App Kid: How a Child of Immigrants Grabbed a Piece of the American Dream

by Michael Sayman

An inspiring and deeply personal memoir from one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, who taught himself how to code as a thirteen-year-old and claimed his share of the American Dream.

As his parents watched their restaurant business collapse in the wake of the Great Recession, thirteen-year-old Michael Sayman was googling "how to code." Within a year, he had launched an iPhone app that was raking in thousands of dollars a month, enough to keep his family afloat--and in America. Entirely self-taught, Sayman headed from high school straight into the professional world, and by the time he was seventeen, he was Facebook's youngest employee ever, building new features that wowed Mark Zuckerberg. These features are now being used by more than half a billion people every day. After Sayman pushed Facebook to build its own version of Snapchat's "Stories," engagement on the platform soared across all demographics. Millions of Gen Z and Millennials returned to the app as teen engagement rose dramatically on Instagram and WhatsApp, causing a billion-dollar loss in value for Snapchat's parent company. Three years later, he jumped ship for Google. In this candid and uplifting memoir, Sayman shares the highs and lows, the successes and failures, of his remarkable journey. It tells the galvanizing story of how a young Latino, not yet old enough to drink, excelled in the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley, becoming an inspiration to thousands of kids across the United States and Latin America by following his own surprising, extraordinary path. In addition, it is filled with practical wisdom, making it essential--and affirming--reading for anyone marching to the beat of their own drum.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, LGBT

Audiobook

Published September 21, 2021

Reviews

[Brian Fiedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Epilouge:

It probably seems obvious to anyone reading this book that my parents were squarely in the wrong when they spent all the money I made as a kid.

Early in this book, the reader is introduced to this embezzlement, which produces a thread of repercussions right to the end of the book.

Here are some general things you may learn about:

1. Hispanic culture.
2. The importance of networking and maintaining a good online reputation.
3. What it is like to work at Facebook, what the amenities are, and life in bay area. Particularly the housing shortage.
4. Conceptualizing and designing and app. Uploading an app to Apple. Promoting it. Understanding the rise and fall of apps.
5. Negotiating for a new job in tech.
6. Tips about public speaking.

Some specific things about Michael:
1. Exploitative parents.
2. High points in family life, despite that.
3. Realizing one is a gay.
4. Going from obesity and weakness to noteworthy fitness.
5. Coping with astonishing stress. Looking back and seeing a improbable story of success, that could have gone sour many times.

You will not learn what programming is in this book.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started really strong, but I felt less interested as Mr Sayman went from rags-to-riches to out of touch and spoiled. Kinda disappointing. Front half of the book is REALLY worthwhile. Back half, not so much.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent memoir and interesting details about Facebook and Google in the first decade of this century.

[David Lockwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good beginning/ interesting.

Second half weak sauce / not interesting .

[Tim Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great inside look at Silicon Valley. It shows how a kid grew from making apps in his bedroom to working for Google.
I did find Michaels upbringing story to be very sad. Once he started making money, his parents took advantage of him and used him to keep their failing restaurant afloat.
His story shows two different aspects of the American dream. One where he grew up with hard working parents who still didn’t make it big, as well as his story were he does make it big from a poor background. This is a good balanced story about the American dream and I definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants to know about Silicon Valley or the American dream.

[W. Whalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Unusual & Interesting Audiobook

From the opening story in APP KID, I could tell Michael Sayman had written an interesting book. The opening begins with him walking to the stage in Bolivia with 1500 screaming fans—and he is 13 years old. He grew up in Miami and his father was Jewish and from Bolivia and his mother was Peruvian and Roman Catholic. At age ten, Sayman got an iPhone and created an app which was earning about $10,000 a month. He learned to code watching YouTube videos. He contents you can learn anything about anything through using google—and has proven what he says with his actions.

Instead of using his name within his school, Sayman became known as App Kid because of his app about Club Penguin which launched him in the Apple Store. The storytelling in APP KID is excellent and worthwhile listening. While I don’t agree with some of Sayman’s life choices in his story, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and recommend it.

W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his latest Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success (Revised Edition) .

[Hadley Leung · Rating 3 out of 5]

"App Kid" offers a captivating account of an immigrant's journey to achieve his "American dream" by delving into app development at a remarkably young age. The book highlights his experiences interning at Facebook, where he eventually became the company's youngest employee and later went on to become the youngest product manager at Google. However, while the narrative is engrossing, the author's portrayal of himself often exudes immaturity and arrogance.

