How It Started with CosmicSoft

In this lesson, Adam Ernst, a software engineer at Meta, shares the remarkable story of how his journey into software development began long before his professional career. He reflects on founding CosmicSoft, a software company he started while still in middle school, where he built and sold an online testing application for teachers. Adam explains how beginner-friendly programming tools enabled him to create real software, how he sold his products online before modern payment platforms like Stripe existed, and the entrepreneurial lessons he learned from launching a business at such a young age.

• A Passion for Programming Began Early: Adam Ernst discovered his love for software development in middle school, using the programming language Real Basic to build an online testing application inspired by his mother's work as a teacher.
• Launching CosmicSoft: Adam successfully sold his software to customers around the world using early e-commerce tools, accepting both online credit card payments and mailed checks—an impressive entrepreneurial achievement for a middle school student.
• Foundations of a Software Career: Adam's experience highlights how curiosity, accessible development tools, and a willingness to solve real problems laid the foundation for the engineering career that eventually led him to Meta.