Essays and notes on philosophy, productivity, philanthropy, and personal growth by Onil Gunawardana.
Why I Write
I write to think. Putting ideas into words forces clarity. It reveals gaps in reasoning and surfaces assumptions I didn’t know I was making. These articles are that process made public.
I’m not trying to be a thought leader or build an audience. This is simply an enterprise AI executive sharing what he’s learning along the way. Some pieces are polished. Others are works in progress. All represent genuine curiosity rather than content marketing.
If something resonates, I’d love to hear from you.
Topics
Philosophy. Practical wisdom from ancient traditions. How Stoicism, Buddhism, and other schools of thought help navigate uncertainty, make better decisions, and find meaning. These aren’t academic exercises but tools I actually use.
Productivity. The art of attention. How we choose what to focus on, manage energy, and do work that matters in a distracted world. As a product leader who has managed teams of 450+ people, I’ve learned that focus is the scarcest resource.
Philanthropy. What I’ve learned from co-founding Inspire and supporting education access for two decades. The messy reality of trying to make a difference with limited time and resources.
Personal growth. Honest experiments in learning. What works, what doesn’t, and what Onil Gunawardana is still figuring out after 15+ years in tech and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Professional Writing
For writing on enterprise AI and product management, visit 5Ps of Product. I keep professional content on that site.
For more about me, visit the Onil Gunawardana page.
