About Charles Eagan
I am a software developer with over 25 years experience designing, building
and maintining professional, commercial applications for companies like
Chevron, Topa Insurance, Fidelity Regulatory Solutions and others.
On November of 2024, I decided to form my own tech company with the goal
of making entreprenuers great again (MEGA).
The CEBS story
I started my career as a software developer when I got
a lucky break: A small company not well known outside banking circles
(DPSC) hired me for my knowledge of Visual Basic which I used for my hobby
of writing programs that I could run on my personal computer.
So at the start of 1998, my long career began and I've enjoyed it greatly.
I learned things as my real-world experience began that I could never have learned
other-wise. Like working non-stop to make a deadline. And the pressure of
having your company's reputation hanging on your performance. And to be
presented with software issues that only Sherlock Holmes could solve and to
do this while customers are waiting for a correction to continue their work!
My 25 years experience has taught me a lot: Mainly what not to do.
I now wish to share it with other
developers just starting their careers.
I wish I knew then, what I know now:
Your goal as a developer or entrepreneur should be to prosper yourself and your family, not merely
survive.
1. You may have to start by working pay-check to pay-check for a company, make it
your goal to make this time as short as possible. Even while you do this, look
for your exit strategy and take it as soon as possible. Don't wait for the company
to go south, your bosses are diligently working on their exit strategies or parachutes,
why shouldn't you? Believe me 'loyalty' is just a fantasy your employers want you to
buy into. It's much easier on yourself to be making changes rather than having them forced
on you.
2. When I was about 16 years old, I learned something about myself: I was born to be an
entrepreneur! It's in my blood. I visited my Dad in Atlanta (my parents had divorced)
and I found out he was building and selling his own product! My Dad was a jeweler and
made custom jewelry for his customers. He had difficulty with understanding his customers
specifications for the desired jewelry, so he designed a small camera lightbox with a
polaroid camera on top. He would have his customers put their hand in the box with the ring on
their finger, take an instant photo, then apply rub-on transfers of various gem stones of various
cuts and sizes until they had the ring of their dreams illustrated on the photo!
I was captivated by this whole process of solving a problem, creating the solution, then building
and marketing it, which in a nutshell is the whole process of being an entrepreneur.
3. You have to own things, not rent them in order to be wealthy. Most people have to start out as
renters before they own anything. It's unavoidable, but it should not be your life-long plan.
You need a plan to start owning as soon as possible. Start small and work up. If you can
purchase your own home, your moving out of being a renter, to becoming an owner. Although a mortgage
can be like rent in that you do not own your home outright, you do own the equity in it, which builds up
over time, like money in the bank. Invest in real-estate, buy stock, own your own company.
4. Start your own company. Find a need, fill a need. Do this and you'll have a company and a path to wealth.
Research pain-points experienced by people and provide a solution. Use the tools mentioned in the CEBS
web-site to collaborate and brain-storm solutions.
5. Fact-check your ideas. You brain-stormed some incredible ideas, now what? You need to fact-check these ideas.
Your brainstorming activities should produce a good amount of both good and bad ideas. There's nothing wrong
with coming up with a lot of bad ideas, it should be expected. What is wrong is chasing a bad idea and
wasting a lot time and money on an idea that leads nowhere. You should spend a good amount of time building a
system to filter the bad ideas out before they progress any further. Use the tools provided by CEBS to help
you with this.
Mistakes
I've seen happen with companies I've worked for. CEBS will NOT make these mistakes:
* Selling out the long term gain for a short term gain. I've experienced this first-hand working for an insurance
company. I was the developer in charge of the company's web application that produced quotes and printed insurance
policies for their many insurance agents. The application was programmed to discourage the writing of policies that
were outside of the scope of their targeted business, these would be 'referred to Underwriting' which was the application's
way of saying 'DO NOT WRITE THIS!' I found out later that the underwriters (most likely under orders from the managers and
ultimately the CEO) to write these policies in any case! Selling out the company for a short-term gain! Ultimately these
policies became claim magnets and came home to roost. The company went under and we all went on the unemployment lines!
Thank you very much! This is why I advise you to find an exit strategy long before something like this happens.
* Not giving a crap about your employees. The hard fact to realize is that most companies don't give a crap about you. You
are just an unavoidable means to bigger profits. They see you as a liability, if they can find a way to avoid paying you,
they will, or they'll find ways of taking things from you like bonuses, health insurance, pensions, money from your 401K,
your red swing-line stapler! They treat you like simple servants, not to bee seen.
* 401ks, these are the worst invention ever. Designed solely to reduce the guilt from employers who steal from employee's pension plans.
* They disassociate themselves from any responsibility to employees - similar to item 2. above, Employers are constantly working to find ways to
disassociate themselves from their employees. Soon, there will no longer be full-time, long-term employment. Get used to
the idea of the 'Gig' economy. You will be hired only on a contract basis, you wont even be an employee! You'll be lucky if
you can work for a company for at least one year.
The CEBS Way of Doing Things
1. Investment - CEBS is going to take the long growth road in that it will not seek outside investors. CEBS is not interested in prospering strangers whos' only investment in the company is money. CEBS is only interested in sweat as an investment, So equity in the company will be fairly divided among those wo sweat for CEBS.
2. Motivation - I am going to build a company where the employees (I just realized how much I hate the word 'employee' from now on 'employees' are 'Growth Partners'
Our Growth Partners will be motivated by the knowledge that their performance directly affects the performance of the company and that their performance directly affects the performance of their bank accounts, anything beyond this is just B.S. We will have regular
meetings to show these results and how their efforts have affected CEBS' bottom line and offer praise for key partners.
Team Building Retreats, at least once a year, CEBS Growth Partners will be invited to a desert retreat for one week. Beer, Whiskey, Matinis, Cigars, Music, ATVs Campers, Food will be
provided. The goal is to provide a 'no-holds-barred' setting to resolve any issues or differences a Growth Partner may have with other team members. This will also provide a great environment for brainstorming ideas. Drinking will be encouraged for all except those with alcohol issues, where alternatives will be provided.