From Microsoft Engineer to Defense Tech: How Meroxa's CEO is Building a Different Kind of Data Company

Landing NASA as a customer isn't a typical startup story. But for DeVaris Brown, CEO of Meroxa, it's part of a deliberate strategy that challenges conventional Silicon Valley wisdom about government contracts.

In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Brown shared his journey of building Meroxa, a company that helps organizations move data between systems using code. What's particularly fascinating is how the company has turned government contracts into a powerful growth engine, while many startups actively avoid this path.

The Unexpected Path to Product-Market Fit

When asked about product-market fit, DeVaris is refreshingly candid: "I would say we've reached product market fit in the government's fit. Commercial and enterprise, we're still searching for that, if I'm being honest."

This admission reveals an important truth about finding product-market fit - sometimes it comes from unexpected places. While many startups chase enterprise deals or consumer markets, Meroxa found its initial success working with government agencies like the Air Force and Space Force before landing NASA as a customer.

Building Trust Through Execution

The conventional wisdom suggests government contracts are slow, bureaucratic nightmares. But DeVaris offers a different perspective: "We've just shown time and time again that we can just take on very tough problems, turn them around very fast and do it at a very high quality."

This approach has led to a surprising discovery about the government market: "The government is such a good place, especially Department of Defense, as a source of business. There's so many problems that could get solved, and there's a big pot of gold at the end of every one of those rainbows."

The Power of Complementary Leadership

One of the most valuable insights DeVaris shares is about the importance of building a well-rounded leadership team: "Me and my Co-Founder, best in the world at building... The thing that we're not great at is selling."

This self-awareness led to a crucial realization: "You have to find people around you that have the same hustle mindset, that have the same work ethic, that have the same intellectual curiosity to go out and do those things, that have expertise in the area that you just don't possess."

Navigating the Government Sector

For founders considering government contracts, DeVaris offers practical advice: "It just takes time. It's more paperwork than you probably have ever done in your entire life, but at the end of the day, it's all worth it. And if you do a great job, they will be your biggest advocate for you."

He also emphasizes the breadth of opportunities beyond defense: "The government isn't just defense... Department of Energy, that's at the federal level, right? Like there's state and local and municipal and county. There's so many different ways that you can get involved in it."

The Scale Advantage

Working with government agencies has provided Meroxa with powerful proof points for other markets. As DeVaris explains: "If you wonder about scale, a single flight generates so much data per second, we're handling billions of records... You can't fake scale, right? You can't fake complexity."

Looking Forward

DeVaris projects that in a few years, Meroxa's revenue split will be "60% to 70% government, 30% to 40% commercial." This isn't just about revenue - it's about building multiple billion-dollar verticals across both government and commercial sectors.

His experience offers a valuable lesson for founders: sometimes the best growth strategy isn't following the conventional Silicon Valley playbook. By being open to government contracts and executing at a high level, Meroxa has found a path to scale that many startups overlook.

For founders building technical products, DeVaris's journey suggests that government contracts shouldn't be dismissed as too difficult or bureaucratic. With the right approach and commitment to execution, they can become a powerful channel for growth while building credibility for commercial markets.

The key is to focus on execution rather than getting caught up in conventional startup wisdom. As DeVaris puts it: "Just get in and do great work and don't pay attention to timelines and what other competitors are doing... Just go in and do your job and do it at the best levels because it's literally a faucet that never stops flowing."