythm has become second nature to me.”
What sets Olubaji apart is his meticulous approach, whether he’s crafting flawless code or mixing music. This dedication to detail is a hard-earned trait that has shaped his entire career.
From Cybercafé Beginnings to Tech Aspirations
In 2009, as a secondary school student living in Surulere, Lagos, Olubaji’s fascination with computers grew while spending time at a local cybercafé. Initially unwelcome, he soon earned the trust of the owner and began selling internet tickets, sharpening his typing skills and earning modest income.
After finishing secondary school, Olubaji missed the national university entrance exam registration due to his immersion in the cybercafé environment, resulting in a year-long pause in formal education.
Recognizing his potential, his father spotted an opportunity: a scholarship exam for web design courses at the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), teaching tools like Dreamweaver and Adobe Flash. Despite the high cost-even after the scholarship-his father borrowed money to support him.
“It was a luxury for us back then, and it didn’t seem like a practical investment at the time,” Olubaji recalls. “But I was passionate about it from the start.”
The ₦40,000 Website That Opened Doors
Post-NIIT, Olubaji continued honing his skills at the cybercafé and secured a part-time role building WordPress websites while studying Computer Science at Yabatech, earning ₦40,000 monthly.
He advertised on Instagram with the simple pitch: “Build websites for ₦40,000.” One client responded, but when he met her husband, the project expectations escalated dramatically.
Despite the complexity exceeding the budget, Olubaji embraced the challenge. Upon delivering the site, the client’s husband was impressed and inquired about his employer. When Olubaji mentioned his modest part-time job, the man offered him a full-time position at Intellia with a salary of ₦75,000 plus meals.
“That was my first real glimpse into the financial possibilities within tech,” Olubaji says. “I realized some people were earning up to a million naira monthly.”
Learning Perfection from a Mentor
At Intellia, Olubaji met Richard Ekwonye, a front-end engineer whose exacting standards became a formative influence. Ekwonye’s attention to detail was so precise that even a single pixel out of place was unacceptable.
“He was tough but invaluable. Under his mentorship, I developed an obsession with perfection-not just visually but in clean, efficient code,” Olubaji explains. “He’s now at Stripe and is one of Nigeria’s top front-end engineers.”
Intellia’s approach was to build everything from scratch-no shortcuts or pre-built libraries. This rigorous foundation enabled Olubaji to create reusable components, accelerating his workflow in future projects.
“Mastering how to build from the ground up gave me a solid foundation that sped up my work later on.”
Expanding Horizons: From Local to Global Impact
In 2020, Olubaji joined Andela, aiming to contribute to global products. This led to a year-long role with British media giant ITV, where he helped develop their main web application.
Later, at Okra, he spearheaded the development of Nebula, a cloud infrastructure dashboard, single-handedly completing it in under six weeks.
His perfectionism translated into speed and quality, allowing him to deliver complex projects efficiently without compromising standards.
When Okra closed, his reputation attracted international attention. A Nigerian entrepreneur in the U.S. recruited him for a project involving Flutter and Go-technologies new to Olubaji. Despite failing multiple technical interviews, he requested a practical task and built the required feature in less than a day, outperforming a team that had struggled for weeks. He was hired on the spot.
The Philosophy Behind the Precision
Olubaji’s insistence on pixel-perfect execution stems from respect-for designers, users, and the craft itself. “I don’t understand developers who ignore design specs. If the design says red, use red. If it’s one pixel, don’t make it two or three,” he asserts.
Currently, he describes himself as a “foot soldier” for a U.S.-based company, preferring hands-on coding over management roles. When offered leadership at Okra, he declined, valuing direct contribution over oversight.
He’s now focused on building a comprehensive component library to streamline development across his company, eliminating redundant work and fostering consistency.
Where Coding Meets Rhythm: The DJ’s Method
Olubaji’s perfectionism extends seamlessly into his music career as Blak Dave. He approaches DJing with the same structural mindset as coding, recognizing patterns and rhythms as fundamental.
“Engineering is about patterns and structure. If you follow the formula, it won’t fail you. DJing is similar-music has beats, usually four per bar, and I count in fours, eighths, sixteenths, and thirty-seconds to keep the flow,” he explains.
He employs a production technique of introducing or removing elements every eight bars to maintain listener interest. Though he doesn’t rehearse his sets, his deep musical foundation allows him to improvise confidently.
Additionally, his design sensibility, sharpened through years of front-end work, led him to master Figma, enabling him to create polished visuals for his projects.
“Both engineering and music rely on patterns and structure. Following these patterns ensures success in either field.”
The Power of Strong Foundations
Olubaji is passionate about fundamentals. His advice to aspiring developers is straightforward: “Master the basics of coding first-JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS-before jumping into frameworks.”
He views this not as gatekeeping but as essential wisdom. “For those of us who built our skills from scratch, AI tools are a blessing-they enhance productivity and quality. But without solid foundations, AI can become a crutch.”
He regularly uses AI but relies on his expertise to validate its output. “Engineers created AI to improve workflows, not replace understanding.”
“A strong foundation creates systems that operate almost on autopilot, allowing you to focus on higher-level challenges,” he emphasizes.
Playing the Long Game
Despite his public persona as Blak Dave, Olubaji’s tech career remains largely behind the scenes. “Most people don’t even know I’m a software engineer,” he says. “I still write code daily and attend standups, like the one scheduled for 3:30 p.m. today.”
His tech work funds his passions, which often come with high costs. “Tech has powered my lifestyle because the financial rewards are significant,” he admits with a smile.
His dedication was forged through intense periods of work, including coding late into Sundays without complaint. Now, his proven value affords him autonomy-he delivers quality work on his own terms without undue pressure.
For Olubaji, it’s about more than just coding-it’s about honoring the craft and building enduring solutions.
Whether he’s perfecting React components in the afternoon or mixing house tracks in the early hours, his guiding principle remains: do it right or don’t do it at all.
Known as Blak Dave on Lagos’s dance floors, in the tech community he’s revered as the engineer who obsessively perfects every pixel-a rare and invaluable trait in today’s fast-paced industry.
“A solid foundation is essential. Once you reach that point, your workflow becomes almost automatic, letting you focus on what truly matters.”
