iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 29/09/2026

A hostage negotiator taught me the best #leadership idea I know: "Be a secure base; provide enough safety that your people dare to take risks." — George Kohlrieser, IMD Business School, High Performance Leadership. When people feel secure, they’re liberated to achieve so much more.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 21/09/2026

Alarm clock with a "snooze button" that donates real money from your bank account, to your choice of not-for-profit. For people with REAL trouble getting up, they recommend you choose the political party you OPPOSE. (That would get my butt out of bed with a quickness…) #entrepreneurship #innovation

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 16/09/2026

This AI-generated pic took my breath away. At my first job (age 17), we used VT100 terminals to connect to a Sun server in a glass room with its own power and air conditioning under the floor. There were no photos. Until now. This picture matches my memory so exactly, the emotions just *flooded* in.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 15/09/2026

Great diagram of what LLMs do, comparing beginners and experts, with and without AI-assist.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 15/09/2026

Even large projects can be manageable once their boundaries are defined. (Portrait with sculpture by Michael Heizer at Dia:Beacon)

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 14/09/2026

Actual calendar I saw in a client's office. If your day looks like this, you're doing it wrong. Being overbooked is not a virtue. #WorkLifeBalance #moderation #peace #relax

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 10/09/2026

Thought for the new school year — "BE LIKE A DUCK"... Calm on the surface, but underneath paddling like crazy! (I took this photo at a Connecticut College Symposium, sculpture of duck bottoms mounted to a ceiling). #entrepreneurship #hustle

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 07/09/2026

These both hold a record for "Tallest Building in NYC". This Labor Day, I'd like to acknowledge the builders of The Woolworth Tower (tallest in 1914 at 792') and One World Trade Center (tallest in 2014 at 1776'). #landmark #architecture brings #inspiration, #identity, and civic pride.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 01/09/2026

I love Bluesky because it's the only social platform with no "infinite scroll". I can read the posts from the people I care about... and then reach THE END.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 24/08/2026

REMINDER to go #Apple picking IRL this season! Many good places within 90 minutes of NYC. Steve Jobs chose the name "#Macintosh" because it was "America's favorite Apple" at the time. (So if released in 2020 it would have been Honey Crisp, and today in 2026 I think Cosmic Crisp or Envy.)

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 22/08/2026

Enjoyed very much the vivid street #murals in Reykjavík, #iceland. The ravens are a Viking symbol; Odin had one on each shoulder and they would circle the earth in opposite directions to keep him informed. I'm sure there's plenty more #symbology in the others, but it's cryptic to me.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 18/08/2026

If a punk rocker selling pasta sauce isn't a creative example of Brand Extension then IDK what is. #entrepreneurship #marketing

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 08/08/2026

Package design award of the day goes to “P*rn” in #Iceland, “Passion Fruit & Vodka”

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 03/08/2026

Not going to cry over this. (On the floor is the "Job loss due to AI". Still in the container is "Opportunity".)

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 29/07/2026

I adore the original by William Carlos Williams, and this tickles me in just the same way - especially in light of my role at @ithistory.org

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 01/06/2026

Tomorrow! "Analog Computing: The Infinity Between 0 and 1" — a free ITHS panel. Tue Jun 2, 1pm ET, on Zoom. With David Alan Grier, Peggy Kidwell (Smithsonian), Bernd Ulmann (The Analog Thing) & George Dyson. Can't make it? Register for access to the proceedings 👉 bit.ly/iths-analog-...

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 24/05/2026

Three years ago today I founded LONO Audio. With partners Andrew Lindsay Cohen, Cary Miller, and Ahmet Zappa, we built the most beautiful software for vintage catalog restorations. Special thanks to Pat Kraus and Kevin Reeves at Universal! I wish the team tremendous success, but today we part ways.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 15/05/2026

Say what you will about Andrew Carnegie and his sins as an industrialist... I'm grateful as a music lover that he made this tremendous contribution to the world in his later years. Fun fact: it was his wife who insisted he add the upper tiers to ensure affordable tickets for people of all incomes.

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Reposted by Aaron Sylvan

IT History Society @ithistory.org · 10/05/2026

As part of our ongoing initiative to recognize Unsung Heroes, the ITHS Honor Roll recently added 181 women in computing — sourced from the WITI Hall of Fame, IEEE, ACM, and Wikipedia. Explore their accomplishments at www.ithistory.org/honorees?gen... #WomenInTech #ComputingHistory #ITHistory

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 30/03/2026

The frequency of Anthropic's updates is astonishing. Many of them seem significant, too. This isn't just pushing every test version out to prod; it seems like legit lightspeed product evolution.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 22/02/2026

Let me just state once and clearly for the record, I do not “shoot” emails.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 01/02/2026

For my NYC fam, this is amazing: zoom in on this 1990s Sim-style isometric map, and find your home or favorite landmarks! cannoneyed.com/isometric-ny...

cannoneyed.com

Isometric NYC

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 01/12/2025

I’m at a startup pitch event and just heard someone pronounce “CAGR” (compound annual growth rate) as “Kegger”. To be fair, a lot of tech bros do enjoy a good kegger.

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 27/11/2025

Thankful for old friends, like my Electronic Music buddies from Bennington College who showed up at reunion this year to remake our photo from 33 years ago. Our love for great sounds has only grown, even if our sense of hair and fashion has not. #OldFriends #College #Emusic

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 03/11/2025

TED just announced a new CEO. The conference has been a big part of my life since I started attending in 1997... Also my Mom married someone she met at TED2002, and in 2014 I started producing TEDx talks (tedtalks.aaronsylvan.com). I wish #TED tremendous success in this new transition!

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 27/10/2025

We renewed our right to complain. #VOTE

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Aaron Sylvan @aaronsylvan.com · 24/06/2025

Once upon a time, social media was a way to share what I’m up to, with friends and family who might like to follow along. And I could have some awareness of their news, joys, and challenges too. Then it became something else. I hope BlueSky will be a fresh start!

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