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about

About The Captain Dumbass®

This is the field notebook of Dennis Ayotte, aka The Captain Dumbass®. Plain-language writing on IT, systems administration, development, privacy and the homelab, with all the detail intact and none of the fluff. Formerly a community forum, it is being rebuilt as a focused, long-form publication.

No ads. No trackers. No harvesting. The only data collected is what you choose to type in a comment.

Who is The Captain Dumbass®

I’ve been in IT for over 35 years, with 21 of those in enterprise environments. I’m the guy managing VMware infrastructure, Windows systems and backup solutions. I’ve built my career troubleshooting things others call unsolvable, working across industries from pharmaceuticals, real estate, finance and telecom to local government. The work pays well, the problems are interesting, and I’ve learned to solve things quietly without needing recognition.

But that’s not the whole story.

My journey didn’t start in a data center. It started with pizza ovens, welding torches and broken machines. By 14 I was working odd jobs. At 17 I managed multiple pizza stores. Over the next decade and a half I became an ASE-certified mechanic, got my CDL, joined the Army as a helicopter repairer (service cut short by injury), worked construction and eventually became a certified structural welder leading crews on serious projects.

I wanted computing power so badly that I traded my early ’80s Fox Body Mustang for an Apple IIc and a 1974 Ford F-150 Ranger. Some people wanted horsepower. I wanted processing power.

I taught myself computers by scavenging discarded systems on trash day, turning my dad’s basement into a repair lab. I broke things to learn how they worked. No formal training. No degree. Just curiosity and a basement full of parts.

That foundation gave me a unique perspective on problem-solving. When you’ve welded steel and debugged kernel panics, you approach challenges differently.

The Shift

For years I was the person who started projects but rarely finished them. I had ideas, bought materials and sketched plans, but completion was always just out of reach.

Then something changed.

In 2017 I discovered Shapr3D on the iPad Pro. I borrowed an iPad to try it, and within days I was hooked. I bought a 12” iPad Pro and spent six months obsessively learning CAD. I became active in the community as “Robotics Hobbyist” and built a detailed RC helicopter model inspired by the Velocity Outrage 50.

My early CAD work got noticed, and I had no formal CAD or engineering training behind me. Mainstream engineering and design publications like Eureka Magazine, 3DPrint.com, Architosh and All3DP covered the work I was doing, a self-taught hobbyist modeling on an iPad.

This wasn’t just learning CAD. This was proof that I could finish something meaningful.

Around the same time I joined the global community of R2-D2 builders. I started 3D printing parts, wiring electronics, programming servos and building a life-size, screen-accurate replica of the iconic droid. The project is currently on hold, but the work I completed proved I could tackle complex, multi-disciplinary builds and actually see them through.

That realization changed everything.

What Drives Me

I don’t do this for money. I don’t do it for recognition. I do it because I genuinely enjoy creating things and sharing what I’ve learned.

When I solve a problem at work, I document it so others don’t have to struggle through the same issue. When I build a project, I share the process. When I write a story, I publish it for anyone who wants to read it.

The satisfaction comes from completion. From building something that works. From knowing that what I create might bring someone joy, solve someone’s problem or spark someone’s curiosity.

I believe in momentum over perfection. Get it working first, make it perfect later.

I’ve failed plenty. Unreal Java, my coffee business, shut down due to tariffs and rising costs. But I learned from it, moved on and kept building.

Current Projects

Right now I’m:

  • Managing corporate infrastructure and systems
  • Creating technical documentation and guides
  • Building Fathom-OS as a long-term Linux distribution project

I also run Ayotte Consulting for IT services.

The Name

The name is intentional. It’s self-deprecating without being self-destructive. It acknowledges that we all make mistakes, learn from them and keep moving forward.

I’m not here to pretend I know everything. I’m here to share what I do know, learn what I don’t and connect with people who value honest conversation over corporate speak.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. Now let’s build something.

The Principles

This is the heart of the philosophy, the values that make this place worth being part of. They keep me focused, honest and having a damn good time building, sharing and failing forward.

Core Beliefs

  • Contributors over critics. If you’re building, you’re welcome.
  • Humor over ego. Keep it real, and keep it funny.
  • Progress over perfection. Ship it, fix it, laugh at it, learn.

For Builders

  • Clear documentation
  • Sharing progress and process
  • Owning mistakes openly
  • Helping others improve

If you’re working on a game, an app, a story or a stupidly over-engineered bash script, I salute you.

For Everyone Else

  • Lurk respectfully
  • Ask good questions
  • Give honest, kind feedback
  • Be excellent to each other

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being useful, brave and a little ridiculous along the way.

The Captain Dumbass® is a U.S. registered trademark (Reg. No. 8,069,225, Int. Cl. 38), owned by Dennis Ayotte. See the Trademark Notice.