My name is Juan Riera Pol, I was born in Manacor (Mallorca) on February 11th 1985. My birth took place without complications and I thank my mother for bringing me into the world.

I started studying computers when I was seven years old in Manacor where my elder sister was studying Windows. At such a tender young age, my parents wouldn't let me until I convinced them to give me the opportunity and I started to study in my home town in different schools, completing the following courses:

- March 22nd 1994 Windows 3.1
- May 12th 1994 Wordperfect 5.1 for DOS
- May 30th 1995 DBASE III plus Y DBASE IV
- June 6th 1994 MS-Dos 6.2

Next, I got my father to accompany me to Madrid in the summer of 1995 to take some tests for the Masters Programme in Microsoft Solutions Provider which was subsidised by the European Union for companies with more than 300 employees. I passed the tests and went on to do the Masters that same summer receiving my degree on September 22nd 1995. At 10, I became the youngest Microsoft Provider in Spain and the only one in Mallorca.

Shortly after completing the Masters, I carried out my first programming task for a company in Manacor and since then I have performed many such programmes for companies in mallorca and the rest of Spain.

I have subsequently programmed in Windows for the following sectors:

Stationers, Printers, Restaurants, Builders, Swimming Pool Designers, Ironmongers, Agricultural material supplies, Fruit growing Cooperatives, Ham products, Plumbers, Carpenters and Car Mechanics.

I have also collaborated with overseas companies, mainly in Germany and Mexico where I made presentations.

At present, I am working on a number of programmes for companies in Mallorca but am dependent on my grades at school which is always one of the conditions set by my parents as to whether I can do them or not.

I am also collaborating with a number of companies who have their own programmes on their hardware. These are Travel Agencies, Publishers, Law Firms, Architectural Practices, some International with whom I enjoy a personal relationship.

As for current projects, I am working hard on setting up my own web domain which was a gift from my parents in February, which I hope will be one of the most visited. I hope to achieve this by creating sites for my friends so that their companies are up to date in issues of communication thereby generating wealth and employment for my home town of Manacor. In this way, they might compete with other European companies on the arrival of the Euro, a subject in which I am very much involved since all of my programmes function in Euros.

Universtiy Student Card
(in Catalan)

This year, well, to say the least there are many novelties but among the most important are the following::

At long last I have set up my own company. It all started this summer after returning form doing a Masters at the Apple Training Centre, my father and I were talking in the car about setting up a company for the thousandth time. Through talking and more talking I managed to convince him to find out about the costs of setting up a company and we stopped by a consultant to check on the costs involved. They explained everything and we went home to discuss it with my mother who was opposed to the idea. We nevertheless convinced her to set up a Limited Company, Babysoft S.L. and we set it up so that any billng would be completely legal and above board. I am the majority shareholder, my sister is a minority shareholder and my father has, let’s say, power of attorney. Anyway, my bedroom soon became too small for the work we were doing so we looked for an office. We finally found an office block which is like a glass house, I love glass houses! And we rented it putting a plaque downstairs with my mother and father working alongside me. We have a lot of work and things are great. This is one issue, the other is,

And next year? Are you going to College? Well, let me explain that at University I want to do a course in Infographics which lasts one year January - December. I am keen to do it since I like Infographics. I have sat in on several classes and I love what can be done with computer graphics (such as the film Toy Story). In any case the people who do the Masters which costs 1.5millon pesetas ($8,500) leave very well prepared and ready to join firms such as Lucas Arts but of course I won’t do this. Since the computers and the software cost so much, about 30 million pesetas ($168,500) and this is a lot for my family as you can imagine, combined with the fact that I if I did it I wouldn’t have the means to practice and learn more which would lead me to forget eveything, I decide not to do it.

This year I stay in Manacor to launch the company and if luck, the market and the future permit earn a bit of money. I am sick of my parents having to pay for everything (computers, components etc). I will go to Es Canyar Junior High School, a very good High School in Manacor.

Well anyway, this year I have been to Es Canyar High School in my home town of Manacor and we have established the company, producing a lot of software and selling a huge number of computers to companies and private individuals. There are 8 of us working in the company and things are going well. I hope this will continue next year when I have to go to High school.

This year I am studying at Manacor High School. In truth, I study when I can, which I can’t and much less than I would like but in March 1999 we moved offices. We now have a lot more space and have just opened a computer store to the public on the ground floor. I have set up a number of other companies including Islaweb, which is an ISP with a 128K frame and I have also acquired a majority stake in listin.com, an e-mail directory in Spanish and Portuguese.

In March 2000, only one year later, we moved again to a five storey building in which I have a store downstairs with two people to attend to the public, admin on the first floor and the hardware operators on the second with programmers on the third floor working on software and my office and that of my sister on the fourth floor where we also have the servers and the Board Room.

I now have a 2MB frame and we carry on growing. I have set up another company which is called Webdivision and which is an Internet incubator and we have just launched our first venture, Solo Drivers.com , a database which contain details of more than 10,000 drivers from makers around the world.

Babysoft has also entered into the capital of Renta 4, a stockbroking firm and we are collaborating on the development of R4.com which is their on-line service.

In Listin I have new partners such as J.Carlos Ureta (Renta 4), Guillermo Mesonero and Javier Tallada (Puleva, Radio Intereconomia), Luis Doti (UMD), Fernando Asua (BSCH) etc

I am now frequently contacted by the mass media for interviews and reports and at the moment I am centred on my work since there are now 25 people working here and we are about to open in Vigo, Castellon and Madrid.

To be Continued...