How Lessons Learned In The Army Shaped CentralBOS

A conversation with Joe Meyer, U.S. Army Veteran and founder and CEO of CentralBOS

Joe Meyer is a U.S. Army Veteran who has spent more than two decades starting, leading, and successfully exiting technology companies. His experiences led him to realize he had one more problem to solve; the one thing that was always a pain to running and growing his businesses — the back office.

With that, CentralBOS — a company that helps SMB clients in virtually every industry streamline processes, connect workflows, centralize data, and provide secure anytime visibility into the state of the organization — was born.

While Joe’s growing CentralBOS is a compelling story, it’s his applying what he learned in the U.S. Army to the world of software that led to this Q&A with Software Business Growth. In it, Joe shares his advice on why software companies should actively recruit Veterans, what he learned in the Army that applies to running a successful software company, and more.

Q: What key lessons you learned in the Army translated to running a successful software business?

Meyer: The key is the desired end state, understanding your company’s mission and establishing a plan of attack. In addition, I look for force multipliers. Similar to using aviation and field artillery or combat engineers, you get 1 + 1 + 1 = 10 versus just using Infantry/feet on the ground. I ask, “Who can I partner with or what other assets are available to me to get to my objective faster with fewer casualties — a.k.a. spending money now?”

Q: What advice do you have for other veterans making the transition from active duty to the tech sector?

Meyer: The greatest strength a Veteran has is their ability to learn quickly and to put that learning into immediate practice. Loyalty to the common good is also huge, and often needed in today’s work place.

Figure out what you like to do, not necessarily a specific skill but more along the lines of what is of interest such as technology, transportation, logistics, operations, marketing, etc. Then go to LinkedIn and join groups in that area. Reach out to folks via messenger and ask to chat with them. Identify veterans in the different groups. They will talk to you and tell you what they like or dislike about the area, and they may know of openings or have a friend who knows of an opportunity. You also can go on job boards. Do not let “must have experience” keep you from applying. You can translate your military experience into almost any needed job experience. Email me at JM@cbos.com to learn how.

Push yourself to learn sales. It’s not a bad word — in fact we all do it. In the military, you sold your ideas to your commander and your soldiers, and sometimes to civilians. It’s the same thing in business — and in the tech world sales is the difference between success and failure. You will struggle with self confidence in any new industry but push through it, no one is shooting back. Treat it like a training exercise when you start off.

Q: Why should software businesses actively seek to hire veterans?

Meyer: The ability for Veterans to solve problems under pressure is a huge plus for software companies. Sometimes you have to just hunker down and get to the objective. Veterans understand this; they learned this from day one and lived it while in the military. You have to remember, Veterans are handed massive responsibilities as young as 18 to 21 years old. They’re not afraid to handle the responsibility and perform.

General Patton once said “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” When you hire a veteran and give them the authority to get the job done, they can get really creative all while staying either inside their lines or by being wildly creative.

Q: How has your experience as a U.S. Army Major shaped your leadership style as an entrepreneur and CEO of CentralBOS?

Meyer: I always led from the front. I happily jumped in to help, whether it was maintenance on our M1A1 tanks or helping a soldier solve a personal problem. Our job is to help; A good leader not only sets the tone and the mission, he must support his troops. I believe our CBOS team would say I help them remove obstacles so they can do their jobs. I’m all about helping my folks win, because then the company wins.