Geek Speak

Happy New Year! Just several days left to participate in our SMB MSP community survey! We’ve enjoyed a robust response and just need a few more participants to close it out and generate a final report. Why participate? First of all our SMB Nation community and ecosystem needs members and others to go old school and help! Second, you might learn a few things are you complete this. 

Harry Brelsford and Howard Cohen discuss the evolving landscape of AI and its impact on managed service providers (MSPs). Howard highlights his Substack, "Agentic MSP," which focuses on AI's practical applications for MSPs, emphasizing the need for MSPs to adapt their pricing strategies to incorporate AI's efficiency. They touch on the challenges of being early adopters, using Nvidia and Intel as examples. Howard plans to cover AI's influence on pricing in his next post, advocating for value-based pricing. Harry suggests the potential for a monthly podcast to delve deeper into these topics, underscoring the importance of personal branding in setting higher prices and delivering greater value.

Houston we have a PROBLEM with the SMB MSP ecosystem.

Last week at NASA Houston the full AI paradigm shift in the MSP community was laid out at the Thread AI Service Unleashed Conference like NASA did eons ago when folks said it couldn’t be done. Thread is arbitraging the opportunity to lean forward into the future for MSPs like NASA did for space travel. FYI - everyone enjoyed the format as a sub-100 attendee gathering that was intellectually intimate. At the same time,

Harry Brelsford and Jesse Miller discuss the evolution of MSP (Managed Service Provider) events, noting a preference for smaller, interactive workshops over large conferences. Jesse, founder of Power PSA Consulting, explains their "Power Grid VC" operating system for MSPs, which includes go-to-market planning and risk management. Jesse also shares his dual life as a farmer with a hobby farm and a family. They touch on the impact of AI on MSP services, emphasizing the need for MSPs to evolve into business guides and profitably offer VCIO, VCISO, and AI consulting services. Harry concludes by wishing Jesse a safe trip to Orlando.

Harry Brelsford and Tim Golden discuss their experiences at the first official GT iA Channel Con event in Nashville, highlighting the positive feedback about the venue and content. Tim, a former MSP now working as a compliance vendor, shares his career journey and the importance of risk assessments and policy documentation for MSPs. He mentions a recent acquisition that added a Professional Services Division to augment MSPs' capabilities. Tim also outlines upcoming events, including shows in Canada and Tampa, emphasizing the level playing field for vendors at GT iA events.

Join Dave Doerre and tech expert Grace Schroeder on Smart Company as they sit down with **Harry Brelsford, the visionary founder of SMB Nation**. Discover Harry's incredible journey from working on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to **buying an Apple II Plus in 1982 for $3,500 (nearly $14,000 today!)**, getting in early with tech, and building a global community for Microsoft Small Business Server. In this must-watch episode, Harry reveals: