This statement is understandable if we take into account that Michael has lived in a constant cycle due to his work in the field of technology since he was 13 years old. At that age, he developed his first video game application for Apple, after his parents, Latin immigrants who had lived on North American soil for decades – he was Bolivian; She, Peruvian – lost her job due to the 2008 financial crisis.

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“I want a normal life like any other teenager. I felt so stressed that it affected my performance at school. My scores were very bad. It was hard for me to practice. “Agree.

At the age of 17 he was hired Facebook, Became the youngest engineer in the history of the company. At age 21, he already took over as Product Manager, valued at $ 10 million Google.

According to Michael, Mark Zuckerberg contacted himself via email to become a part of his company. For three years he worked on developing products for young people such as celebrities Stories From Instagram. “We met with Mark every week to talk about the projects we were working on, and I gave him his approval.”The young engineer recalled. “He’s always been very friendly. We’ve been in contact to this day, but I’m trying to annoy him a lot. He’s very busy with his metawares now..

Michael has an opinion on the direction Facebook is taking, towards the connection and interaction of users in virtual or alternative worlds. “Facebook is the only way to live”He insists. “They are not cell phones, only applications. So they are forced to create a product that allows them to be in control of the software.”Fills.

Go to another reality

From his time in Silicon Valley, Michael says he has learned two things: Ask those who know him better and understand that he is not always going to be right. “I’m, practically, in the second half of my adolescence, I was raised by Facebook executives.”, Laugh. “Getting used to my new life is not easy. I never left my house. I lost a lot of weight and I was scared because I was in a different world, ”he adds.

We decided to film all those experiences, good and bad, ups and downs in the book ‘App Kid: how a son of immigrants get a piece of the American dream’. A few days ago, he was invited by the US Embassy in Peru to visit Arequipa, Cusco and Lima to meet with his supporters and comment on the release. Similarly, andHe spearheaded a cycle of talks on ‘Technology for All’, where he, as an LGDPI activist, spoke about the opportunities the technology world offers against his place of birth and gender.

“Most of the stories of successful people, to put it bluntly, are flawed. I’m going to tell my story, and if it’s to inspire others, I have to be honest, I have to tell the good, I have to tell the good.He maintains.

Michael believes that if anyone has the effort, commitment and interest in technology he can carve a path like he did. “You do not have to be a genius to learn programming”It says. “Everything I learned was self-taught because I loved video games. I think we all have the ability to learn things on our own.”.

That is why he maintains that Peru is a country that has the potential for the development of technological solutions that are struggling to close the link gaps. “Internet access has changed things. Today we have access to information, books and specialized sites that teach us how to create applications and new products.”To explain.

These days he stays away from big companies, but he is immersed in his personal project: Friendly Apps, a social network that helps people “connect in a friendly way, taking care of their mental health and physical well-being.” “Most social networks play with human psychology and To take advantage of the need for us to be included in some group, “explains Michael Simon. “As we have lived in a point system there are many beautiful ways to connect with others, without focusing on preferences, ideas or followers.”, He concludes. //