Dave Sobel engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Andrew Duncan, founder of Vertice Labs, a consultancy specializing in custom software development. The discussion centers around the evolving landscape of software development as we approach 2025, highlighting the importance of understanding when to build custom software versus utilizing off-the-shelf solutions. Duncan emphasizes that businesses should focus on developing software that directly relates to their unique value propositions...
Jan 03, 2025•24 min•Ep 1514•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel welcomes Sri Ganesan, co-founder and CEO of RocketLane, to discuss the evolving landscape of professional services automation (PSA). The conversation delves into the challenges faced by IT service providers in managing client-facing projects and the need to transition from a hero-driven approach to a more systematic, governance-focused model. Sree emphasizes the importance of standardizing project delivery to enhance consistency and efficiency, which is at the core of RocketLane'...
Jan 02, 2025•19 min•Ep 1513•Transcript available on Metacast host Dave Sobel engages in a deep conversation with Anders Indset, a business philosopher who explores the intersection of philosophy and business. The discussion centers around how philosophical inquiry can lead to better decision-making and outcomes in the corporate world. Anders shares his journey of merging his passions for capitalism and philosophical contemplation, emphasizing the importance of questioning assumptions and understanding the ethical implications of business practices in toda...
Jan 01, 2025•24 min•Ep 1512•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel engages in a compelling conversation with Mark Haas, the CEO of the Helmsman Group, a company specializing in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Mark shares insights into how AI, particularly natural language processing (NLP), is transforming food regulation and safety. The discussion delves into the origins of their innovative platform, Regulate, which was born out of a need for a sophisticated data warehouse to manage the...
Dec 31, 2024•18 min•Ep 1511•Transcript available on Metacast The discussion begins with Jared Casner sharing his journey into the channel, highlighting a pivotal shift from direct sales to working with Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Initially targeting small businesses with a compliance-as-a-service platform, Jared and his team quickly realized the importance of MSPs in deploying their solution effectively. This realization led them to invest time in understanding the channel, attending conferences, and learning from their MSP partners. Jared elaborate...
Dec 30, 2024•19 min•Ep 1510•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Josh Hoffman, the Chief Revenue Officer at ControlCase. They delve into the complexities of compliance in the regulatory landscape, particularly in the United States, where a patchwork of state laws creates confusion for businesses. Hoffman emphasizes the challenges faced by clients navigating compliance requirements, highlighting the need for expertise and support, especially for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who can play a cru...
Dec 29, 2024•15 min•Ep 1509•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Mike Psenka from Moovila, focusing on the transformative role of AI and automation in project management. Mike shares insights from his extensive experience in implementing AI technologies, emphasizing the importance of relationship management in project-based industries. He highlights how AI has not only improved operational efficiency but also significantly enhanced customer satisfaction by managing expectations, particularly dur...
Dec 28, 2024•20 min•Ep 1508•Transcript available on Metacast David shares his background in the tech industry, specifically his experience with a company that sold transceivers to major telecommunications firms. This experience highlighted the need for exceptional customer support, leading him to establish Help with a focus on providing human-powered, 24/7 frontline support. David Sohn emphasizes the importance of human interaction in customer service, contrasting it with the often frustrating experiences associated with AI chatbots. He acknowledges the a...
Dec 27, 2024•17 min•Ep 1507•Transcript available on Metacast n this episode of the podcast, host Dave Sobol interviews Nelson Gomes, the CEO of Portalia Group, who shares insights from his extensive career in the managed services provider (MSP) industry. Nelson recounts his journey, starting with the founding of Priority One Group in 1997, which initially focused on IT services before evolving into an MSP with a specialization in healthcare. After merging with Medicus IT in 2019, he experienced significant growth, ultimately leaving the organization in 20...
Dec 26, 2024•20 min•Ep 1506•Transcript available on Metacast Dave Sobel engages in a conversation with Mark Ralls, the president of Auvik, a company specializing in network monitoring and management. The discussion begins with an exploration of the transformative potential of automation and AI in the IT landscape. Ralls emphasizes Auvik's role in proactively monitoring networks, providing customized alerts, and integrating critical data into platforms used by their partners. He highlights the importance of ensuring that technicians receive relevant inform...
Dec 24, 2024•20 min•Ep 1485•Transcript available on Metacast Dave Sobel engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Jon Murchison, CEO of BlackPoint Cyber, about the current state of cybersecurity policies and practices. They discuss the initiatives surrounding "secure by design" and "secure by default," emphasizing the challenges faced by managed IT service providers in implementing these ideals. Jon expresses skepticism about the immediate impact of these policies on the ground level, noting that while they are well-intentioned, they often fall sho...
