Proof Over Hype: How Aaron Sneed Builds Systems That Hold Under Pressure

Aaron Sneed, Founder and CEO of Defense Operations & Engineering Solutions and President of Leak Testing Specialists, operates where the margin for error is thin and the consequences are real. Based on Florida’s Space Coast, he has built his reputation on one principle: if it cannot be proven, it does not count.

While others chase speed and spotlight, Sneed builds structure. Clear plans. Written decisions. Verified results. He integrates AI carefully, leads regulated teams with steady cadence, and pushes for reshoring critical manufacturing not for optics, but for resilience.

In this Men’s Success Hub conversation, Sneed talks about building systems that withstand pressure, using AI without surrendering judgment, reshoring critical manufacturing, and why the habit of writing things down can protect more than a project. It can protect people and trust.

Check out the interview below.

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You operate in industries where mistakes can cost lives, missions, or millions of dollars. What kind of mindset is required to lead in environments like aerospace, nuclear, and defense?

Aaron Sneed: You lead with humility in front of physics and consequences. In high-reliability work, confidence is not a strategy. Clarity is. The mindset is: define reality, write it down, verify it, and be accountable for what you sign. You do not “hope” something is safe. You prove it with measurable acceptance criteria, verification steps, and records that stand up to review. 

The leaders who thrive here tell the truth early, even when it is inconvenient, and they build systems that make the right action repeatable. That is how you protect people, budgets, schedules, and trust.

You built Defense Operations & Engineering Solutions (DOES) around execution discipline. Where did that discipline come from, and how has it shaped your leadership style?

Aaron: It started with real work and real tolerances. Early manufacturing experience teaches you quickly that the part either matches the drawing or it does not. Later, in regulated environments, I saw the same truth at scale. Most failures are not dramatic. They are small gaps that compound: assumptions not written down, vague requirements, decisions not documented, and handoffs that break under schedule pressure. 

That shaped my leadership style. I lead with cadence, clarity, and proof. I stay calm, I respect the people doing the work, and I remove ambiguity so strong teams can deliver consistently.

A lot of founders glamorize hustle culture. You focus more on clarity, structure, and proof. Why do you think so many leaders resist that level of accountability?

Aaron: Because structure removes hiding places. It forces you to define success in measurable terms and then live with what the evidence says. Many leaders are rewarded for sounding confident, not for being precise. Hustle looks heroic in a highlight reel. Proof looks boring until the moment it saves a program. In regulated work, “busy” is not the metric. Delivery is the metric. I would rather trade glamour for credibility, because credibility compounds. Hype does not.

You run a highly technical company supported by AI agents. How do you ensure technology strengthens decision-making rather than replaces critical thinking?

Aaron: I treat AI like a first-pass analyst, not a decision-maker. It drafts, structures, summarizes, and pressure-tests. People decide and sign. My system is called “The Council,” with role-based agents across people operations, finance, legal operations preparation, operations, quality, and communications. 

Each one either abstains when it does not apply or returns findings as risks, issues, or opportunities. I also keep strict guardrails: I do not put sensitive or controlled information into AI tools, and anything high-stakes gets validated. Technology should reduce friction and improve clarity, not outsource judgment.

Being based on Florida’s Space Coast puts you close to the center of American space innovation. How does that environment influence your perspective on responsibility and long-term impact?

Aaron: The Space Coast keeps you honest. The work is ambitious, but the timelines and consequences are real. You see what happens when engineering, manufacturing, and operations are done with discipline, and you see what schedule pressure does when systems are weak. 

It reinforces that responsibility is not a slogan. It is a daily practice: document assumptions, verify what matters, train people well, and leave systems better than you found them. Long-term impact is local too. It is jobs that sustain families, training pipelines that open doors, and capability that makes national missions less fragile.

As President of Leak Testing Specialists (LTS), you lead in industries that demand precision. What has working under constant high-stakes pressure taught you about resilience?

Aaron: Resilience is not just grit. It is preparation and repeatability. Pressure exposes weak systems. The most resilient teams are not the loudest. They are the most disciplined. They have an operating cadence, clear procedures, clean records, and training that holds up when conditions change.

I have also learned the value of early truth. People can handle hard news. They cannot handle avoidable chaos. Resilience is staying calm, staying honest, and building processes that prevent the same mistake twice.

You’ve been vocal about reshoring critical manufacturing. Why do you see that as more than an economic issue, but a matter of national responsibility?

Aaron: Because it is risk management for the nation’s critical inputs. When essential materials and components live offshore, you do not just risk higher prices. You risk delays, shortages, inconsistent quality, and loss of control during disruptions.

Reshoring is about continuity, quality control, and readiness, especially in crises. It is also about rebuilding skills and training pathways. Manufacturing is not just equipment. It is people, discipline, and a culture of verification. Capability is a form of resilience, and building it is responsible.

What is one hard lesson you learned early in your career that still shapes how you operate today?

Aaron: If it is not written down, it is not real. I watched teams lose time and trust because assumptions lived in someone’s head and decisions were made verbally, then misremembered under pressure. Now I default to clarity: document decisions, define verification, and build the evidence as you go. That habit prevents confusion, protects teams, and makes performance repeatable.

In highly regulated industries, credibility is everything. How does someone build trust and authority in rooms where they may be underestimated?

Aaron: You build it with calm consistency and receipts. I do not argue for credibility. I earn it. I show up prepared, ask precise questions, make measurable commitments, and follow through. I listen first, then deliver. If I do not know something, I say so, then close the gap quickly. In regulated work, trust is built one deliverable at a time. Authority comes from reliability, and reliability is a choice you make repeatedly.

There’s a growing conversation around responsible AI. In regulated sectors like defense and biotech, what does responsible implementation actually look like in practice?

Aaron: Responsible AI looks like controls, not slogans. It starts with information boundaries: sensitive or controlled information stays out of unapproved systems. It includes traceability: you can explain what the tool produced, what inputs were used, and what a human validated. 

It includes abstention: if the system cannot answer cleanly, it should say so. And it includes accountability: AI can accelerate drafting and analysis, but people own final decisions and outcomes. In practice, it is standardized workflows, documented review steps, and quality checks.

Many high-performing leaders struggle with balancing ambition and sustainability. How do you maintain performance without burning out?

Aaron: I do not rely on motivation. I rely on systems. I time-block, protect deep work, and standardize repeatable workflows so I am not reinventing the wheel every day. I use AI to reduce administrative drag, not to increase the pace of chaos. I also treat rest as part of performance, not a reward for performance. In high-stakes environments, burnout is not just personal. It becomes an operational risk. Sustainable cadence is leadership responsibility.

When you think about your long-term legacy, what do you hope people say about your leadership and impact?

Aaron: I hope they say I raised standards and raised people at the same time. That I made complex work more repeatable, more honest, and more resilient. That I built systems that outlasted me and pathways that opened doors for others. I want my legacy measured in trust earned, people developed, and capability strengthened, especially here on Florida’s Space Coast.