About Tapiki
Built by engineers, not salespeople.
Tapiki is a Hawaii-based custom software agency that's been building websites and apps since 2009. We've shipped over 200 websites and 50 mobile apps for businesses, nonprofits, and organizations across the islands and beyond.
The founder
Brian Dote
Brian started his career as an engineer at Apple, where he earned 5 patents and helped build some of Apple's earliest web-based products. He led the UI engineering team behind .Mac — Apple's web services platform — delivering what reviewers called one of the best web-based email services of its time.
After Apple, Brian moved to Hawaii and served as Senior Vice President at Bank of Hawaii, where he oversaw technology strategy and digital banking. He then became Chief Innovation Officer at Mid-Pacific Institute, one of Hawaii's premier independent schools, where he integrated technology into education at a systemic level.
In 2009, he founded Tapiki with a simple idea: bring Silicon Valley engineering quality to Hawaii's small businesses at prices they could actually afford. Seventeen years later, that mission hasn't changed — but the tools have gotten dramatically better.
Today, Tapiki uses AI to accelerate every phase of web development. The result is the same quality Brian has always delivered — now at a fraction of the time and cost.
Career highlights
Apple Inc.
UI Engineer & Team Lead — contributions led to 5 patents in iOS and iCloud technology
Bank of Hawaii
Senior Vice President — led technology strategy and digital banking transformation
Mid-Pacific Institute
Chief Innovation Officer — drove school-wide AI and technology integration
Tapiki, LLC
Founder — 200+ websites, 50+ apps, 100+ clients across Hawaii and beyond
5
US Patents for Apple
200+
websites shipped
100+
clients served
30+
years in tech
Why Hawaii
Local matters. We live where you work.
Hawaii's business landscape is unique. Island economies, tourism-driven markets, tight-knit communities, and a culture where relationships matter more than contracts. We understand this because we've been here for 17 years, working with everyone from Leonard's Bakery to the State of Hawaii.
When you work with Tapiki, you're not getting a mainland agency that has never set foot in Hawaii. You're getting a neighbor who understands the cost pressures, the seasonal cycles, and the importance of community reputation. We've built sites for restaurants, tour companies, law firms, nonprofits, schools, and government agencies across the islands.
And because we're local, we can meet in person when it matters. Not every conversation needs to be a video call.
The evolution
Same commitment to quality. Dramatically better tools.
For 17 years, we built websites the traditional way — designers created mockups, developers wrote every line of code, and the process took weeks to months. It produced great work, but it was expensive. A proper business website cost $25,000 to $80,000, and most small businesses couldn't justify that investment.
AI changed that equation. Starting in 2025, we began integrating AI into every phase of our process — design generation, code writing, content structuring, and quality assurance. The result: the same quality we've always delivered, at a fraction of the time and cost.
This isn't about replacing human judgment with AI. It's about using AI to handle the repetitive, time-consuming parts of web development so our experienced team can focus on the decisions that actually require a human — brand strategy, user experience, and the details that make your business stand out.
We're honest about what AI does and doesn't do. AI makes us faster and lets us charge less. Our experience ensures the result is right for your specific business. That combination is what makes Tapiki different.