I’m Yannis Rizos, a software engineer from Athens, Greece. For almost 20 years, I’ve worked on the backend of learning platforms, reservation systems, marketplaces, and e-commerce products. I’ve always liked the quiet parts of software. The ones that no one sees until they stop working.
I started programming at 7 on an IBM compatible XT with an Intel 8088 running at 4.77 MHz. It was slow, loud, and unforgettable. My first language was GW-BASIC, then Turbo Pascal, then C, then dBASE III, my first descent into the world of data. Then Pascal again, in the impressive form of Borland’s Delphi. College brought the inevitable Java, and the mindboggling CLISP. Each one left a mark on how I think about code.
The first time I was paid to program was in Perl. That’s when I came across Larry Wall’s three virtues: laziness, impatience, and hubris. They stayed with me because they say something honest about how developers think. Build systems that run clean. Take pride in the craft. Design for failure. Make the hard call when the easy one tempts you. That one never gets simpler.
Fast forward to now. Those instincts guide my work at Epignosis, where I lead the Architecture Team that shapes the next iteration of TalentLMS. Modernization without disruption is the ongoing challenge. Every decision is a balance between long-term integrity and short-term needs.
I occasionally write about what that balance looks like in practice. The trade-offs and small corrections that keep systems on track. The messy reality of team dynamics. The quiet work that keeps things from breaking. For readers with little time, my optimistic take on AI coding is the one to start from.
If you want to get in touch, I’m on LinkedIn.