Dec 23, 2024•21 min•Ep 1483•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the podcast, host Dave Sobel sits down with Joel Abramson, the managing partner at TopDown Ventures, to discuss the intricacies of venture capital in the managed services provider (MSP) software space. With a background that includes significant experience in the MSP industry, including the sale of a large MSP to TELUS, Joel shares insights into the investment thesis of TopDown Ventures, which focuses on early-stage MSP software companies. The conversation highlights the impor...
Dec 22, 2024•17 min•Ep 1481•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel interviews Jeff Totten, the founder and CEO of Evergreen, a company that takes a unique long-term investment approach in the managed services provider (MSP) space. Jeff shares insights into Evergreen's philosophy, which is heavily inspired by Berkshire Hathaway's model of acquiring businesses with the intent to build and hold them for the long haul. This strategy emphasizes the importance of investing in people and maintaining the culture of the companies they acquire, ensuring t...
Dec 20, 2024•16 min•Ep 1480•Transcript available on Metacast host Dave Sobel sits down with Kelvin Tegelaar, the CTO of Lime and founder of CyberDrain, to discuss the evolving landscape of SaaS management and the innovative approach taken by CyberDrain. Tegelaar introduces the Cyber Drain Improved Partner Portal (CIPP), an open-source, multi-tenant management solution specifically designed for Microsoft 365. He highlights the need for affordable management tools in the MSP space, which often suffer from high pricing models. By offering a free and open-sou...
Dec 19, 2024•20 min•Ep 1493•Transcript available on Metacast The episode begins with a recap of the previous year's forecasts, assessing their accuracy and relevance in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Host Dave Sobel highlights the increasing reliance of businesses, particularly in healthcare and finance, on Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to navigate the complex compliance requirements stemming from a surge in state-level data privacy laws across the U.S. Sobel discusses the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in transforming ...
Dec 18, 2024•19 min•Ep 1505•Transcript available on Metacast The episode opens with a focus on Anthropic's new tool, Clio, which is designed to enhance AI observability by identifying threats and unknown harms associated with its AI chatbot, Claude. Clio has already proven its utility by detecting a coordinated spam network attempting to manipulate search engine optimization. Anthropic aims to share Clio's methodologies with other AI labs to promote safer AI practices, emphasizing the importance of governance frameworks for service providers offering AI s...
Dec 17, 2024•14 min•Ep 1504•Transcript available on Metacast There is a significant surge in AI leadership and investment within organizations, highlighting a 70% increase in the number of chief AI officers from 2023 to 2024. This trend indicates a growing commitment to AI technology in the corporate landscape, with many companies opting to fill these roles with talent from major tech firms. The report emphasizes that as enterprises ramp up their AI initiatives, the chief AI officer role is becoming increasingly vital, particularly in publicly traded comp...
Dec 16, 2024•13 min•Ep 1503•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel welcomes back Gerwai Todd, CEO of both PIA and TimeZest, to discuss the unique challenges and strategies involved in leading two organizations simultaneously. Gerwai emphasizes the importance of having a strong team and effective communication, highlighting the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in both businesses. He shares how the time zone difference with his Australian team allows for a more balanced workload, enabling him to manage his responsibilit...
Dec 15, 2024•15 min•Ep 1479•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel welcomes Seth Robinson, Vice President of Industry Research at CompTIA, and Rich Freeman, a seasoned journalist and analyst specializing in the SMB channel. The discussion centers around CompTIA's recently released outlook for 2025, which highlights the ongoing optimism within the technology sector, particularly among IT professionals and channel firms. Despite this optimism, the report reveals a concerning trend: fewer than half of businesses express confidence in their basic IT...
Dec 14, 2024•44 min•Ep 1501•Transcript available on Metacast Dave Sobel engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Tim Golden, CEO of Compliance Scorecard. They discuss the evolving landscape of compliance, particularly in the context of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) as they look toward 2025. Tim emphasizes that compliance is not a fleeting trend but a critical aspect of business operations, drawing parallels to the historical implementation of seatbelt laws. He highlights the increasing importance of regulations such as the FTC safeguards and CM...
Dec 13, 2024•21 min•Ep 1478•Transcript available on Metacast Google launched Gemini 2.0, their next-generation AI model, which includes an experimental version called Gemini 2.0 Flash, boasts impressive capabilities such as generating text, images, and speech while processing various inputs. With a focus on multimodal functionality, Gemini 2.0 aims to support agentic AI systems that can think ahead and act on behalf of users. Host Dave Sobel highlights key features like the multi-modal live API and Project Mariner, an AI-powered Chrome extension, while al...
