Note from Aaron: Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to a class at my little brothers high school, in Dublin, OH. A careers/technology class, they asked me to speak about some of my experiences in life, career, and working in the tech field. Following the class, I received an email from a student, seeking […]
I once saw a short film, which featured the story of a watchmaker and his young son. The story followed the watchmaker as he meticulously crafted a small watch; carefully putting together each piece. As the man worked, his young son came to him, asking if he’d like to play outside. The father brushed away […]
One of my favorite movie scenes is from the 2008 film, August. In the film, we follow the main character as he embarks on the process of launching a company in the pre-9/11 month of August. As you can imagine, things went utterly to shit following the demolition of the WTC. You can view the […]
One lesson I’ve learned in my life is that the art of creating things can be a hair-pulling process. Before any great work is written, there are countless moments spent by the writer, staring at a blank screen. The same applies for a piece of art. There can be a good amount of hair pulling […]
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received was from my mentor, Nate. He once told me: ”Aaron, if you can solve somebody’s pain, you can make a product.” Learning this lesson early in my days as an entrepreneur, I had a compass for identifying pain-points in the industry. As a result, I […]
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” George Orwell, Animal Farm (1945) Recently, congresswoman Katie Porter had a riveting back-and-forth with JP Morgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon, regarding pay disparity to Chase employees. She cited an example of a single mother, living in California, who found herself in a monthly […]
“Have I gone mad? I’m afraid so, but let me tell you something, the best people usualy are.” It seems like only yesterday that I sat on a wooden chair in Ohio; seated at Cracker Barrel with my brother, sister, and Mother. During breakfast, my Mom pulled out a handful of family photos. It was […]
Of the six children in the Plaat family, there is one for which I am especially thankful; my big brother, Steve, who happens to have a birthday today. Over the years, Steve has been a rock of support for me. The first Plaat child to leave the state of Ohio, I followed him to California […]
I have to admit, this blog has been long overdue. For many years, I’ve bottled up these words; afraid to speak them, for fear of backlash, judgement, and retribution from loved ones. My concerns are well-founded. Sometimes, you learn what to say and what to hold back in order to advance the ‘better good’ of […]
A traditional figure in Indonesian culture is the Garuda; a mythical bird, often seen carrying a serpent in its’ talons. Carrying the serpent in the talons is representative of the power it has over the serpent. For most of my life, I was raised in a world of fear. Underneath all of the salvation the […]