Mike Steenbeke

The brief Life story

Despite his relentless ambition, Mike faced personal challenges due to dyslexia and "Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood" which made his educational experience a nightmare. Driven by his ambition to be accepted and connected, he turned to business success to counterbalance his difficulties in building self-esteem socially and academically. Despite these hurdles, Mike remained undeterred and pursued a proper education. However, College proved to be a challenging journey due to his struggle with transposing numbers and letters, making academic success seem nearly impossible. Furthermore, three years into college, his father’s paralysis demanded Mike’s attention, ultimately diverting him from completing his formal education. During his early 20s, Mike became an accomplished windsurfer, enjoying sponsorships and a modest income. While on a trip to Tahiti, he was offered the opportunity to teach windsurfing and live in paradise. However, having just begun his career in Technology, Mike faced a sobering lifestyle choice, choosing the practical lifestyle over one of passion and pleasure. He chose the red pill, leaving short term pleasure behind and heading back to the mainland, pursuing the more profound attributes of a life of deeper happiness and joy. By the age of 30, Mike had established a flourishing career selling leading-edge technology to bleeding-edge companies. His journey led him to create a multi-million-dollar tech company, becoming an expert in his field, and serving prominent clients, including Apple Computer. On the surface, Mike was living the American dream, with rewards from owning a successful business, a beautiful wife, three children, a beautiful home, and the means to travel. However, life’s challenges did not spare Mike, despite his business triumphs, he faced a cascade of difficulties, including a protracted divorce during the worst economic downturn in a generation. This challenging period involved losing his business, fighting for father’s rights against child services, and the tragic loss of both his parents. In the face of adversity, Mike sought solace in research and writing about relationships and human behavior. Though setbacks arose, his dedication to his work and impressive readership kept him going. Eventually, he returned to the Tech Industry, finding a renewed means of income. Opportunity knocked again when Mike, while helping App Startups as a consultant, gained a working knowledge of the app space and recognized the potential to revolutionize the restaurant industry. Motivated, he embarked on creating his own social media app for dining, investing over $500k in R&D. Unfortunately, the app’s progress was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, stifling its potential for success. Undeterred by failure, Mike drew inspiration from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous quote, «Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.» With newfound determination, he doubled down and began working on his second application, the Carizma Compass. This innovative platform aims to help people on their journey to a happier life, and though its outcome is still uncertain, the prospects are promising.