Beyond the Bottom Line
Beyond the Bottom Line is a podcast for founders and business owners who want practical insight they can actually use as they grow.
Hosted by Miguel Alexander Centeno, founder and CEO of Centurion Firm, the show features in-depth conversations with industry experts, clients, and business owners about how they think through tax, cash flow, operations, and the decisions that come with running a real business.
We focus on how things really work when you’re scaling, what challenges tend to come up, and how other founders, experts, and operators have dealt with them.
If you’re building or growing a business (often somewhere between $500K and $25M+ in revenue), this show is designed to help you make smarter financial and operational decisions and keep more of what you earn.
Beyond the Bottom Line
Building Custom Software That Actually Scales Your Business
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Most businesses know they need better systems. The problem is figuring out what to build, where to start, and how to make sure it actually drives results instead of creating more complexity.
In this episode, Miguel sits down with Pablo, Co-Founder of CodingIT, and Chester McLaughlin, Engineering Manager at CodingIT, to break down what it really takes to build custom software that supports growth. From identifying the right problems to solve, to structuring a development roadmap, to understanding how technology decisions impact your business long-term, this conversation walks through the full lifecycle of building and scaling internal tools.
They also share a behind-the-scenes look at how Tax Hack built its own platform, what worked, what didn’t, and how the right approach to development can unlock both operational efficiency and financial upside through the R&D tax credit.
Insights from this episode include:
• Why most businesses struggle with disconnected tools and when it makes sense to build custom software
• How to identify the right problems before investing in development
• The difference between proof of concept, prototype, and MVP (and why it matters)
• Why automation only works when processes are fully defined
• How to think about ROI before you start building
• The importance of aligning technology decisions with business outcomes
• When to outsource development vs. build in-house vs. use a hybrid approach
• What a fractional CTO does and when you actually need one
• How custom software development can qualify for the R&D tax credit
• Real case study: how one company scaled operations and generated a ~$30K tax credit through development
About Our Guests
Pablo is the Co-Founder and Head of CodingIT, where he leads software development and product strategy for companies building custom technology solutions. He has worked with startups and established businesses to design and scale platforms that drive real business outcomes.
Chester McLaughlin is an Engineering Manager at CodingIT, where he leads high-performing development teams and helps companies translate complex business challenges into scalable technical solutions.
To learn more about CodingIT or get connected with their team, reach out through Miguel directly.
Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at media@centurionfirm.com