This newsletter is in BETA, and feedback is welcomed and encouraged. Anyone who joins in the beta will be included in the launch offer! The intention is to deliver a set of actionable insights into the discussions had by the community for vendors to leverage for execution. Does this deliver?
Channel Chatter is the parsing of the listening posts that the Business of Tech podcast has around the MSP community across discussion forums and groups to bring together insights and discussions that I think are worth considering. In considering the needs of MSPs by listening to them for the podcast, there are insights specifically for vendors serving the space to be shared. That is this newsletter.
Channel Chatter will be off next week for the holidays!
Last week the vibe was upbeat, and this week (as I round out the year), I noted someone considering throwing in the towel.
I'm coming up to 20 years at the same MSP and 22 years in IT.
It's been a real grind for at least the last 10 years and I'm completely burnt out, disinterested and have the lowest tolerance for the daily onslaught of the same crap.
Averaging 1000 reactive tickets per month with our 4 man team, with project work on top....it's tough.
And the conversation did not disappoint.
I was at a MSP for 9 years, made it to VP of managed services. The stress and burnout was a nightmare. Went and got a corporate job as a help desk manager for an internal IT department. Made more money, and my stress was non-existent.
MSPs are grueling. I would only recommend an MSP to someone just trying to get into IT to start their career. I got out in 2.5 years and it was the best decision I ever made. Immediate 41% raise with a lot less work.
I’ve been in IT since 1979. Here’s my $0.02 for what it’s worth. 1) This is a trade. It doesn’t define who you are or your value. Always remember that. It just puts food on the table and a roof over your head. 2) I’ve been blessed because I LOVE what I do. I’ll do this as long as my mind stays sharp. So to you I’d say 1) make sure you find balance. When you logoff the computer. Enjoy family, friends, life. 2) If you don’t love what you’re doing. Find something else. Because you’re going to be going it a long time. Heck, you also have been.
I have been in a similar boat with 22 years in. ‘23 was a real eye opener, seeing how bad the job market was and being laid off gave me time to reflect. There were multiple interviews at many MSP and hard pass at all of them.
I'm now CIO of a small non-profit -- about 125 users. They were in desperate need and really appreciate what I've brought to the table. At this point I think I actually "work" about 2 hours a day for more money than I made before. Best decision I've ever made.
Been in IT for 40 years, MSP owner for 28. I get my good vibes teaching others these days. Feels great spreading the knowledge around.
I work for an MSP for 6 years now. I'm bored most days. It was tough in the beginning with 10-20 calls a day each, but since pushing everyone onto managed contracts and being more proactive, we get maybe 5 calls a day in total, sometimes less.
We actually have about 3 times the amount of clients than my last MSP where I got burnt out and quit.
As you might guess, it was across the board. Some good, some bad, all heartfelt.
Managed Service Providers are often led by an owner or owners who have not had HR training. Not necessarily been leaders before. Not necessarily have entrepreneur experience. And it shows with the inconsistent performance comparing those best in class providers with the rest of the market.
Much less compared to the bottom quartile.
The insight for vendors to consider is the distinct difference between providers and the software vendors they work with. Consider for a moment the stats provided by the original poster. On average, that’s roughly 11 or 12 tickets a business day that engineer is handling. And you wonder why they didn’t get back to you.
There’s an opening here to find ways to build stronger teams within MSPs, and the vendors that do will find significantly more loyal partners.
Topics of Interest
This section is a high-level summary of the major topics of discussion within the community during the time period. This gives you a sense of the questions the community is raising and what they are discussing.
Burnout in MSPs: There's a notable concern about burnout among professionals working in MSPs. Individuals who have spent extensive time in high-pressure, repetitive tasks are considering transitions to corporate or internal IT roles, or specializing within IT for better work-life balance. This points to a need for MSPs to address work environment and task variety to retain experienced staff.
Phishing Training Vendors: Discussions about phishing training vendors for smaller groups include options like Curricula, Infima, and Microsoft's Attack Simulation Training. The emphasis is on quality training over cost and the flexibility of training programs tailored to specific groups, indicating a demand for adaptable and user-friendly cybersecurity training solutions.
Client Management Strategies in MSPs: MSPs share experiences dealing with challenging clients, particularly those insisting on administrative rights. Strategies range from refusing access to employing software controls and transparency with clients. This highlights the importance of clear boundaries and effective communication in client relationships.
Pricing Strategies for MSP Services: MSPs discuss different pricing models for services provided to a large medical facility. There's a significant variation in pricing strategies, with some MSPs charging more than double others for similar services. This suggests that MSPs must carefully consider their pricing to balance competitiveness with profitability.
Freelancing as a Stepping Stone to MSP: Opinions are mixed on using gig platforms like Field Nation and Work Market as a stepping stone to starting an MSP. While some see it as a viable path, others view it as potentially limiting, suggesting the importance of strategic planning and financial preparation for aspiring MSP entrepreneurs.