Several instances,
1. An older coworker who knew what I was working on suggested we create a "teen zone" on Facebook where teens could have fun! I almost died when I heard that. A teen zone? LOL. No teen wanted to be put in a zone.
2. Without a doubt, every woman in that room worked harder than I had ever worked in my life, and they were probably still struggling.
3. Better to do it when I'm young than when I'm forty-something, like Adam Levine.

It is essential that he cultivates humility, acknowledges that he is not the most intelligent individual in the world, and learns to be more receptive to opinions, criticism, and respectful toward others.

[Lev D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like many others brought up, the first half of the book is very captivating and it does bring up a lot of very relatable problems and challenges. The ending, sadly, is not as strong.

[Kara Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up. This quick read memoir is about the "App Kid" who created the game Club Penguin while in high school, went on to work for Facebook and create Instagram Stories, and has had an unbelievable career before the age of 30. While it's not the best written book, it has so much heart. Diving into his relationship with his parents, his coming out story, and the reality of such success at a young age.

[Sarah Watanabe · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This was very honest and very vulnerable memoir, especially touching on his relationship with his parents and money as he supported them. The family's relationship to money is described so honestly it was very powerful. However, the rest of the book was much slower, it was interesting enough but the second half drags on a lot more as he describes in depth how he is undoing all of his childhood trauma essentially.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sayman doesn’t seem to hold back - he is honest about the weaknesses and strengths of both himself and others; and is intentional about giving full context to his accomplishments, so they don’t seem to occur in a vacuum. This book also gives a good glimpse into the technology boom of the mid 2000s to late 2010s. An enjoyable read!

[Philip Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable book. Mature insights from a self-aware 25yo on a broad range of subjects. Social media, racial disadvantage, sexuality, success, failure, networking. Insights into the weird world of Facebook and Google. Accessible writing pitched perhaps at a young adult audience, but no trouble for this septuagenarian.

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the author's experiences growing up. I think this was something very vulnerable to write, and I give Sayman props for writing it. Though it hasn't stuck with me as much as other pieces I've read, Sayman's ability to be memorable in describing his experiences earns him some praise from me.

7/10

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some other reviews said that they didn't like the second half of the book, but I found it just as compelling as the first. It was cool to read a story of coming out that certainly included struggle, but also a sense of joy and innocence.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first half when Michael was a minor. I was less interested in the coming of age story about dating and living the lavish life. Maybe it was because I wasn’t expecting that to be part of the story.

[Anayre Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautifully written auto-biography. I was captured from the first sentence of the prologue and could not put it down thereafter. Highly recommend to anyone looking to take a break from fiction or simply trying to get into biographies.

[Alesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy's story was interesting to listen to hear his obstacles and achievements and just figuring out life and love. One thing that he addressed in this book is money and how his parents went thru so much money because they were never taught financial literacy.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Very inspirational.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read by the author of the autobiography and entirely enjoyable and reflective.

[Monica Pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a nice perspective of what it was like to work in some of the tech industries and advices he would provide esp without an accessible mentor

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring story. Biggest takeaway was: Only you can determine if you are successful. You determine this by your own definition, not someone else’s.

[phil breidenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good writing, inspirational and it also gave me (a 66 yr. old) a better idea of the younger generations thoughts on communication.

[LeAnne Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished in 3 days. Bilingual (with translations), immigrant, inspirational, autobiography, tech savvy story!!!!

[La'Tonya Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A total sleeper. But I hear that the memoir is being optioned as a tv series. Good for Michael!

[Nik · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a page goes by without a mention that he's rich. Shame he didn't use that wealth on a better editor. Or maybe it's just a maturity thing? Super cringe.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great YA memoir perfect for techie kids!

[Melissa Gall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and lighthearted read.

[John Pham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m currently in my last year of CS undergrad at Georgia Tech and am also a child of immigrants. I picked up this book thinking that it would be just an interesting story of how a child of immigrants made it into Silicon Valley, which it is, but it is also so much more.

App Kid is also a rags-to-riches story, one that I personally relate to so much that I cried reading some of the chapters. This on top of the insight gained about Silicon Valley/Tech Industry, App Development, Hispanic Culture, being a child celebrity, coming out while being a somewhat public figure, and more, has made this my favorite read this year. Super inspiring. Would love to meet Michael!

Some have commented how the first half is stronger than the second half. I agree but I thought the second half was still very good.

I recommend this to anyone in Tech or anyone looking to go into Tech. Not necessarily for “practical knowledge” but for the inspiration.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Although I liked this book and overall found it interesting, I wasn't wowed by it. I am glad I listened to it, though.