Now

Updated September 4, 2026 · Sri Lanka

If you met me at a coffee shop and asked “what are you up to these days?”, this is what I'd tell you.

Life

Living in Colombo, Sri Lanka with my beautiful wife Mifrah and two little daughters.

As a family, we enjoy going for walks and reading together. One thing I'm super proud of: both girls started reading way early. Currently reading Harry Potter with Aleena so she has someone at home to talk to about her favourite stories.

Occasionally get dragged into My Little Pony episodes that test every ounce of my patience. And Harry Potter movie nights.

Always wanted to learn music. Currently learning piano by composing my own pieces. The goal teaches the technique.

Once lost a domain I cared about because I missed a renewal email. That frustration turned into a product. More on that soon.

Work
The Smartestway
Running product for an ed-tech startup across European markets. Figuring out how to make students actually enjoy studying. That's harder than it sounds.
Music
Between Your Pauses
My first piano piece. About the space between presence and absence. The kind of silence that isn't empty. Out now.
Building
A SaaS product
Solving a problem I've lived with for years. Currently in stealth with a small group testing it. More soon.
Based in

Colombo

Sri Lanka 🇱🇰

6.9271° N · 79.8612° E--:-- UTC+5:30
Coffee

This year coffee became a hobby. Funny, since I grew up where tea is grown. One cup in the morning, one around four. Coffee only started after I moved to Colombo, and a café was just somewhere to read or get work done. I've had an AeroPress for four years, but only now am I taking it seriously.

What pulled me in was the precision. 18 grams of coffee in, 36 grams of espresso out. A pour over at 1:16, so 12 grams to 192 ml. Milk steamed to an exact temperature until it turns silky, then poured into latte art. Engineering and art in the same cup. I'll admit it: I enjoy making coffee more than drinking it.

Mornings now start with a pour over. Hand grinding, weighing, waiting for the bloom. It's a slow ritual and I look forward to it. My friend Waruna set me up with a few drippers and beans from Japan, Indonesia and the UK, and I'm trying Sri Lankan beans too as the local scene grows. There are still a few places in the city I go to for a good cappuccino.

Goal this year: a small home coffee bar. An espresso machine is next.

Want to talk? hello@aslamnajeebdeen.com

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