If it is allowed for the "who am i" to be answered by a company, rather than a person, I proclaim the answer to be: Fairchild Semiconductor.

So, I'm probably totally on the wrong path, but a lot of this seemed to ring a bell, and a Wikipedia search joggled my memory (link in spoiler, along with key points). Currently just ramblings while I try to find some smoking gun that says I'm on the right path. Feel free to comment or tell me i'm wrong :)

The Traitorous Eight is a term given to the eight employees who left Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, to create Fairchild Semiconductor. Shockley considered this a 'betrayal'. (so Fairchild Semiconductor was "born as the result of eight betrayals") Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traitorous_eight "Playing in the sand" could refer to the fact that silicon is used to make semiconductors. Silicon is a primary ingredient in common sand.

 

The Traitorous eight worked in a garage at first, "practicing", or rather perfecting, their methods of creating a special type of transistor known as a Moore transistor. They eventually would beat all competition for this product (Became a key player in big business)

The third paragraph of

the riddle has several statements that could infer various types of semiconductor products. Amplifiers, Logic Gates, 'guide' might refer to rectifiers, 'noise' is a common problem in circuits...

 

After more reading, we discover that Fairchild itself lost the original eight over time to more infighting... more betrayals, if you will... and quickly became a nobody in the market that it was once the king of. "eventually, I was no longer special"

In this case, the riddle is not referring to a person, but a company: Fairchild Semiconductor.

It took some research to verify the clues that were standing out to me, but I pieced enough together to be rather certain of my answer. Below, I don't have ALL of the clues answered.

A Child

'child' is in the company's name.

Born as the result of eight betrayals

The Traitorous Eight is a term given to the eight employees who left Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, to create Fairchild Semiconductor. Shockley considered this a 'betrayal'. (so Fairchild Semiconductor was "born as the result of eight betrayals") Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traitorous_eight

I played in the sand, when everyone else played elsewhere

"Playing in the sand" could refer to the fact that silicon is used to make semiconductors. Silicon is a primary ingredient in common sand. Fairchild was focused on a different type of semiconductor than most research at the time, which could allude to "everyone else played elsewhere"

I practiced as I grew

The Traitorous Eight worked in a garage at first, "practicing", or rather perfecting, their methods of creating a special type of transistor known as a Moore transistor.

half way to becoming a maestro

I'm not 100% clear on this one.

then I became a key player in big business

They eventually would beat out all competition for their product.

my success was amplified by my logical approach
my ambition guided me, and those I supported, in giant leaps

I don't know a lot about the specifics here. I notice many references to things that semiconductors can be used for - amplifiers, logic gates, 'guide' might refer to rectifiers...

when things got too noisy I went one way

Most likely a reference to the in-fighting within the company. The Eight never really did get along with each other, brilliant though they were.

is this fair
I was betrayed many many times like my parents before me
and eventually I was no longer special

After more reading, we discover that Fairchild Semiconductor itself lost the original eight over time to its infighting... more betrayals, if you will... and quickly became a nobody in the market that it was once the king of.

A great riddle, it was fun to solve!

So, I'm probably totally on the wrong path, but a lot of this seemed to ring a ball, and a Wikipedia search joggled my memory (link in spoiler, along with key points). Currently just ramblings while I try to find some smoking gun that says I'm on the right path. Feel free to comment or tell me i'm wrong :)

The Traitorous Eight is a term given to the eight employees who left Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, to create Fairchild Semiconductor. Shockley considered this a 'betrayal'. (so Fairchild Semiconductor was "born as the result of eight betrayals") Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traitorous_eight "Playing in the sand" could refer to the fact that silicon is used to make semiconductors. Silicon is a primary ingredient in common sand.

The Traitorous eight worked in a garage at first, "practicing", or rather perfecting, their methods of creating a special type of transistor known as a Moore transistor. They eventually would beat all competition for this product (Became a key player in big business)

The third paragraph of the riddle has several statements that could infer various types of semiconductor products. Amplifiers, Logic Gates, 'guide' might refer to rectifiers, 'noise' is a common problem in circuits...

If it is allowed for the "who am i" to be answered by a company, rather than a person, I proclaim the answer to be: Fairchild Semiconductor.

So, I'm probably totally on the wrong path, but a lot of this seemed to ring a bell, and a Wikipedia search joggled my memory (link in spoiler, along with key points). Currently just ramblings while I try to find some smoking gun that says I'm on the right path. Feel free to comment or tell me i'm wrong :)

The Traitorous Eight is a term given to the eight employees who left Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, to create Fairchild Semiconductor. Shockley considered this a 'betrayal'. (so Fairchild Semiconductor was "born as the result of eight betrayals") Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traitorous_eight "Playing in the sand" could refer to the fact that silicon is used to make semiconductors. Silicon is a primary ingredient in common sand.

The Traitorous eight worked in a garage at first, "practicing", or rather perfecting, their methods of creating a special type of transistor known as a Moore transistor. They eventually would beat all competition for this product (Became a key player in big business)

The third paragraph of the riddle has several statements that could infer various types of semiconductor products. Amplifiers, Logic Gates, 'guide' might refer to rectifiers, 'noise' is a common problem in circuits...

After more reading, we discover that Fairchild itself lost the original eight over time to more infighting..

. more betrayals, if you will... and quickly became a nobody in the market that it was once the king of. "eventually, I was no longer special"