Dec 12, 2024•16 min•Ep 1502•Transcript available on Metacast The episode starts with TeamViewer's acquisition of 1E for approximately $720 million. This strategic move aims to enhance TeamViewer's capabilities in digital workplace management and intelligent endpoint management, ultimately improving employee experience and operational efficiency. With TeamViewer already installed on over 2.5 billion devices globally, this acquisition is seen as a pivotal step in the convergence of remote support and endpoint management, reflecting the evolving needs of bus...
Dec 11, 2024•11 min•Ep 1500•Transcript available on Metacast A recent survey by ISG indicates that nearly two-thirds of executives in the Americas and Europe are utilizing MSPs for their AI initiatives, with enterprise spending on these projects expected to rise by 50% in 2025. Sobel highlights the shift towards smaller, domain-specific AI models, which are anticipated to become mainstream as organizations seek more cost-effective and efficient solutions tailored to their specific needs. Host Dave Sobel elaborates on the advantages of small language model...
Dec 10, 2024•18 min•Ep 1499•Transcript available on Metacast The U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in November, with a slight increase in the unemployment rate to 4.2%. Notably, the IT sector saw stable hiring, with the unemployment rate for IT professionals decreasing to 2.5%. However, a recent study highlights the impact of return-to-office mandates on employee turnover, especially among women and skilled workers, indicating a significant challenge for companies in retaining talent. Host Dave Sobel emphasizes the importance of employee retention strategie...
Dec 09, 2024•15 min•Ep 1498•Transcript available on Metacast Dave Sobel sits down with Elliott Hyman, CEO of Myra Technology Group, to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities faced by managed service providers (MSPs) operating within a collective framework. Hyman shares insights into how his organization selects and supports a diverse group of MSPs, emphasizing the importance of understanding each business's unique identity, employees, and customer base. This tailored approach allows them to guide each company along a continuum of operational matu...
Dec 08, 2024•17 min•Ep 1477•Transcript available on Metacast Host Dave Sobel dives into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence (AI) and its practical applications in content creation. He shares insights from a recent presentation on how managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers are leveraging AI. Sobel emphasizes the importance of AI as a tool that enhances his workflow, allowing him to produce a daily news show efficiently while maintaining a personal touch in content curation. Sobel outlines his workflow for preparing the daily news...
Dec 07, 2024•25 min•Ep 1496•Transcript available on Metacast Dave Sobel sits down with Jason Eberhardt from 1Password to discuss the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and the role of managed service providers (MSPs) within it. Eberhardt shares insights into 1Password's commitment to building relationships with MSPs, highlighting the company's transition from a consumer-focused product to one that actively engages with the MSP channel. With over 150 partners and millions of users, 1Password is now prioritizing its offerings for MSPs, aiming to create a u...
Dec 06, 2024•16 min•Ep 1476•Transcript available on Metacast At Amazon's reInvent conference the company unveiled a range of AI-centric innovations. AWS CEO Matt Garman highlighted the transformative potential of generative AI across various industries, introducing Amazon Bedrock, which aims to streamline model training and reduce costs. The new Nova family of foundation models, including Nova Micro, Nova Lite, and Nova Premier, was also announced, showcasing AWS's commitment to enhancing AI capabilities. Additionally, updates to Q-Business, AWS's AI assi...
Dec 05, 2024•15 min•Ep 1497•Transcript available on Metacast As organizations enhance their data backup practices, hackers are increasingly targeting essential systems to render them inoperable, causing significant financial pain for affected companies. A case shared by Palo Alto Networks illustrates the widespread impact of such attacks, where one incident affected over 100 partners of a single tech vendor. With predictions of more destructive attacks on the horizon, the episode emphasizes the need for organizations to bolster their defenses against thes...
Dec 04, 2024•15 min•Ep 1495•Transcript available on Metacast A recent Cisco AI Readiness Index reveals a significant gap between the urgency for AI implementation and the actual capabilities of organizations. Despite 98% of surveyed business leaders feeling pressure to deploy AI, only 13% are fully prepared, and a mere 21% have the necessary graphics processing units to handle current and future AI workloads. The receptiveness of boards to AI has also declined, indicating a growing trust and understanding gap that CIOs and IT leaders must address. The epi...
Dec 03, 2024•13 min•Ep 1494•Transcript available on Metacast 
