Jaswant Tony

Jaswant S. Tony is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GoMeyra, an innovative cloud software company providing enterprise technological solutions for the healthcare industry. Its premiere product, GoMeyra LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Solution), is a comprehensive, fully customizable, cloud-based laboratory information management system that help laboratories easily operate with as much automation, contact-free processes and regulatory compliance as possible.

A visionary leader in the software industry and an expert developer in systems IT technology, Tony self-funded and developed the GoMeyra LIMS system software in just a few months during the initial lockdown phase of the pandemic in early 2020. The platform is now used by hundreds of laboratories and medical practices across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean and impacting productivity by empowering labs to provide same-day, direct-to-patient results within hours.

Tony is an expert in IT systems, with more than 20 years of experience designing, developing, configuring and troubleshooting both large enterprise and service-provider networks. He is responsible for designing the content streaming technology that is now owned and operated by Warner Bros. Television, and developed the technology for several worldwide live streaming events including NBC’s televised coverage of five Olympic games and Super Bowl XLV.

Where did the idea for GoMeyra come from?

I think I was in the right place at the right time. When the pandemic started in March of 2020, my IT company was working with a Las Vegas based medical lab, assessing their technology. As COVID quickly spread, the public health crisis was getting worse as labs were unable to process tests quickly. After reviewing the lab’s information management system (LIMS), it became very clear that it could and should function much better. It was fairly old technology, and after some research I found it was the same for the bulk of labs across the country. It was then that I decided to develop a new software system and established GoMeyra to help.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Family is important to me and no matter how busy I get I will always make the time for them. So, I start the day with my wife and daughter eating breakfast together. Then it is off to start my day. A daily routine at work is hard to quantify as each day is different. It could be that I am working to onboard a new lab client, or helping a lab set up its overflow testing by adding them into our networking system. Some days I am working on new business or helping to train a new employee. No matter the tasks I am dealing with throughout the day, I can always count on being busy. Regardless, I try to end the day the same way it started – with my family, eating dinner together.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Ideas come to me everywhere I go. My brain automatically takes in everything around me and, at times, without me even realizing, I see a more efficient way to do something. I often write these ideas down and sometimes the ideas will keep festering until I take action. This can mean doing extensive research, creating blueprints or even prototypes. After these exercises, some of the ideas do not seem plausible but some do. That is what happened with GoMeyra. The idea just kept rolling around in my head until I had to start programming. After enlisting a few people whose expertise was vital, the idea came to life.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Automation. Many of the ideas I have revolve around the automation of an already existing labor-intensive process. For GoMeyra LIMS, I knew the human element needed to be reduced as much as possible in operational processes used by labs. As the pandemic continued to add stress to an already antiquated system, automating the process was the best solution.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Sleeping. And I don’t mean because I am well-rested, although that is a plus. I mean, I seem to have the ability to problem-solve when I sleep. There have been many times when I am working on a problem and can’t seem to come up with a solution, and the frustration level is rising. This is when I know it is time to rest. When I sleep, I am still thinking, except the noise in my head is drastically reduced. It is then, I believe, that my subconscious works on the problem. When I wake, I usually have a solution to the problem I was working on. I do not fully understand it, but this technique has helped me many times over the years.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell myself, “Keep doing what you are doing.” Everything I have been through and experienced has gotten me to this place, and I like where I am now.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Most times programming is done by a defined set of rules. And, while I can play within these rules, I also tend to veer away from them and develop a new way to program a task; one that will usually work much better for my purposes. To me it is simply a logical process to get the best results. But many times, when I am working with other programmers, they are shocked by some of the paths I take and often think what I am doing will never work. They inevitably come around to my way of thinking after they see how well my programming ideas work. The key here is to not be afraid to do things differently and develop your own way. Creativity and individuality is where innovation is formed.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Empower my employees to make decisions. This is vital when running a business, especially a startup that is growing fast. Understanding that one person can’t know everything is important to being successful.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Since GoMeyra’s beginning, I have consistently concentrated on generating revenue. Because of this strategy, I was able to bootstrap our financing and lead the company without any outside investors. As a result, revenue started streaming in almost immediately, allowing GoMeyra to keep its independence.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I started a company many years ago, and then 9/11 hit. Everything stopped. Investors pulled out and customers dried up. I was taking money from the reserve accounts to survive. Ultimately, I had to shut down. It wasn’t easy, but eventually I started consulting and working for other people until I found my equilibrium again. Overall, it turned out to be a great learning experience as it taught me to never rely on other people’s money again. And when I started GoMeyra nearly 20 years later, I self-funded the entire operation.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

An energy-driven generator that is located underground and powered by magnets. While there are already small versions in existence, no one has developed one strong enough to power something as large as a house. I have built a prototype for this, but with GoMeyra taking up all of my time, I doubt I will have time to take it to the next level. I believe it can be done, and the person that develops this technology for practical use will become the next multi-billionaire.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Outside a restaurant I was about to enter, a homeless couple was off to the side and was obviously very hungry. You could see the desperation in their eyes. Most people just passed by them, but I couldn’t do it. I bought them dinner. Seeing the relief on their faces that they had a meal for the night was money well spent. I didn’t have much for many years, so I understand what it’s like and feel it is important for me to give back.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Office 365, especially Microsoft Teams. With my team spread across the country, this has become vital for my business.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I think it is helpful to read about successful people in your industry and learn from what they have done. Do some research and whomever that is for you, read their book.

What is your favorite quote?

It is not a known quote but a motto I live by -“Figure out a way to do things differently and better.”

Key Learnings:

• Do not be afraid to do things differently and develop your own way – creativity and individuality is where innovation is formed.
• Understanding that one person can’t know everything is important to being successful.
• Never rely on other people’s money.
• Figure out a way to do things differently and better.