We continue with the interview with Santiago Siri ( part one )

The Tecnoloco (ET): As you look at the future? (If any fucking question!) Santiago Siri (SS): hahaha .. itself is not an easy question. When I booted with Popego, the imposed goal was to create a company that could really innovate and get into a globally competitive edge. And that demands a huge effort is very ambitious and get it to boot from a country like Argentina where there is little tradition of it. I wish I could take a long flight Popego and my future is marked by the course that will take the company over the next years or even decades to come. I like to think in the long run and obviously work every day to grow steadily. But as den den things .. surely in the future I am working on projects that seek to innovate and be original. Nothing is more important than that.

ET: How do you Definis Artist or Technician?

SS: While not long ago that I do, I like programming and long ago I do not. On the other hand, I think some of the programs that nudge is an art in itself. But it's also true that I look much the aesthetic side and particularly Popego I put my own hand in the design and usability. I guess I should define myself as an "entrepreneur" now that I am conducting a company .. but I do not like at all that definition, that always sounded a bit empty to be an "entrepreneur" to dry. Finally .. complicate me with this question

ET: What general approach should be an entrepreneur?, Used to be "submissive"?

SS: I can tell you I took that attitude that helped me a lot .. and that is to be constantly learning mode, to be alert to what is happening and being the recipient of all sorts of tips, news, opinions, etc.. In my case I learned a lot from my partner, Emiliano Kargieman , who also invest in the company capital, clearly also invested transmit their knowledge and experiences. I learned a lot of team working in Popego: they all know a lot more than I do in a specific area of ​​the project. And finally learn a lot of feedback from users, which are quite sincere when they have the chance to speak their minds openly. If one is alert to hear the voices of others, the criterion has to take decisions after a much more solid.

ET: Are you still active in ADVA ?

SS: ADVA is one of those projects that I love but I can not spend my time. LOT I am heartened to see that today well established gaming companies, selling projects around the world and even reaching what seemed like a utopia as 7 years ago was to develop console games in Argentina. View EVA that is made by 6th year is also something that makes me very happy. If I look at it in perspective, many things have been achieved through the efforts of the community game and being able to participate in the genesis of it was incredible. Today my only link to ADVA, and this does not tell anyone is that I am the one who pays the hosting of the site

ET: Did your parents to get involved?

SS: My father is a lawyer, a very traditional work for several decades in the brewer Quilmes. And my mom is a rare writer combo (this putting together a book of short stories now) + entrepreneur .. I was very young when she had a slipper factory and now works in the tourism industry. And thankfully the two have been stalwarts me .. supported me from day one, when I told them I wanted to leave the power to make a football game .. but hey, in case of my brother and were cured of fear .. I paved the way

ET: How do you get along with your brother Liniers (by the way, this great interface your site )?

SS: He has 10 years than I. .. and throughout my life was my idol. I can say? If today I have some good taste in music, film buff or literary is all because of him. I remember as a child forced me to memorize the names of rock bands that appeared on the TV channels .. He opened the world of culture from birth .. and today with his cartoon in the newspaper is doing just that with many readers around the country! He was also an example of persistence, he stepped up big time to get to occupy the site is within the world of comics here .. which leaves little doubt to me me about how valuable it is to strive and persist in what one likes.

ET: Are you studying a university degree?

SS: No.. and perhaps there are things I would like some more solid formation. But I always felt uncomfortable in academia .. I really enjoy reading and ironically finished reading on various topics of science or philosophical and political essays. Anyway, I often say that having made ​​the FD was my university

ET: Do you see directing a movie, you want this kind of project?

SS: hahaha .. Obviously! I love .. but I have full awareness that directing a film requires much technical knowledge and aesthetic .. film has a very deep and complex language. The most important would surely have a good story to tell .. but hey, I really enjoy making software, which I think in many ways as one of the most important forms of expression and interesting this time.

And these are the questions tecnolocas: (all that interviewers will ask the same questions)

• PC or Mac?: Mac
• MAC OS, Linux or Windows?: Mac OS X.. this operation is something poetic.
• Favorite Gadget: iPhone, hard to believe it's real. It's a bug in 2015, not 2008.
• Favorite Software: Hard to choose. Gmail seems impeccable.
• Video favorite game: Katamari Damacy .. pure beauty.
• Last video game played (and opinion): Spore .. Contrary to other games Will Wright, is very goal oriented and lacks the fantasy of playing as an unrestricted free experience. In a Darwinian game, that was very important and it failed. I hate to say.
• Book / Comic favorite: Maus I and II. It's a painful portrait of the Holocaust and gave the comic a unique expressive richness.
• Blog / favorite site: Wikipedia. We should give the Nobel Peace Prize to Jimmy Wales
• Favorite Movie: Thank .. I put in a technical tie "Space Odyssey: 2001" Kubrick for his influence on me and "Modern Times" by Chaplin for his influence in the world.
• Last film seen (and opinion): " Blindness "the movie based on the novel by Saramago. Impeccable direction of Meirelles (" City of God ") and one of my favorite actors, Gael Garcia Bernal .
• Sports: haha .. a year ago I would say without shame Tennis .. Today I tell you with shame.
• What do you do on Saturday nights?: Hmm .. I can not find a regular pattern to my activity Saturday night, but if I can be at a barbecue with friends swapping stories, I'm happy.
• Person / s you admire (otherwise): I do not admire, but I woke up a lot of fascination at the time the historical figure of Che Guevara. An idealist who died with his boots on and became a symbol of rebellion .. but I can not separate that fundamentalist and dogmatic man who murdered people and establishes a regime harmful in Cuba. This dualism of Che .. is fascinating.

