I Started With Software
I'm a software designer. I began writing programs when I was about twelve, in the early 1980s, using 6502 assembly language on an Apple II.
Programming introduced me to a world of problems that could be explored, understood, and solved by building something. Even as a teenager, I was interested not only in making programs work, but in how they were designed.
That curiosity has stayed with me. I've spent much of my professional life designing and developing software, working with teams, teaching, and asking how software can evolve without becoming unnecessarily difficult to change.
Learning to Design and Grow Software
In the early 1990s, I worked as a mentor and trainer for Sun Microsystems, focusing on object-oriented software engineering, design, and iterative and incremental development. I often worked with teams facing difficult software projects, where the challenge was not simply to write more code but to improve how the software was designed and developed.
In the late 1990s, I became deeply involved in eXtreme Programming (XP) and Test-Driven Development (TDD). I attended the first XP Immersion in 1999. In 2000, I founded XPLabs S.r.l., dedicated to software development, training, mentoring, and the practical application of XP.
I also worked with Kent Beck on spreading XP in Europe and contributed as an editor to the second edition of Extreme Programming Explained. These experiences reinforced my interest in feedback, testing, evolutionary design, and learning through real work.
A Different Relationship With Time
In the 1980s, alongside my work and studies, I created the Pomodoro® Technique to understand my relationship with time. What started as a personal experiment became a method for planning work, dealing with interruptions, estimating effort, and learning from experience.
Around 2010, interest in the Technique grew significantly. I moved to Berlin with my team, founded Cirillo Consulting GmbH, published the book first independently and later with Penguin, and developed a network of certified trainers.
The Pomodoro® Technique remains an important part of my work, but my professional background and continuing research are rooted in software design. You can explore the complete method on the official Pomodoro® Technique website.
Exploring Complexity and the Cost of Change
Over the years, one question has become increasingly important to me: How can software grow while reducing its complexity and the cost of change?
Around 2007, I started the Anti-IF Campaign to examine the hidden costs of excessive conditional logic and to encourage developers to think differently about refactoring and design.
This line of inquiry continues in Recombining Relational Production® (RRP®), my ongoing work on complexity, relationships, and recombination. Today, I'm exploring how these ideas can be applied to software development and AI, and experimenting with ways to design and grow software systems.
My software-design work also takes shape through Combinant®, where I explore design decisions, tools, metrics, and the evolution of long-lived software.
Where I Am Today
In 2025, I moved to the United Arab Emirates to focus on developing new software-design courses, tools, books, and consulting materials.
Francesco Cirillo FZE LLC is where I put these ideas into practice. It's the company through which I develop software, experiment with new approaches, and create methods, tools, courses, and books.
This website is my personal space for sharing the work behind those activities: the questions, experiments, decisions, and ideas that continue to shape what I do.
Keep Exploring
The heart of this site is my Blog. That's where I write about work in progress, what I'm learning, and sometimes what hasn't worked.
You can also explore my Courses and Books, or watch my videos on YouTube.
If you'd like to invite me to speak or discuss working together, please visit Contact.