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Michael Sayman
Founder, CEO & Software Engineer at Friendly Apps, Author, and Tech Innovator
Michael Sayman is a Peruvian-Bolivian-American entrepreneur, software engineer, and author who is best known for creating popular mobile apps as a teenager and his subsequent work at tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Roblox.2
Key Facts About Michael Sayman
- Born in 1996 in Miami, Florida to Peruvian and Bolivian immigrant parents2
- Taught himself to code at age 13 and released his first app on the App Store when he was 132
- Gained recognition from Mark Zuckerberg with his turn-based photo game "4 Snaps" in high school, which had over 1 million downloads2
- Became Facebook's "teen-in-residence" at age 18, helping develop products for the teenage demographic2
- Played a key role in creating Instagram Stories while at Facebook23
- Joined Google in 2017 to work on projects like Google Assistant and YouTube Shorts23
- Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 20192
- Worked at Roblox in 2020-2021 managing product teams for features like Friending, Profiles, and Roblox Graph3
- In 2022, founded Friendly Apps, a startup that raised $3 million in seed funding to build apps focused on mental health and well-being13
- Published his memoir "App Kid" in 2021 detailing his upbringing and career2
Friendly Apps
In 2022, Sayman founded Friendly Apps with the goal of creating a suite of apps that help people with their mental health and physical well-being in new ways.1 The startup raised a $3 million seed round in just 7 days from investors including BoxGroup, Weekend Fund, Shrug Capital, and founders from companies like Snap, TikTok, and Google.13
As Founder and CEO, Sayman is programming the front-end and back-end of the Friendly Apps products and managing their promotion to reach the top charts.3 He plans to incorporate perspectives from diverse backgrounds like teachers, mothers, students and immigrants to help guide the company's mission.1
Highlights
I’m excited to share that after the success of SocialAI, I’ll be joining Meta to help build the future of Generative AI as the next chapter of this journey. Building SocialAI and seeing the impact the AI social network had across the tech industry made it clear that there was a natural alignment with Meta in shaping the future of AI.
It’s a special feeling to return to Meta, where I started my career 10 years ago as a 17 year old kid, and I look forward reuniting with everyone again! ❤️
While I can’t share every detail, it’s safe to say that this transition marks an exciting next step. Meta is the leading innovator in AI, and I’m excited to join forces, focusing on helping advance their AI initiatives alongside some of the most brilliant minds in the industry. I’m looking forward to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with Generative AI and create the tools that shape the future of how we connect and interact online.
I couldn’t be more thrilled! 😄
“You're never as good as they say when you're up, and you're never as bad as they say when you're down. You just have to stay focused and keep shipping over the long term.”
