"Is it a fact, or is it an opinion?" That's a question I find myself asking a lot, both at work, and in my personal life. It's easy to state our opinions. We see something, we make a judgment rooted in our experiences, and the words come out. Truth, on the other hand, takes time. Getting to the truth requires more listening than talking. It means being open to learning, having perspective, and uncovering nuance. It takes introspection and consideration. In software development, teams latch on to catchphrases like "fail fast" or "move fast and break things." These philosophies encourage organizations to build and release software quickly. However, they also hinder the teams' ability to interpret the environment before it becomes altered by their solutions. In my search for truth, I ask whether a statement is a fact or opinion because I want to know whether folks have taken time to consider nuance and perspective.

Since joining Axon, something I have learned is that first responders often don't have much time. Depending on the information they are told, they must move at varying rates of “fast”. The need for lights and sirens doesn't make the truth any less important though. My team is building software that provides first responders with information before they get on the scene. While we can't ensure that the citizens who report incidents are truthful, we can equip first responders with tools that lead to identifying the truth. Neither Axon nor first responders can afford to "fail fast" when it comes to actually saving lives.

I've talked with a lot of software development folks in my product management career, whether it be at conferences, in interviews, or online. There's often a desire for product managers to have some grandiose vision or some fantastic solution that can be proven significant through iteration. The truth is, I don't know all the answers on how software can save lives. My grandiose vision is that I will help build and collaborate with a diverse and thoughtful team that's open to learning with me about all the problems that exist in and around public safety. I am fortunate to be working with the most diverse team I have ever worked with and as Axon and my team continue to grow, I'm hopeful that we will be able to encourage even more diversity. To truly save lives, we'll need to ensure that we remember that truth is not as easy as listening to one person's opinion or perspective. Truth is much more complex and challenging, but discovering it is essential.

Hear our view about the importance of truth and how Axon practice with this in mind in product development.

The Importance of Truth

ARTICLE: The Importance of Truth

At Axon, we want everyone to get home safe. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to create the most cutting edge technology for public safety so we can help protect life. But our goal doesn’t stop there: while we want to ensure our customers have the tools for de-escalation and transparency so they can return home each evening to their loved ones, we want that person having a bad day to get home safe too. And the mother who entered a store where that person is having a bad day, to get home safe. And that student who sat alongside their classmate who is having a bad day, to get home safe. We recognize that with technology, we can work on solving some of society’s most challenging problems. 

We relayed just this in our recent brand video that portrays a number of people whose lives are interwoven by one person’s bad day. A police officer, a store owner, and a man suffering from a mental health episode each represent so many members of our community that we walk alongside each day. This is the story of why we do what we do at Axon. 

We recently sat down with Tony Biaggne, Axon’s VP Brand Creative, to hear more about the importance of telling the story of “why” we do what we do. Read below for a glimpse behind the scenes at how this video came to be:

What inspired you to bring your creative experience to Axon?
It’s a great question that started around a plate of nachos. I was working as a lead creative at Amazon, creating advertising campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands. It was exciting and there was always something new to tackle. So, when Axon called I initially wasn’t interested simply because I was pretty happy with where I was at. They convinced me to meet up at one of my favorite Mexican places just a stone’s throw from my office. That’s when it happened. I heard audacious ideas around making the bullet obsolete, about ending school shootings and modernizing public safety. In about 20 minutes I went from “I’m doing this for the nachos” to “I really want a job here.” A few months later I landed the position and got to work. 

Why this video? 
After looking at all the creative assets I realized there was a big hole in one key area—storytelling. The team had created amazing product videos, developed a strong brand identity and was working on a new website. But there was this massive gap between telling the story of why we do what we do. Rick Smith, our founder and CEO, was doing it on his own through channels like Reddit and LinkedIn, but a brandcentric video of our mission was missing. I shared my opinion with the entire leadership team that our story is not only strong, it’s essential. We needed to tell the world why we exist. This video is a result of some of those conversations, and really, the first conversation I had with Axon over nachos.

What makes this video different?
First and foremost it’s not a product video. Yes, they’re in there, but they aren’t the focus. Our focus was to find the thread that connects us all. After talking with several people in law enforcement, around the office and some of my friends and family, I realized the biggest thing we all have in common when it comes to public safety is the idea that we all want to get home safely. The goal of this video was to connect people—both the general public and law enforcement, as a means to offer hope and position Axon as a place that is truly working hard for the safety of everyone in mind. You’ll notice we don’t call out any products by name. Instead, we focus on what these products were designed to do, including our empathy training, which is one of the products I’m most excited about. This video is designed to start a conversation between law enforcement and the public by expressing a sentiment both share.

At Axon, we are solving some of the hardest problems in the world. Now is the time tell the story of how we are revolutionizing technology for public safety. Because we believe everyone should get home safe.


Axon Brand Video

At Axon, we want everyone to get home safe. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to create the most cutting edge technology for public safety so we can help protect life.

Why Axon wants to get you home safe - the message behind the video

ARTICLE: 2019 Brand Video Blog

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Axon (Nasdaq: AAXN), the global leader in connected public safety technologies, today announced that it will report 2019 third quarter financial results after the market closes on Thursday, November 7, 2019. Axon executives Rick Smith, CEO and founder; Jawad Ahsan, CFO; Luke Larson, President; will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the company's financial results at 5 p.m. ET that same day.

The live audio webcast to discuss financial results, followed by Q&A, will be available on Axon's investor relations website at https://investor.axon.com. An archived replay will be available after the call ends.

