The story so far — and where it's heading.
I explore ideas, question assumptions, and build things that matter.
Here's the longer version of who I am, how I got here, and what I'm working toward.
I grew up in Embilipitiya, in Sri Lanka, the kind of kid who asked too many questions and was rarely satisfied with “that's just how it is.” That habit carried me through a degree in Polymer Science and Chemistry, into a technical role at Asian Paints Sri Lanka, and eventually onto a plane to Japan in March 2017 — without a job in IT, and without speaking a word of Japanese.
I spent two years rebuilding my ability to communicate from zero, then retrained as a software engineer — first at a vocational school in Niigata, then on internal systems for Suntory, and today as a Senior Software Engineer at Systena. NeoVista Digital and this website are the next chapter: turning the same curiosity that pulled me through chemistry, a new language, and a new career into things I build and write about in the open.
What stays constant across the moves is the habit of asking why something works the way it does — in a system, in a market, or in a piece of history — before deciding what to do about it.
How the path unfolded
- Origins · Embilipitiya, Sri Lanka
Where it started
Grew up in Embilipitiya, in Sri Lanka's Ratnapura District — a curious, talkative kid who rarely accepted being told something just "was the way it was." My father, a school principal, raised me on a line I've never forgotten: nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
- Education · Colombo, Sri Lanka
Chemistry & Polymer Science
Schooled in Matara and Galle, then read Polymer Science and Chemistry at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura — while working part-time on HSBC Sri Lanka's back-office team to cover my own expenses.
- Early Career · Sri Lanka
Into the coatings industry
Spent about two years as a Technologist at Asian Paints Sri Lanka — technical consultation, customer training, and product development — including a two-week placement in Mumbai, India, training on water-based wood-coating technology.
- Move to Japan · Tokyo, Japan
Starting from zero
Moved to Japan in March 2017 without speaking a word of Japanese. Spent the next two years in language school, rebuilding how I communicated from the ground up.
- IT Career · Niigata, Japan
Retraining as a software engineer
Studied software development at Forum Joho Senmon Gakko in Niigata, then joined Brycen Co., Ltd., spending three and a half years building and maintaining internal systems for Suntory.
- IT Career · Tokyo, Japan
Senior Software Engineer at Systena
Joined Systena Co., Ltd., where I still work today — a bigger, more structured environment, and the place I first felt a customer trust my judgment as an engineer.
- Entrepreneurship · Japan
Founding NeoVista Digital
Started NeoVista Digital and began building in public — this website included — combining IT engineering with writing, digital products, and helping others navigate a career like mine.
- What's Next · Ongoing
What's next
Continuing to write, build, and grow NeoVista Digital — with a long-term goal of returning to research, specifically a PhD in material science related to solar energy.
Education
- Diploma, Software Engineering — Forum Joho Senmon Gakko, Niigata, Japan
- BSc, Polymer Science & Chemistry — University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
Languages
- Sinhala — native
- Japanese — business level, self-taught from zero since 2017
- English — professional working proficiency
Where I focus today
Technology
Senior Software Engineer at Systena, Japan.
Digital Creation
Building and publishing digital products and writing.
Entrepreneurship
Running NeoVista Digital.
Domains I work in
Programming Languages
Databases
Web & Systems
A few working principles
Question the assumption first
Most bad decisions survive because nobody re-examined the premise. I try to name the assumption before accepting the conclusion.
Curiosity across disciplines compounds
Technology, history, and business aren't separate boxes — ideas from one sharpen thinking in the others.
Build things that matter, not just things that work
Working is the minimum bar. I care whether what I build is actually worth building.
Nothing is impossible to a willing heart
My father's words. Moving to Japan without the language, or chemistry into IT, only looked improbable from the outside.
What's next
Continuing to grow NeoVista Digital, publish ideas worth thinking about, and take on IT and digital work that's worth doing well — with a long-term goal of returning to research for a PhD in material science related to solar energy.