IT Teens: Arman Barseghyan

It’s a proved fact that love for technologies begins in childhood. Today students go to school with smartphones and do their homework on tablets.

There are many teenagers in Armenia now, who not only use smartphones and tablets but also try to create something on their own - a game, an app or a program.

Itel.am continues its IT Teens series, presenting Armenian teenagers who’ve been interested in technologies since early childhood and create products in this industry.

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14-year-old Arman Barseghyan attends Armath engineering lab in Talin, a small Armenian town. The talented teenager’s interests mainly lie in augmented and virtual reality.

In May 2018, Arman took part in EMERGE tech conference in Minsk with his startup Zoomar, an app that scans images and constructs 3D animated models of them. Arman was the youngest ever participant of the conference.

Earlier this year, in January, Arman’s startup was awarded in Yerevan Blockchain Hackathon.

Making games 4 hours a day

No one in my family is involved in web development, in any way. I used to watch our neighbor’s daughter work on computer when I was five. She was a web developer. I understood nothing at first, but I liked technologies and computers. I got my first computer when I was 8 or 9 years old.

Arman Barseghyan
photo © Mediamax

I prefer to use computers for work, not games.

My family would be angry with me for spending so much time on my phone at first, but then they realized I was making games, not just playing them. I usually develop games for 4 hours a day: I code the game on the computer and test it on the phone.

I work with C#, which I learned by myself. Before that I learned HTML, JavaScript and other coding languages. I try to add to my portfolio as many languages as I can to choose later which one I prefer. C# seems to be the most convenient at the moment.

Learning coding languages on his own

It’s easy to learn coding languages online, if you know English. Actually, you can’t find enough relevant material on YouTube in Armenian. You have to search for it in English or Russian.

Arman Barseghyan
photo © Mediamax

If you speak English well, you won’t have a problem learning online. I learned English by watching films and various videos. Then a volunteer came to Armath and gave us English speaking lessons for 2 months.

I would like to continue my education at UWC Dilijan from the 11th grade, and then get a higher education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

What would you do with your first million?

I would spend my first million on repairing my office or acquiring a new one. I have turned my room into a real office. I have separate computers for programming and 3D modeling.

I would also use that money for investing in my startup and trying to raise it further. I would expand my team.

By the way, currently I am looking for team members: project manager and 3D modeler.

Dream to visit Microsoft and work at Apple

I would love to visit the Silicon Valley, particularly Microsoft headquarters. I think Microsoft has so many products, that I will need at least a week to get acquainted with them. Still when it comes to my future job, I would prefer to work at Apple, as they offer a very developed AR direction.

A question to Elon Musk: What made you so smart?

I would like to dine with Elon Musk. His creativity only can attract one to wish to meet him. I would ask him: what made you so smart? I would also ask him whether he is interested in launching AR and VR-based product, developed with my participation.

Arman Barseghyan
photo © Mediamax

New VR projects and search for investments

Currently I develop a VR game for HTC Vive virtual reality headset. I started the project from zero.

Besides, I am looking for financing for my yet another project, aimed at creating platform for beginning surgeons, which enables them to perform surgeries, based on virtual reality technologies.

I need Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and MacBook Pro notebook to continue my projects.

Narine Daneghyan
Photos by Emin Aristakesyan