Regional Pricing Variations for MSP Services: There's a notable variation in managed services pricing across regions, with a focus on Florida. This variation depends on factors like the inclusion of O365 licensing, HaaS, and the number of managed devices per user, pointing to the need for MSPs to adapt their pricing models to regional market conditions.
Product Gaps
This section is intended to highlight “gaps” that appear to exist in the market, where a specific weakness or need is highlighted in terms of product offerings. This can also include potential gaps in the market. If you wondered what MSPs “wish things did”, that’s this section.
Comprehensive Burnout and Well-being Solutions: The conversation about high burnout and dissatisfaction in MSPs suggests a gap in solutions aimed at employee well-being, stress management, and burnout prevention. Products or services that assist MSPs in creating a more balanced work environment, perhaps through better task management, employee engagement tools, or wellness programs, could be valuable.
Flexible Vendor Partnership Programs: The conversation about managing a Meraki system without being a partner shows a gap in flexible vendor partnership programs that are less daunting and more accessible for smaller MSPs or individual professionals. Vendors could offer more streamlined, transparent, and less resource-intensive partnership programs to encourage smaller entities to engage with their products.
Career Development and Transition Platforms: The mixed opinions on using gig platforms as a stepping stone in the IT career path point to a gap in platforms or services that assist IT professionals in career development or transitioning into different roles or business models, like running an MSP. Such platforms could offer guidance, networking opportunities, and resources tailored to the IT sector.
Vendor Discussion
This section is designed to give you insights into who was “discussed” this week. These are vendors that were mentioned or commented upon, and not necessarily a specific set of complaints about the vendor. This may be a good opportunity to learn about a new name, or get a sense of who is in the zeitgeist. It’s long. It’s intentionally long, to give you the firehose.
Acronis Cloud: Discussed in the context of pricing plans for MSP services.
Autoelvate: Mentioned in a conversation about managing difficult clients, specifically regarding client demands for admin rights.
Bullphish ID: Mentioned in the context of cyber security training products, with a focus on phishing detection and prevention.
Checkpoint: Mentioned in the context of a service outage at Todyl SGN Connect. The sentiment is negative, as a user regretted not sticking with Checkpoint due to the outage.
Connectwise Control: Mentioned in discussions around MSP pricing plans and service stacks.
Curricula: Discussed in both phishing training vendors and cyber security training product contexts.
CyberCNS: Mentioned in the context of MSP service pricing.
Cybermaniacs: Part of the conversation about cyber security training vendors.
Cyber101.com: Mentioned in relation to cyber security training products.
Datto EDR: Discussed in the context of MSP pricing strategies.
D&H: Mentioned in relation to taking over a client's Meraki system.
EasyDMARC: Mentioned during a discussion on MSP pricing plans. T
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Discussed in the context of MSP service offerings and pricing.
Field Nation: Mentioned in the context of an individual considering freelance work as a stepping stone to starting an MSP. The sentiment is mixed, with some viewing it as a viable path and others as potentially limiting.
Fortinet: Discussed as a potential hardware replacement in the conversation about Meraki systems.
Graphus: Mentioned as part of a variety of cyber security training vendors.
Guardz: Discussed in the context of phishing training vendor options.
Huntress a: Mentioned in relation to cyber security training products.
iDrac (Dell): Discussed in relation to technical issues with NVME Drives in Dell servers.
Infima: Mentioned for its ease of use in phishing training for smaller groups. The sentiment is positive, highlighting its no minimum learner requirement.
Ingram: Mentioned in the context of managing a Meraki system without being a partner.
ITGlue: Discussed in a conversation about managing difficult clients and client demands for admin rights.
KnowB4 : Mentioned in the context of cyber security training products.
MxDR: Discussed in the context of MSP service pricing strategies.
Microsoft 365: Mentioned in relation to difficult client management and client demands for admin rights.
Microsoft's Attack Simulation Training: Discussed as a phishing training option, especially for those already using Office 365.
NINJIO: Mentioned as a phishing training vendor suitable for smaller groups.
Office 365: Mentioned in the context of phishing training and MSP service pricing.
Rewst: Mentioned in relation to managing difficult MSP clients and their demands for admin rights.
RocketCyber: Discussed in the context of MSP pricing plans.
SafeTitan: Part of the conversation about cyber security training vendors.
SaaS Alerts: Mentioned during a discussion about MSP pricing plans.
SASE/ZTNA: Mentioned in the context of MSP service pricing strategies.
tdsynnex: Mentioned in the conversation about managing a Meraki system without being a partner.
Todyl SGN Connect: Discussed in the context of an outage. The sentiment is negative due to the business impact of the service disruption.
Usecure.io: Mentioned as a vendor for cyber security training, particularly phishing detection and prevention.
Unifi: Discussed as a potential hardware replacement in the conversation about Meraki systems.
Watchguard: Mentioned in a conversation about MSP service pricing.
Webroot's Security Awareness Training: Discussed as a phishing training option.
Work Market: Mentioned in the context of an individual considering freelance work as a stepping stone to starting an MSP. The sentiment is mixed, similar to Field Nation.
Zix/AppRiver: Discussed in the context of MSP service pricing strategies.