Hector Diaz

Author of Made It Myself. I've spent 30+ years making computers do real work, from mainframes to AI. Now I show kids and parents how to do it too.

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Portrait of author Hector Diaz
First programBASIC · Tandy CoCo 2 · age 12

Books

Written to be built, not just read.

Cover of Made It Myself by Hector Diaz

New · Ages 10 and up

Made It Myself

A Parent's and Student's Guide to Building Real Things With AI

I wrote this for my nephews. I wanted something I could hand them and say: follow this, step by step, and at the end you'll have built something real. Then I thought, why only them?

Eight steps take a student from a first conversation with an AI tool to a real project they can show people. A parent works through it alongside them. No coding experience needed. Every result is a goal, not a promise.

  • Coming soon on Amazon
  • 8 steps · 25 chapters
  • 301 pages
  • Paperback · Hardcover · Kindle
Cover of Make Your First Dollar Using AI Tools and n8n by Hector Diaz

For adults

Make Your First Dollar Using AI Tools and n8n

From your first automation to your first sale

No theory tour. You build working automations with n8n and AI tools, then turn one of them into something people pay for. It's the same way I learned: build it, break it, fix it, sell it.

  • n8n
  • AI tools
  • Step-by-step builds

The story

It started with a kid and a Tandy.

  1. Age 12First computer: a Tandy Color Computer 2. First program, in BASIC.
  2. CollegePascal, C, C++, FoxPro, dBase, then the first Visual Basic.
  3. Grad schoolMaster's in Computer Science.
  4. 20+ yearsEnterprise automation, data-driven processes, mobile apps from the Windows CE era on.
  5. 2019Retired. Moved from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania to help care for family.
  6. 2020Saw AI as a tool that does real work. Founded Orbix Automation Solutions.
  7. TodayBuilds automations for businesses, teaches at AI Auto Base, writes books.

I grew up in Puerto Rico. My father taught me to fix and build things with whatever was in front of me. If the car broke, we fixed it. If the house needed something, we built it. That habit never left.

People assume automation came easy because of 30 years of programming. That helped, but the real reason is games. I've put more than 2,000 hours into Factorio. You land on a planet with nothing and build a factory: ore goes here, a belt carries it there, a machine turns it into something else. Scale it, and the bottleneck moves.

That is the whole discipline of automation. When I sat down with Zapier, then Make, then n8n, nothing was new. I wasn't learning a tool. I was recognizing it.

The line between people who got ahead and people who didn't was never talent. It was access. AI doesn't replace the effort. It evens out the access.

That's why I teach, and why I wrote these books. Systems thinking is a habit, not a gift. It can be learned, and you can start at ten.

— Hector

FAQ

Questions parents ask first.

Don't see yours? Ask me directly.

Who is Hector Diaz?

An author and the founder of Orbix Automation Solutions. I grew up in Puerto Rico, hold a Master's in Computer Science, and have more than 30 years in technology and automation, from mainframes to AI. I wrote Made It Myself and Make Your First Dollar Using AI Tools and n8n.

Who is Made It Myself for?

Students ages 10 and up, working through it with a parent or another adult. Adults who are new to AI use it on their own too.

Does my child need to know how to code?

No. The book starts from zero. Each step explains what to type, what should happen, and what to do when it doesn't.

What will a student build?

Across eight steps and 25 chapters, a student goes from a first conversation with an AI tool to a real project they can show people. Some go as far as a small business. Every result is a goal, not a promise.

Where can I buy Made It Myself?

It's coming soon on Amazon in paperback, hardcover and Kindle. This page will link to it the day it goes live.

Can I contact you for school orders, talks or interviews?

Yes. Use the form below. I read every message and answer in English or Spanish.