Business Speak

A two-day thought leadership conference in Austin week exposed something I haven’t seen enough of in the small and medium business (SMB) Managed Services Provider (MSP)niche. It was akin to attending Saturday sessions in grad school as part of an MBA program

What if you built it and they didn’t come? That’s basically my assessment of the current state of the carbon credit marketplace as we have launched well into 2026.

I have been involved with four organizations in this area offering carbon credits to the private sector. The results were underwhelming to say the least. I have two primary observations.

Tough political climate. Not to get political, but somewhere along the way sustainability became a four-letter cuss word just like DEI. etc. This waning appetite to embrace carbon credits has been devastating to the cause. Not sure when or if this will improve.

During the last major recession (2007-2009 financial crisis) I profiled Regus in Cupertino CA in the Silicon Valley and it's a sweet spot for companies downsizing (and it was also a social gathering for tired old guys that wanted to get away from momma and play business by day). And it was right next to a Indian lunch buffet!!!

In the old days when knights were bold and kings owned all the gold, the co-worker space pitch in my eyes was to avoid the sticky Starbucks table syndrome. 

Caught up with a jammed Vikram Ramesh recently at the N-able Evolve Conference in Fort Lauderdale. Turns out he is my neighbor here in Austin, Texas so I have a new BFF.

Highlights

Head Nerds. What are the head nerds? This concept is unique to N-able. This program helps overcoming two challenges, according to Ramesh. First – MSP partners were asking who can I talk to at N-able to answer my customers technical challenges. The head nerds are available to answer any technical questions.

Second, the head nerds are a stability injection in overall relationship in the MSP and customer ecosystem.

Harry Brelsford and Ann Westerheim discuss their experiences at the Zero Trust World event in Orlando, highlighting the importance of community and networking in the tech industry. Ann, a veteran in the field, emphasizes the value of attending events to stay updated, meet new vendors, and strengthen partnerships. They touch on the stress and burnout in the tech sector, comparing it to high-stress military roles. Ann mentions her upcoming participation in the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) events in Chicago and San Diego, where she will discuss cybersecurity and receive an award for their new trust mark based on CIS controls.

SMB Nation (Austin, TX) has partnered with Technology Reseller (Vancouver, WA) to expand their joint portfolio to offer more solutions for Small and Medium Business (SMB) partners who are Managed Services Providers (MSP).

The partnership effectively doubles the audience with a strategic pen stroke. That consolidation results in more efficient solution delivery for the SMB MSP community sponsors to get better results and greater awareness. This is a new way to reach a qualified audience.