Axon is a network of devices, apps and people that helps public safety personnel become smarter and safer. With a mission of protecting life, our technologies give customers the confidence, focus and time they need to keep their communities safe. Our products impact every aspect of a public safety officer's day-to-day experience.

We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, there are more than 397,800 software seats booked on the Axon network around the world and more than 223,000 lives and countless dollars have been saved with the Axon network of devices, apps and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. and Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. Axon and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

Axon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/axon_us

Axon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/

Please visit http://investor.axon.com, https://www.axon.com/press, www.twitter.com/axon_us and  https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/ where Axon discloses information about the company, its financial information and its business.

CONTACT:
Investor Relations
Axon Enterprise, Inc.
IR@axon.com

 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axon-to-release-third-quarter-2019-earnings-on-november-7-2019-300944454.html

Axon (Nasdaq: AAXN), the global leader in connected public safety technologies, today announced that it will report 2019 third quarter financial results after the market closes on Thursday, November 7, 2019.

Axon to Release Third Quarter 2019 Earnings on November 7, 2019

ARTICLE: Axon to Release Third Quarter 2019 Earnings on November 7, 2019

Axon and its Ethics Board will work with public safety thought leaders and diverse community leaders to develop a model framework for law enforcement agencies to responsibly and ethically deploy this technology consistent with the Ethics Board's guidance, which was set forth in their report published today.

"ALPR is an important tool for keeping communities safe as it can help apprehend criminals, find missing children, and recover stolen vehicles," says Axon CEO and founder, Rick Smith. "We do, however, recognize that there are legitimate concerns about privacy protections, constitutionality of search and data security issues that need to be addressed. We embrace that we have an ethical obligation to develop this technology thoughtfully and bring new privacy safeguards to the industry. While building ALPR, we'll be addressing items such as data retention and data ownership, creating an ethical framework to help prevent misuse of the technology."

Axon is leveraging the power of AI to significantly reduce the cost of ALPR systems, making it affordable for every patrol. Axon is simultaneously addressing industry short-comings to improve data security, transparency and privacy as declining costs enable more widespread use of the technology. Axon plans to work collaboratively with communities to better understand and implement controls such as maximum retention periods and transparency tools.

One recommendation in the Ethics Board's report calls for agency ownership and control over the captured license plate data, declaring that data should not be sold for commercial purposes. For years, Axon has protected digital evidence by maintaining a secure cloud-based system that allows agencies to control data, ensuring use only for public safety purposes. Consistent with the Ethics Board's recommendations, Axon will maintain that same high level of security and privacy standards with ALPR data.

"We have not, and will not ever sell public safety data. We believe the data is owned by public safety agencies and the communities they serve, and should not be resold to private entities whose interests may not be aligned with the public good," concluded Smith.

"The unregulated use of ALPRs has exposed millions of people subject to surveillance by law enforcement, and the danger to our basic civil rights is only increasing as the technology is becoming more common," says Ethics Board member Barry Friedman, founder of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law and the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law at New York University. "If government is going to continue to abdicate its responsibility to regulate this technology appropriately, and we hope it doesn't, it is incumbent on companies like Axon to ensure that ALPRs serve the communities who are subject to ALPR usage. This includes guardrails to ensure their use does not compromise civil liberties or worsen existing racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal justice system."

Axon Fleet 3 will use AI for ALPR to help reduce officer distraction. For example, when searching for stolen vehicles or criminals today, patrol officers manually look up vehicle license plates by typing into their computers. ALPR helps eliminate the need for typing while driving. Today, most agencies deploy ALPR via specialized vehicle units with plate recognition systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars in only a portion of the vehicle fleet. Axon Fleet 3 will integrate ALPR capability in the dashboard camera of every patrol vehicle, allowing agencies to deploy more coverage at a lower cost. Axon Fleet 3 will also enable Axon Aware real-time telemetry and video streaming capabilities and will be upgradeable to 5G to leverage low-latency connectivity for enhanced real-time services and direct video offload to the cloud.

Axon will be previewing Axon Fleet 3 at the 126th annual International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference, this week in Chicago at Axon's booth number 2211. There, Axon will be demonstrating enhanced 5G real-time services.

Axon is a global network of devices, apps, training and people that helps public safety personnel become smarter and safer. With a mission of protecting life, our technologies give customers the confidence, focus and time they need to protect their communities. Our products impact every aspect of a public safety officer's day-to-day experience.

We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, there are more than 397,800 software seats booked on the Axon network around the world and more than 223,000 lives have been saved with the Axon network of devices, apps, training and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. and Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc.

Axon, Axon Fleet, Axon Records, Axon Aware, Axon Detect and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

Axon on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/

CONTACT:
Carley Partridge
PR and Communications Manager
Press@axon.com

 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axon-announces-ai-powered-in-car-license-plate-reader-system-built-with-ethical-design-and-privacy-centric-framework-300943640.html

Axon Announces AI-Powered In-Car License Plate Reader System Built With Ethical Design and Privacy-Centric Framework

Smart Weapons

Cameras

Software

Accelerate / 2020

Overview

Axon Body 3

Accelerate / 2020

News

The Importance of Truth

Why Axon wants to get you home safe - the message behind the video

Axon to Release Third Quarter 2019 Earnings on November 7, 2019

Axon Announces AI-Powered In-Car License Plate Reader System Built With Ethical Design and Privacy-Centric Framework