Welcome to thisnotes

My name is Ivan Khodar, but I prefer to go by Vanya — it’s just another form of my name. This is my blog about programming and pretty much everything related to it — anything I find interesting. But just to give you an idea of the most common topics: C++, backend (C++ and backend aren't usually the best friends, but pretty much all of my experience has been in this area), performance in general (from low-latency and high-throughput systems to team effectiveness), caching systems, and people management.

I'm originally from Belarus, but since the end of 2025, I've been living in London with my wife and our dog. I speak Russian (and not-so-great Belarusian), English, and a bit of Spanish.

My beliefs:

• Real performance requires a systematic approach, and every little detail matters [to some degree].
• Despite the rise of AI, it's still essential to understand the fundamental principles behind how systems work.
• Readability is a necessary property of good code. And I have some strong and fairly persistent opinions about what “readable code” actually means.

The views and opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.