From Fighter Jets to Water Wells - The Reinvention of Flowcore Water CEO Robert Reagan

He hunted submarines from the sky, helped build self-driving cars at General Motors, and scaled a fintech startup to a 125 million dollar valuation. Today, Robert Reagan pulls water well pumps out of the North Texas ground, and he is convinced the same handful of principles win in every one of those worlds.In this episode, Reese sits down with Robert Reagan, CEO of Flowcore Water, a water well and plumbing company serving the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, to talk about discipline, faith, and what actually builds a business that lasts. Robert opens up about running mission crews on submarine-hunting aircraft off the coast of Libya during the fall of Gaddafi, engineering test vehicles for GM's autonomous vehicle program in the wake of the DARPA challenge, and coming on as employee number three at a Y Combinator-backed mortgage startup that grew from three guys on laptops to a 125 million dollar valuation. He shares why he hires for coachability instead of a perfect resume, how he builds his own talent when the skill does not exist to hire, why he refuses to compete on price, how he uses AI to train technicians and analyze every customer call, and how faith and excellence sit at the same table in the trades.TOPICS COVERED:Hunting submarines and flying missions off the coast of LibyaThe DARPA challenge and how self-driving cars were bornComing out of the Navy and into General Motors and Columbia Business SchoolScaling a fintech mortgage startup to a 125 million dollar valuationWhy you hire for coachability and humility, not a perfect resumeMaking your own talent when you cannot hire the skillFaith, excellence, and glorifying God through your workEscaping the commodity trap and never selling on priceUsing AI to train your team and analyze every customer callWhat is next for Flowcore Water across the Dallas-Fort Worth MetroplexCONNECT WITH ROBERT REAGAN:Website: www.flowcorewater.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-reagan-/ Serving the entire DFW Metroplex from between Keller and Haslet, north of Fort WorthABOUT BUILDING DALLAS:Building Dallas is a podcast about the people making our city a better place to build, belong, and become.Produced by Arrington Media.Hosted by Arrington Roofing. (00:00) - Cold Open: "Speed Kills" — Why Fast Execution Wins in Business (00:49) - Welcome to Building Dallas: Meet Robert Reagan (01:41) - A 35-Year Friendship: Growing Up Together in Dallas (02:16) - Why Robert Chose the Naval Academy Over Texas A&M (03:45) - Naval Academy Discipline: Leadership Lessons for Business Owners (05:10) - Hunting Submarines: Life as a Naval Flight Officer (08:00) - Combat Missions Off the Coast of Libya (10:24) - From the U.S. Navy to Columbia Business School (11:44) - The GMAT, the MBA Decision, and Landing at General Motors (13:09) - Inside GM's Self-Driving Car Bet and the DARPA Grand Challenge (18:07) - What Is a SPAC? Special Purpose Acquisition Companies Explained (21:48) - Leaving Corporate to Build a Fintech Startup (24:11) - Scaling a Mortgage Startup to a $125 Million Valuation (25:10) - The Operational Challenges of Hypergrowth (30:29) - Using AI to Build Operational Discipline (33:00) - Launching a Water Well and Plumbing Company in DFW (34:16) - Hiring for Personality, Not Experience, in the Trades (39:41) - Ego Is the Ceiling: Humility, Faith, and Chasing Excellence (44:29) - Flowcore vs. Arrington Roofing: Comparing Two Dallas Home-Service Businesses (49:10) - Sales Strategy: Qualifying Buyers and Closing the Deal (56:54) - Six Sigma and Lean Principles Learned at General Motors (01:03:22) - Tracking KPIs in a Venture-Backed Startup (01:07:51) - Water Well, Roofing, or Plumbing: A Day in the Life of a Service Call (01:09:44) - Why Referrals Alone Won't Grow Your Home Service Business (01:12:03) - Marketing in the AI Era: SEO, ChatGPT, and Reddit's New Role (01:16:59) - Plumbing Licensing vs. Roofing: Why One Trade Is Regulated and the Other Isn't (01:24:48) - Where AI Is Headed Next in Home Service Businesses (01:29:08) - AI-Powered Training: Building Your Own Certification Course (01:32:12) - Closing Thoughts: Speed, Discipline, and Winning with AI (01:35:23) - Water Well and Plumbing Services in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area