When David Thompson isn’t busy with his full-time role as chief technology officer at American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), he’s busy managing the jet aircraft he owns. He shares how the corporation he’s set up to operate the jet is essentially like running a little business.

“I’ve got fuel, expenses, maintenance expenses, all the various things that would be necessary to operate the aircraft,” he said.

As part of a special series GBT developed to assist emerging businesses, David shares some lessons he’s learned from this experience and through the years. One nugget of advice he offers to growing teams: Don’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to technology that can help run your business.

“There are many solutions available for human resource management, outsourcing capabilities, financial management, and more. Rather than trying to build it on your own, optimizing these capabilities could really help accelerate growth and simplify your business.”

To find out what other tips he has for business owners, check out the full interview here.