Atascadero
High School teen may be 'the next Bill Gates'
18-year-old already markets his own data-system computer
software
Larissa Van Beurden
The Tribune ATASCADERO - Sitting in class at
Atascadero High School earlier this year, student T.J. Maghni felt his
cell phone vibrate in his pocket.
It wasn't a friend calling to talk about
weekend plans. It was a potential business client that could bring in
more than $1,000 for the 18-year-old.
As the owner and sole proprietor of
MagnoSoft, a company that sells DataTrack work system software, Maghni
works with real clients -- including the city of Billings, Mont., and
the Emergency Services Department in Orange County, N.C.
But knowing cell phones are off-limits in
class, Maghni had to wait until the bell rang to answer it.
"It's a little bit tough," he said of
trying to balance his Advanced Placement classes and a thriving
business. But "I knew this was a little more than a stepping stone of
getting into my life and working. I've gotten into making this a
fundamental aspect of my career."
For the past five years, Maghni has
taught himself about computers -- from Web site design to software
programming.
About a year ago, he was in Gary
Bissell's computer class, working with a professional data-track system
that was antiquated and slow. Maghni asked Bissell if he would be
interested in a new, faster program. Bissell said yes.
A week later, Maghni put together a basic
program.
After working for several more months to
fine-tune the program, the high school implemented it. The main
difference between DataTrack and programs like it is that it's faster
and it has a Web-based feature.
Now, when employees have a computer
problem, they log onto a Web site, enter a password, and describe their
situation. That information is sent directly to computer technicians.
The software allows them to sort the incoming requests, and keeps track
of details like when the request came in, who will respond to it and
how long it took to fix.
This year, the program has handled 1,400
requests at the school.
So far, Bissell said, it's been very
reliable.
"I think he's heads above the
competition," Bissell said. "It's pretty phenomenal."
It's not just the ability to program
software that makes Maghni exceptional, Bissell said. It's also his
business savvy. He's gone out and analyzed the competition, and has a
very detailed business plan.
"I keep telling him he's the next Bill
Gates," Bissell said. "I said 'You're going to make $1 million before
you're 21.' And he said 'I've got higher aspirations than that.' "
Financially, it did help that Maghni was
just a teenager. The company would never have gotten off the ground
without his parents supporting him, Maghni said.
"If you really want your product to
succeed, it takes a lot of money," he said. "That's something I don't
have."
His parents pay his bills and Internet
access, he said. His dad also helped him with legal aspects, such as
obtaining a business license.
Now that he's selling the product, Maghni
said he plans to have enough to put back into the business. With no
overhead or wholesale costs, nearly 95 percent of his sales are profit.
The success of MagnoSoft didn't come as a
surprise to his mother. Ever since he was little, he has been serious
about anything he starts, said Maria Maghni.
When he got a complicated Erector set as
a child, Maria said she was afraid he wouldn't be able to put it
together. But that made him even more determined.
"He's the type of person that sets his
own goals," she said.
Classmates in his computer technician
class said Maghni's program is "pretty cool."
"It's definitely impressive for a
(18)-year-old," said Tim Lovegren, 17. "Programming is one of the
hardest aspects of computers."
Maghni's been accepted to the aerospace
engineering program at Cal Poly. But he might put college on hold to
focus on his business.
"I don't want to sound like a mogul," he
said. "But I do have plans to branch out to different things -- from
aerospace to music recording."
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