I recently went one-on-one with Andre McGregor, founder and CEO of ForceMetrics and retired FBI Special Agent.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Andre: I grew up in an inner-city neighborhood where encounters with police weren’t always positive. What shifted my view was a school resource officer who showed me that policing could look different. That experience, combined with my love for computers and EMS, set me on a path from firefighter to FBI agent to tech founder. Each turn brought its own set of challenges, but those setbacks have shaped how I see service and leadership today.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
Andre: ForceMetrics was born out of tragedy. After two of my FBI colleagues were murdered in 2021 during a seemingly “routine” search warrant, it was discovered that there was information that might have prevented it, but it was buried in a report that was virtually impossible to surface in the moment. That moment pushed me to rethink how data could protect officers and communities. If you’re looking to spark an idea, start with a real problem you’ve lived or seen firsthand, because it’s hard to ignore when it keeps you up at night.
Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?
Andre: When I met with the lead developer of the Chicago Cubs, and learned how the idea of Moneyball could be applied with public safety. And once we put engineers in cop cars to understand an officer and dispatchers’ day-to-day, the impact of ForceMetrics was almost immediate. We saw officers making safer, faster decisions using insights that had been buried before. That was the proof point. To test an idea, don’t just theorize. Get it in the hands of the people who need it most and watch what happens.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Andre: For ForceMetrics, growth came from listening to first responders instead of assuming we knew what they needed. We built alongside them, not for them. My advice: stay close to your end user, whether that’s a customer, a community or a frontline worker. The second you lose that proximity, you lose direction.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Andre: Don’t try to be everything to everyone. With ForceMetrics, our focus has always been public safety agencies, so our conversations are specific and personal. It’s not about selling features but ultimately showing how you can solve the exact problem they wrestle with daily. And if you listen more than you pitch, the story often tells itself.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Andre: The best leaders I’ve worked with weren’t afraid to get in the trenches. At the FBI, that meant being the supervisor who showed up for the 6 a.m. arrest at 3 a.m. like everyone else. It is as simple as leading from the front. Leadership is about trust, not titles. If you want to level up, put yourself in situations where your team sees you share their risks and sacrifices.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Andre: Hire people smarter than you and let them prove it. At ForceMetrics, I didn’t try to turn cops into data scientists or vice versa. I brought in the smart engineers and let them sit in patrol cars. Managing teams is less about control and more about building bridges between very different skill sets and watching what happens when they collide.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Andre: First, stay mission-driven or you’ll drift. Second, communicate in plain language. If people can’t repeat your vision at the dinner table, it’s too complicated. Third, remember that resilience is contagious. If you fold at the first big obstacle, your team will too.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Andre: One of my FBI mentors told me, “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” It stuck. Whether it’s shooting a gun or building a company, moving with intention usually gets you farther than rushing.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Andre: I’d just say that public safety doesn’t have to be a tug-of-war between officers and communities. With ForceMetrics, we’ve seen how data can balance that conversation. If we use technology to surface the right insights at the right time, everyone ends up safer at the end of the day.