THANK YOU SANTI!

These days, from the an interview today, followed two important facts:
1) Creative Award Argentino: Schamun Candelaria, Santiago Siri, Sebastián Ortega, Diego and Peter Capusotto Saborido

2) Popego in hyper (TELEFE, Canal 11, Argentina)

We begin a new section within the tecnoloco: "Interviews." Who?, People that I personally admire people who show us "the way", those who already made ​​the effort, which changed its stars! (One of the memorable phrases of " Corazón de Caballero "), those who did something that changed their lives and why not, the lives of others.

Without further ado, I begin the first part of the interview we did to Santiago Siri , starting with questions about his past:

ElTecnoloco (ET): How long it took to make Soccer Deluxe ?, why do you say "octopus"? Santiago Siri (SS): Soccer Deluxe was a project that took about 3 years. Since its inception as an idea to the international publication was a long process and much learning. The nickname came about when doing demos colleagues from ADVA and explained that both the art, as the code or the music I had made ​​and baptized my under-man band as "Octopus"

ET: No Soccer Deluxe, do you think Popego exist?

SS: I really never thought about it. Certainly I think having a previous experience was something considered launching something positive for my current partners who invested in Popego. There are a lot of courage to have tried to start something, but to be successful or not (as was the case of FD where although the investment is recovered, is far from a success). In our culture we should stop being so successful and assess the learning that arise when things go wrong.

ET: How much influence think that to speak English in your endeavors?

SS: This is something I owe to my father fully instilled in me from very young to speak English. I sincerely believe that today is a fundamental tool to speak more than one language. Of course English has the virtue of being the common language to talk to anyone in the world .. and if you want to grow both professionally and personally and culturally able to speak a language like English opens all doors in the world. I think that learning a second language should be compulsory in all schools in the country today only speak a language is a serious symptom that overrides many possibilities as it was several decades ago illiteracy.

ET: What was the experience of TC50 ? ( what the hell is TechCrunch? ), I imagine a lot of feelings together.

SS: It was the best professional experiences of my career. The mere fact that the selection process was very challenging and we face more than 1000 companies is somewhat amazing to me. M So take great pride in seeing the effort we put everyone in Popego to achieve that milestone. When making the presentation, but had some nerves before going on stage Emiliano my partner told me I had a festive feel .. and could not have been better defined.

ET: What can you tell us about the experience of having lived a month in Silicon Valley? Are they going to start a business there?

SS: Popego was conceived as a company poised to grow in a global context .. and that demand has a strong presence in the U.S. which is where the market. Our goal is to assemble a team of business development there and maintain the excellent team here we have development.

Being in Silicon Valley certainly helps a lot to understand how the gears of the world of technology. In Argentina is far from having a clear idea about how things happen there and I learned a lot in my stay. Undoubtedly there is an abysmal difference of capital to do things .. but I think it is worth noting that here, contrary to what you see there is everything to be done and that any entrepreneur in Argentina should be seen as a great opportunity.

ET: The Popego development time, until today is over 2 years, almost as much as "Soccer Deluxe", persistence is a quality that every entrepreneur should have, then how did all that time to motivate (both you and the team) to continue development?

SS: I personally like large projects, and the fascination of the web in particular (which is not so big games) is that large projects are also projects, "living" that can renew and readjust to new realities. A simple analogy is that I like to write more novels stories .. and so I feel comfortable doing these jobs knowing that demand patience. With Popego is comforting to know that you work with an excellent team that constantly brings new ideas, making us never tire of the project .. keeping that fire alive is critical.

ET: How is the infrastructure Popego?

SS: The development is done in python on the backend and the frontend has the classic components of javascript and html. So in that sense is not no big deal! The main challenge in terms of architecture, is able to scale which requires a lot of algorithms that optimize use and simplify as much as possible the different pieces of the "machinery". Actually as we move forward we realize the ambitious project .. which requires us to constantly be reading papers and learning how to solve new problems. It's a fun job

ET: How do you see the future of Argentina with doing?

SS: In Argentina we have an excellent track record launching software! There was a very good first generation in Internet companies and now there's a new wave of entrepreneurs eager to continue to demonstrate that there is room for new ideas in the country. Now, in international terms, we still have much to learn and go .. make good investment practices that exist in the U.S., have a culture more akin to the undertaking where it is supported by both the success and the failure .. and eradicate negative notions that arise when one speaks of "entrepreneurs" in Argentina. We are a country badly beaten by our politicians and corruption .. and it shows very clearly when one is out: it is very unfair that we lose all the time the Argentines arguing among ourselves for the status core issues not yet resolved. And that affects a lot of entrepreneurs .. but I think with good examples, leading to mark a way forward and show that you can do great things here, things are going to be getting better. I learned a lot from my partners in this regard.

ET: How do you see in the future? (If any fucking question!)

Continued ...
UPDATE: Continuous: http://eltecnoloco.com/entrevista-santiago-siri-parte2

For hanging not knowing what is Popego, here is a review .:)