Anjan Katta: The Hard Road to Building Daylight, a Screen Made for Healthier Tech Habits

Anjan Katta spent years building Daylight, a tablet designed without the usual blue-light screen. He talks openly about rejection, depression, getting help and learning to trust himself.

By Harry Gray · Nov 4, 2026 · 3 min read

By The Meat Mafia (Harry Gray and Brett Ender)

Anjan Katta grew up wanting to be Bill Gates. His dad planted the idea when he was about five, and Anjan held onto it all the way to Stanford.

Then he started building a computer company, and it nearly broke him.

He was rejected again and again. He spent years isolated, lived in his parents' basement for a while, and had very few friends. One night in December 2020, sure the company would fail, he called his parents in tears and asked whether they'd still love him if he were a janitor. They said yes.

When he finally sat down with a psychiatrist and counted, he says he had been depressed 16 times in 12 years. He hadn't asked for help before, because he thought he had to will his way through it.

So we asked him for the real founding story of Daylight.

"It's me learning to trust myself and me actually believing I'm real." (00:00)

The company is Daylight Computer. Brett describes it as the world's first blue-light-free tablet. Anjan says the people who respond most are concerned parents. They want their kids to have the internet without blue light all the time, distraction or someone spying on them.

That pull, between health, focus and technology, brings an unusual crowd to his events: health fans, tech people, Bitcoiners and parents.

Getting there meant letting go of trying to manage every room he walked into.

"I see that control and real as like, kind of opposites." (34:00)

Below is how he came out the other side, from treating the company as an art project to the people who finally backed it. His views, not medical advice.

Listen to the full episode · Watch on YouTube

TL;DR: Anjan Katta is the founder of Daylight Computer, which Brett describes as the world's first blue-light-free tablet. Parents tell him they want their kids online without being blasted by blue light all the time. Getting the company off the ground took years of rejection and isolation. He says he went through 16 bouts of depression in 12 years before working with a psychiatrist. His big lesson: control and being real are opposites. His views, not medical advice. If you're struggling, reach out to a professional.

Who is Anjan Katta? The founder of Daylight Computer, a tablet company focused on a calmer, healthier screen for adults and kids.

Key takeaways

Parents tell him they want kids online without constant blue light (02:00).
He spent years isolated while building the company (19:00).
He says he was depressed 16 times in 12 years before he sought help (25:00).
He worked with a psychiatrist when things got desperate (25:00).
Surrender, not control, is what he says changed things (35:00).

Why parents care about screens

Brett and Harry met Anjan's audience on his Daylight tour. Many were parents who want their kids to use technology but worry about blue light, distraction and privacy. Anjan says hearing their reactions in person meant more than any metric.

The cost of building something hard

He's open that the early years cost him his savings, his relationships and his mental health. If any of this sounds familiar, he's a reminder that asking for professional help isn't failing. He wishes he'd done it sooner.

Control versus real

Anjan says he masked in social situations for years, acting however made other people comfortable. After his last depression, something cracked and he surrendered, and he says he started to feel more real.

The art project mindset

When the company was running out of money, someone told him to finish it as an art project, where just doing it is the point. He says that shift helped him keep going.

FAQ

Who is Anjan Katta? The founder of Daylight Computer, a tablet company focused on a healthier screen.

What is Daylight Computer? A tablet Brett describes as the world's first blue-light-free tablet, popular with parents worried about kids' screens (~02:00).

What did Anjan Katta say about depression? He says he was depressed 16 times in 12 years before working with a psychiatrist, and he encourages getting help (~25:00).

What does control versus real mean? He says trying to control every situation kept him from being himself. Surrendering helped him feel real (~34:00).

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Not medical advice. This post summarizes a podcast conversation for education. The views are the guest's own. Talk to a qualified clinician before you change your diet, supplements or any medication.