Welcome to the heart of CM64. Here, I share my personal journey—a story interwoven with technology, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. From a childhood fascination with a Commodore 64 to the founding of CM64, every step has been driven by passion and a deep love for technology. Dive into my story, which is not just about technology but about the journey of a dreamer navigating the ever-evolving digital world.
👋 TL;DR: I'm Andrés Cufari, the founder of CM64. My passion for technology sparked at age 4 with a Commodore 64 in Buenos Aires, and it's been the driving force of my life ever since. From creating my first software at 11 to navigating the challenges of the tech startup world, I've always been fascinated by the endless possibilities of technology. My journey includes pioneering web-based software, exploring cloud computing with Kactoo and Webuzzle, and venturing into SaaS with Dr. Nube and BillboTV. The pandemic era led to the creation of mibarrio.chat, a social non-profit marketplace. CM64 is the culmination of this journey, a studio dedicated to collaborative innovation and the shared passion for technology. Here, we welcome all who are eager to explore, create, and shape the future of technology together.
👋 Hi, I'm Andrés Cufari, the founder of CM64, and this is my story. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, into a middle-class family on the outskirts of the city, I was privileged to receive an education from my parents, including early exposure to technology. At the age of 4, I learned to read and write my first English words using a Commodore 64. In fact, to run a game on that computer, you had to write Basic programming code. From that moment, my coding journey never ceased.
By the age of 11, I had completed my first product—a DOS Norton Commander clone for Windows 3.11, created with Visual Basic. I also started learning C at the age of 12. My friends and I at the time were enthralled by games like Maniac Mansion and exchanging computer parts. That era was magical; computer software was fascinating, and everything felt new and inspiring. I remember learning from mistakes, such as accidentally infecting my father's computer with a Predator virus, or spending countless hours trying out shell scripts with Linux and BBS before the internet even existed.
As a teenager, my first foray into making money involved repairing computers, creating webpages with Flash and HTML, and installing networks in cybercafés, before entering college. There, I studied Computer Science until I began my journey as a full-time developer at a Software Factory specializing in Web 2.0 development with Perl, PHP, Ajax, and other emerging technologies.
One of my first jobs was in a small company, pioneering the creation of complete bank software over the web—a concept that seemed far-fetched at the time. This software was designed to run on a grid computing system, a precursor to cloud computing. I was tasked with designing and optimizing a transactional engine for the software, as well as collaborating in optimizing the database engine. Despite our hard work, the project ultimately failed, and everyone was let go.
However, this experience fueled my passion for technology. I co-founded Kactoo, an early attempt at cloud computing, and developed Webuzzle, a CMS that was sold in 2010. My journey into cloud computing models truly began when I created an ERP SaaS for small businesses, which I launched as a solo founder in 2012.
Dr. Nube, another SaaS venture, taught me much about growth and sales, allowing me to experiment creatively. Concurrently, I worked as a CTO consultant, constantly learning new technologies and methodologies. I also founded BillboTV, a digital advertising platform using machine learning and computer vision, which was a challenging yet rewarding experience.
The arrival of the pandemic brought new challenges but also a reminder of technology's power to connect and support communities, leading to the creation of mibarrio.chat, a social non-profit marketplace. This project achieved rapid growth, attracting 1.5 million visitors in just two weeks and gaining national TV press attention. However, we decided not to pursue it further when it diverged from our initial purpose.
Today, CM64 isn't just a testament to my journey; it's an invitation to all who share a fascination with technology. It's a studio that thrives on collaborative innovation, where we leverage our past experiences to inspire future breakthroughs. My aim is not to stand apart, but to stand alongside fellow tech enthusiasts, to learn from and contribute to a community that has given so much to me.
I've been inspired by countless individuals in the tech community, many of whom remain unsung heroes. Their contributions to open source and technology democratization have paved the way for so many of us. CM64 is my way of giving back, of keeping the flame of innovation burning bright. It's a commitment not to personal glory, but to the shared passion and collective advancement of the technology world.
So, whether you're a seasoned tech veteran or just starting out, CM64 is a space for all of us to explore, create, and dream. It's about reliving the magic that technology first held for us and fostering the next wave of innovations. Let's embark on this journey together, inspired by the past and excited for the future.
Sincerely,
Andrés Cufari