Two Stories for Success: Navigating AI with Carolyn April & the SaaS Future of our MSP Customer Base

👋 Welcome to the grind

I’m John Harden, and if you’ve seen me on LinkedIn, you know I’ve got a lot to say about life in the MSP trenches. This newsletter is where I bring it all together: my latest posts, no-BS takes on the industry, and highlights from webinars and livestreams. If you’re in the MSP industry looking to grow, sharpen your game, or just want to hear from someone who’s been in the thick of it, subscribe and come along for the ride.

The Real Path to AI Success for MSPs—With Carolyn April, GTIA

Is AI the future of MSPs? Absolutely but only if you approach it with business fundamentals vertical focus and a healthy dose of caution. Insights from Carolyn April at GTIA read on for the real playbook.

🔍 What we learned:

Carolyn April (Head of Research, GTIA) shared that AI is not only the hottest disruptor in the channel today but it’s moving at a pace faster than any hype cycle in recent memory outpacing even the rise of the cloud. Yet real success for MSPs hinges on using AI internally first focusing on solid business practices and embracing vertical specialization. MSPs must also be aware of the compounding risks AI introduces, especially in cybersecurity and information vetting, while acting as trusted guides for clients overwhelmed by AI-related noise.AI Starts at Home: “Get your own house in order before you start selling to customers.” Carolyn emphasized MSPs should master internal AI use and tune up business operations before offering AI solutions externally.

• Verticalization is Strategic: The high-growth MSPs Carolyn tracks are doubling down on vertical or niche expertise, whether that’s healthcare manufacturing or even hyper-focused segments like hair salons.

• Move Beyond Pure MSP: The future belongs to diversified hybrid MSPs. Not those tied solely to a single platform. Flexibility and service variety are key.

• Consulting is the Real AI Offering: With clients lost in the AI hype MSPs add real value by offering AI consulting—helping clients clarify strategy “since AI isn’t a box you sell it’s a solution you design.”

• Cybersecurity Table Stakes: Every AI service must be bundled with robust cyber practices. “Any time you use AI [cybersecurity] needs to be discussed together.”

✅ Recommendations:

• Before selling AI experiment and optimize internally: automate helpdesk tasks streamline operations and upskill your team using AI-powered tools.

• Build vertical or niche expertise: “If clients don’t see you understand their business they’ll pass you by.”

• Position yourself as an AI consulting partner not just a tech provider. Guide clients to practical outcomes not just more tools.

• Never treat cybersecurity as an add-on embed it into every conversation about AI adoption.

• Don’t get stuck, embrace a “growth and innovation mindset” to stay relevant in these rapidly evolving times.

Huge thanks to Carolyn April for sharing such practical research-driven wisdom. Her message is clear: AI is coming fast but the winners will combine innovation specialization and rock-solid fundamentals. Want more channel-driven actionable insights? Follow for future Coffee Chats recaps or connect with Carolyn at ChannelCon in Nashville this July!

4 Reasons SaaS Management Will Become Essential for MSPs this Year

If you’ve been in the MSP game for a while, you’ve probably noticed the landscape shifting, and its shifting fast. The traditional cash cows like on-prem software migrations are gone, hardware refreshes are out of cycle, and cloud migrations are all coming to an end. But here’s the kicker: we’re sitting at the edge of a major new opportunity, and it’s called SaaS management.

Let’s face it, most SMBs today run almost entirely on SaaS. Whether it’s Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or a hodgepodge of smaller apps like Slack, Zoom, and Asana, everything lives in the cloud now. These platforms are housing mission-critical data, yet many environments are a mess of shadow IT, misconfigurations, and unmonitored accounts. That’s a security and operational nightmare just waiting to happen. Here are the four big reasons why SaaS management is about to take center stage for MSPs:

The Cybersecurity Gap You Can’t Ignore

SaaS is now the default storage locker for a business’s most sensitive data, yet many of these tools are misconfigured, under-secured, or flat-out invisible to IT teams. Identity exposures, unsecured integrations, and third-party supply chain risks are all rising. That’s why SaaS security starts with one thing: visibility. MSPs that get proactive about discovering and monitoring SaaS apps are better positioned to harden the environment and reduce attack surfaces. With threats increasingly targeting cloud-based identity and data, protecting your clients starts with knowing exactly what’s in use and what’s vulnerable.

The Cloud Migration Hangover

We’ve moved from selling and managing on-prem software to helping clients make the leap to the cloud. But now that the bulk of those migrations are complete, MSPs are facing a revenue gap. Cloud-first and cloud-only businesses are the norm, not the exception, and those setups are powered almost entirely by SaaS tools. MSPs that shift toward managing those tools, through inventory, usage tracking, cost control, and security, are positioned to recapture billables that used to come from hardware, installs, and server upkeep. SaaS isn’t just “part of the stack” anymore… it is the stack .

The AI Explosion (and Its Blind Spots)

AI has gone mainstream for SMBs, mostly through SaaS-based tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and Deepseek. But here’s the issue: these tools are being used without any observability. Clients are feeding them sensitive info without realizing the security implications, and MSPs are often in the dark about it. SaaS management is how you shine a light on that blind spot. You need to see what tools are in play, who’s using them, and whether those apps are even sanctioned. Shadow AI use is growing fast, and without monitoring, it becomes a risky black hole in your clients’ environments 

The Compliance Push (That’s Already Here)

GRC frameworks like the CIS Controls are increasingly calling out the need for SaaS oversight, even if it’s not always labeled explicitly. Requirements around asset inventory, user account tracking, and dormant resources all tie back to the SaaS layer. If you want to help clients build cyber-resilient environments, you can’t ignore the data and access sitting in tools like Google Workspace, Salesforce, or Zoom. You need visibility, documentation, and policy enforcement across the board. That’s what makes SaaS management a compliance enabler, not just a convenience . The short version? SaaS management hits every major theme in the modern MSP playbook: security, cloud continuity, AI awareness, and compliance. It’s a service your clients already need, they just don’t know how to ask for it yet. But when you bring it to the table, the value will speak for itself.

🎙️ I’m Live Next Week

Connect with authenticity and purpose in the tech world with Henry Timm (WEDNESDAY July 3, 9am ET)

Join me for a very special Wednesday (note the date change) episode of Coffee Chats where I'll be having an unscripted conversation with Henry Timm, CEO at Phantom Technology Solutions Technology Founder at The Tech Degenerates. We'll dive into the heart of purpose-driven leadership and how it fuels genuine connections and community-building within the tech industry.

What we’ll cover:

• The Heartbeat of Purpose: What does "purpose-driven leadership" really mean inside a tech company?

• Brewing Real Community: How can you transform followers into an engaged community and what's a lesson Henry learned the hard way?

• Connection in a Crowded Room: In a noisy tech world, how do we keep connections authentic and avoid the echo chamber?

Bring your coffee! Register below, drop your questions in the comments, tag a friend who needs to join, or share how you build community with purpose.

🎧 Register here 

🔗 Stuff Worth Clicking

• GTIA State of the Channel 2025: Complexity Keeps Customers Calling

• Internet Safety Month 2025 - Hear from Industry Experts

• Windows is getting rid of the Blue Screen of Death after 40 years

📬 Hit Me Back

The MSPs poised to win aren’t just adopting new tools—they’re leading the charge with strategy, specialization, and visibility. Whether it’s AI done right or untangling SaaS sprawl, there’s serious opportunity on the table. Hit me back—what’s your MSP doing to prep for this next wave? Got a vertical? Thinking about SaaS audits? Or just trying to get your own AI playbook in shape? Let’s swap notes.