Who’s behind CalcuPop

My name is Alessandro, and CalcuPop is, first and foremost, a personal project. It was not created inside a large company, and it is not the work of a team of developers. I take care of it personally, one decision at a time, trying to create tools that are simple, engaging and genuinely useful.

I have a full-time job, two young children and a third on the way. Like many families, my days are made up of work, commitments, responsibilities, a mortgage, loans, everyday difficulties and the kind of tiredness that becomes more noticeable with age.

When I come home, I try to give my time to my family. Then, when the children are asleep and the house becomes quiet, I open the computer again. Sometimes it is only for a few hours; at other times I keep going until late. I do it because I enjoy turning an idea into something that may also be useful to someone else.

As a family, we have chosen to protect our children as much as possible from early and continuous exposure to screens, at least while we are still able to guide this habit thoughtfully.

We do not normally watch television, and we try not to use our phones in front of them. For now, television is limited to Saturday and Sunday for about twenty minutes, as a brief moment that we share together.

I do not want to demonise technology: it is part of my work and allows me to bring projects such as CalcuPop to life. But I want to teach my children to choose it and use it consciously. To remain consistent, when I get home I try to leave the computer and phone alone. That is another reason why this website grows at night.

I love life, nature and people. At a time when everyone seems to have something to say, I think we are forgetting the most important part: stopping and truly listening.

I relate to people who show their fragility, not to the image of those who pretend to be invincible. Being vulnerable means being honest, accepting our limits and finding the courage to improve.

When one of my children falls, I do not like saying, “Nothing happened.” Something did happen. I would rather ask them to stop, see how they feel and take the time they need. Only when they feel ready should they get back on track.

I apologise to my four-year-old son when I am wrong. I want him to know that being an adult does not mean always being right. I can correct myself and become a better person thanks to what my children teach me.

Crying, getting angry and laughing are equally important parts of life. There are no emotions to be ashamed of; there are emotions to recognise, understand and learn to manage.

Respect also lives in apparently small things: waiting your turn, treating people with care, and looking after nature, animals and every living being. It means noticing what happens even when it does not affect us directly.

I want my children to learn to stand beside those who are more vulnerable, even when doing so is uncomfortable or difficult. Caring for others matters most when there is no personal advantage in it.

More than anything, I want them to know that their dad is not invincible and does not have all the answers. He is a person with faults, capable of making mistakes, apologising, listening and learning from them too.

CalcuPop is only one of the ideas I would like to bring to life. Others have already been thought through and are ready to be developed, but for now they must wait. Time is limited, and every new service brings costs for technology, domains, infrastructure, translation and maintenance.

I would like to keep CalcuPop free from aggressive advertising, deceptive pop-ups and constant interruptions. I would rather give visitors a calm, clear and respectful space.

The greatest satisfaction would be seeing someone truly use what I have built: to understand a number, find a recipe, get better organised or solve a small everyday problem.