Developer of Count19 opens up to the NEWS
The teen is the brains behind many apps, including a Bible app, a party app and most recently Count19.
At the age of 18, it is common for teenagers to be unsure of what direction their lives will take after high school.
Meet Kyri Ioulianou, an exception to the rule.
The teen is the brains behind many apps, including a Bible app, a party app and most recently Count 19, a social media app which allows users to anonymously post their thoughts on matters they feel strongly about.
He is a grade 12 pupil at Saheti School.
The NEWS caught up with him to find out what makes him tick.
Kyri said he started coding at the age of 12.
“Everything went from there. When I was in grade 10, I thought it would be a good idea to get into apps and so I started coding apps for Android,” said Kyri.
He said the first app he developed was a party app called CAVA. The app was designed to inform the user of party locations.
“This app didn’t perform well because it was only for Android users. I then realised I needed to start coding for other software,” he said.
Kyri said that post matric, he wants to study either Actuarial or Computer Sciences at Wits University.
“I am also hoping to get a job as a developer, to which end, one of the country’s banking giants, FNB, has contacted me in connection with a job offer,” said Kyri.
The eldest of three children, Kyri said his parents are proud of his achievements.
If he is not at school or developing apps, Kyri said he can be found listening to music.
Asked what advice he has for his peers in disadvantaged communities aspiring to be like him, the 18-year-old said, “Aim to fail and embrace failure. Set your goals and even if in the end you don’t succeed, you will not be in the same place you started.”
In the years that he has developed apps, Kyri said he has never looked at himself as a genius.
“I don’t consider myself extraordinary and have never stopped to commend myself because this is something I have always done,” he said.
Come the next 10 to 15 years, Kryi said he seems himself as a billionaire.
“My plan is to own an app developing company where I will hire coders and graphic designers among others. I want to use my apps to collect statistics about users and then sell the information,” he said.
Pasta is his favourite food and he likes to holiday in New York.
