Our mission

We get excited about making users successful and delighted with your product. Our goal is to create content that inspires and empowers users — and that brings your product to life.

Founder’s story

Four days into my first job, my career was already over.

A recent liberal arts grad, I had talked my way into a job as a programmer/analyst on Wall Street. My first assignment was to write a UI for a relational database. Now, I was about to admit to my manager that this task was beyond me. 

I have struggled with every software product and platform I have ever used. Each time I come up to speed, I reach the same conclusion: It didn’t need to be this hard. 

Over the past two decades, I’ve been a technical writer with tech startups and Fortune 500 companies. The tutorials, knowledge bases, videos, courses, and certifications I’ve created have helped millions of users be successful with and excited about software products and platforms. 

I was a founding member of the Google Analytics team, creating the community and education that propelled Google Analytics to its success. I created Conversion University, which positioned Google Analytics as a marketing and advertising tool. I developed the Google Analytics IQ course and certification, creating an ecosystem of power users who in turn evangelized the platform. I subsequently led content for Google Marketing Platform, the Google tagging platform, and Google brand measurement. 

I’ve watched platforms grow when their education inspires and empowers users. And I’ve been inspired and empowered myself. Because, fortunately, my career on Wall Street didn’t end that first week. 

I was rescued by an outstanding example of user education. Thanks to the Sybase Transact SQL Users Guide, I successfully completed that first assignment and spent the next three years on the Global Swaps desk at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets. My next job was at Bank of America, where I persuaded leadership to bring in Sybase. To this day, I’m convinced that Sybase’s greatest unlock was their education content.

Education can be your unlock too. I’ll show you how.

Alden DeSoto
Founder, ActivationIQ