As a proud parent of a sixth grader myself I was in awe of this kid, not so much because he develops software (heck mine been doing it since first grade), but because of his calm, fun and bien-dans-sa-peau way of presenting – the exact opposite of the prototypical megalomaniac TED presenter.
I’d hire him in a second, not to program, but to head up some marketing effort.
Most of all I liked his idea of creating some kind of center where kids could learn to develop apps because as he mentions schools won’t be able to fill that role. It’s not that teachers or administrators wouldn’t approve of it, it’s just all those thorny litle gotchas like Apple’s $99 dev fee, poor documentation and an ever-changing set of development platforms.
So here’s an idea for your staffing business, one that I’ve been pursuing in my own way, and it’s one that my Dad did for me when he started his business, and it’s to create some kind of opportunity for an inquisitive kid. You won’t have to pay much, and the ideas brought to the table will pay you back ten fold.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I love TED talks and this young man’s presentation is one of my new favorites. Great find. What poise and personality. He’s right when he says when it comes to technology, the students know more than the teachers. Nothing against the push for STEM education in our schools, but is STEM really going to help foster and shepherd kids like this, or is it going to be the after school App Club? Love that by the way. If he lives in – or anywhere near – Manhattan Beach, CA., then he probably has lots of financial support. But what of kids like him who have the same aptitude, but not the affluence? Anyway, it has to make you feel slightly better about our country’s future when you know there are young people out there like this trying to shape it.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
In the same vein, I would point your attention to Rishi – a 9 year old 4th grader who pitched his business idea at Startup Weekend last week.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48SZYmASY7c
Awesome!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0