Ramika De Silva

Exploring the intersection of business and technology to build impactful software

I'm currently building Lumela, a story-driven language learning platform that turns language practice into a narrative that feels personal, familiar, and human—grounded in real experiences.

I believe in shipping fast, learning from real users, and building tools that create measurable impact.

Proof of Work

Projects that have reached real users and created measurable outcomes.

Featured

Lumela

Story-driven language learning app that personalizes lessons to the learner's interests and cultural context.

In progress • building MVP + waitlist

React Native
Python
OpenAI
PostgreSQL

About

I've been interested in building things with code since I was 13. What started as curiosity and small side projects grew into working through college, early-stage startups, and now building my own products. I'm currently a second-year Business and Computer Science (BUCS) student at UBC, and I've learned that the hardest part isn't writing code—it's figuring out what to build and who you're building it for.

My approach is to learn early from real users and iterate based on what they actually do. I care about clean, well-structured software, but I care even more about building things that create real value. To me, good engineering lives at the intersection of strong technical foundations, user understanding, and business context.

Core belief: The best products are built by combining solid engineering with clear thinking about people and markets. Shipping early, learning quickly, and staying close to users beats building in isolation.

Outside of building, I'm interested in how software can personalize learning at scale and how small teams can move faster by staying focused and close to their users.

Ideas That Shaped My Work

Books that changed how I think about building products, managing attention, and creating leverage.

Product & Strategy

Principles of Building AI Agents

Sam Bhagwat

Designing AI systems as modular, goal-driven agents rather than static features.

Applies to: AI product architecture

The Mom Test

Rob Fitzpatrick

Good products come from good questions and honest user conversations.

Applies to: user interviews & validation

Focus & Mental Models

Deep Work

Cal Newport

Sustained focus is a competitive advantage in a distracted world.

Applies to: daily routine

Atomic Habits

James Clear

Small systems, repeated consistently, compound into meaningful change.

Applies to: habit-building & consistency

What Stuck With Me

Moonwalking with Einstein

Joshua Foer

A look into memory, learning, and how much skill is shaped by training and systems—told through a compelling personal journey.

Applies to: memory & learning systems

Writing

Notes on building, learning, and figuring things out as I go.

Featured

Why I'm Building a Language Learning App instead of a B2B SaaS

December 19, 2025