Aaron Roe(bot) Fulkerson Open source entrepreneur and digital viking.
About Me
I am a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of MindTouch, a popular open source business application and collaboration platform used by millions. Read more.
Seriously, slow down
September 1, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonSkydiving
August 31, 2010 — Aaron Fulkerson
I jumped out of a plane at 13,000 feet last Sunday. It was amazing. Tara and the kids watched from the ground as I landed. We swooped in and landed 10 feet in front of them. They were all really excited to see me.
Happy fun times with booze, friends and a giant box of sunglasses
August 31, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonThe title says it all.
Why
August 24, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonKelly wrote a great blog post about product reinforcement at the 3Ones blog. It’s inspired by the Simon Sinek’s TedX talk. Here’s the video of his talk:
I think I posted it here previously. I’m a huge fan of Sinek. Go buy his book “Start With Why“. This guy actually called Kelly to personally thank him for the evangelism. I love personal touches like that.
In conclusion, here’s a photo of my leg.
No reason other than it’s an awesome photo and Kelly included it in his blog post. 
Kevin Baird snapped the photo at a wine event MindTouch hosted in San Diego a couple years ago.Commuting Update
August 18, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonI was so lazy on my ride to work this morning.
It wasn’t until I got to work that I realized I was completely dehydrated. My ride home was much better even though it was one of the hottest days I’ve commuted.
Bike Wheel Transforms Peddling Into Power : Discovery News
August 17, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonA team of students from MIT’s SENSEable Cities Lab have just won the American round of the 2010 James Dyson Award for inventing the Copenhagen Wheel. This simple contraption transforms a regular peddle bicycle into a hybrid electric bike.
The wheel (PDF) employs a method used in Formula 1 race cars known has Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Normally when a car brakes, energy is created in the form of heat on the rotors and pads. In vehicles with KERS, that energy is captured and reused by the motor during acceleration.
The Copenhagen Wheel works on the same principal. Energy from the braking is captured an electric motor, which generates a current that is stored on a battery. Later, when the rider is going uphill or needs extra speed, she can tap into that stored energy.
via Bike Wheel Transforms Peddling Into Power : Discovery News.
Writing, Briefly
August 17, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonThis is fantastic.
As for how to write well, here’s the short version: Write a bad version 1 as fast as you can; rewrite it over and over; cut out everything unnecessary; write in a conversational tone; develop a nose for bad writing, so you can see and fix it in yours; imitate writers you like; if you can’t get started, tell someone what you plan to write about, then write down what you said; expect 80% of the ideas in an essay to happen after you start writing it, and 50% of those you start with to be wrong; be confident enough to cut; have friends you trust read your stuff and tell you which bits are confusing or drag; don’t (always) make detailed outlines; mull ideas over for a few days before writing; carry a small notebook or scrap paper with you; start writing when you think of the first sentence; …
Keep reading, it gets even better: Writing, Briefly.
40 miles around San Diego harbor
August 15, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonI had a great 40 mile ride this morning around the San Diego Harbor.
I also took some photos while I was on the ride.Capt. Tenacity
August 13, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonCaptain Tenacity (Company Premiere 1998) by Ashley Roland. Photo by Brian Hill. Just because I like it.
User Manual 2.$
August 12, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonRecently I was interviewed as part of the Network World Panorama series, a NWW series of podcasts with industry experts and analysts that give you a high-level view of the technology landscape. Keith titled our podcast: “Why Documentation Still Matters”. Click here to listen to the podcast.
Cycling to and from work
August 10, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonMy commute to work. Be sure to click “View Details”. It’s pretty amazing.
Here is my commute home from work.
After you click “View Details” be sure to click "player" and watch the route. This is especially impressive if you watch it in satellite mode. I am very impressed with Garmin connect. So far my only disappointment is in how it posts to Facebook. Case in point:
Whereas, Dailymile.com has the following format when posting to Facebook:
Still the stats with Garmin Connect are fantastic. It’s the training I care about more anyway and they’ve nailed this.
Forbes: The Evolution Of User Manuals
August 9, 2010 — Aaron FulkersonProduct and services documentation is now a core business asset that can drive revenues.
If your business hasn’t been paying attention to your documentation, you’re ignoring a sales tool and a revenue generator and you need to rethink your priorities.Forbes just published an article I wrote on the importance of product and services documentation in driving top-line revenue, decreasing support costs and increasing customer satisfaction. It’s a good read regardless of your discipline. Let me know what you think.
