Ep. 42: ServiceNow Impact, GM Aaron Fulkerson on The Power of Pathological Optimism and Strong Values
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Aaron Fulkerson, a technology entrepreneur, founder of MindTouch, and a General Manager for ServiceNow. Aaron talks about his untraditional path into technology, why he thinks you should run a company like a sports team instead of a family, why generalists are less likely to be displaced by technology, and so much more!
Powered by RedCircle
Listen and Leave a Review/Rating on Any of the Following Platforms
SHOW NOTES
Aaron's untraditional background and why he started his career later than most [1:12]
The lessons Aaron learned from solo travel in the woods [3:15]
How domestic travel led Aaron to philanthropy [4:45]
How Aaron created a career in technology [9:16]
Understanding open source projects and how it can integrate within a business model [12:01]
How you can apply open source concepts within your own business [14:26]
The implications of creating a technology company without venture capital [16:55]
How Aaron navigated being a first time CEO when founding MindTouch [18:56]
How Aaron built a strong value system at his first company [22:37]
How you execute on a vision and how it differs between startups and large companies [26:03]
How middle managers and below can successfully execute on a vision [31:15]
Why Aaron feels he’s been successful in sales [34:03]
Why you need to always Start with Why [36:09]
Why leadership requires pathological optimism [39:27]
The value of being a specialist vs a generalist [40:06]
Links
Aaron Fulkerson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronfulkerson/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, rate, or provide a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. It only takes a few seconds and would be greatly appreciated!
For additional leadership tips, be sure to check out Darren's book - The Savage Leader: 13 Principles to Become a Better Leader from the Inside Out.