Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack to agentic AI: ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/youtube

In this week's episode, Shane Naugher, CEO of Innovative Automations, joins the show to unpack how he transformed his MSP experience into a new AI and automation business. He shares the hard lessons learned behind selling AI services, why project-based automation can destroy margins, how scope creep led to a 20x budget overrun, and why MSPs need to think beyond simply reselling vendor AI tools. We also dive into AI governance, recurring revenue models, automation ROI, internal team adoption, and why MSP owners need to lead from the front before their clients fall behind.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Starting an automation company
17:53 - Governance + Assessing what they need
23:52 - Figuring out the ROI
28:57 - How do you keep up?
33:00 - Getting hands on
36:39 - Dealing with AI overwhelm
39:00 - What are clients wanting?
44:16 - What was impossible before?

Connect more with Damien and Shane:
Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/
Shane - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanenaugher/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

In this week's episode, Matt Van Horn, creator of Last 30 Days, CLI Printing Press, and Agent Cookie, joins the show to unpack how AI agents are changing what non-engineers can build. Matt shares how he went from sales and business development to creating world-class agent tools, why CLIs may be the missing bridge between AI and real business systems, and how MSPs can start using agents to move faster, automate deeper, and build workflows that were previously impossible.

Connect with Damien and Matt:
Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/
Matt - https://x.com/mvanhorn

🎙 Listen on audio:
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mindset-with-damien-stevens/id1669572779
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5B1k3Z8qXBGBSCJeSScjBE?si=c5d185c306064520 #msp #managedservices #managedserviceprovider

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

Every Thursday, I build AI agents in Claude Code with other MSP owners. It’s live, free, and on screen. Join our next build ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com

In this episode, Damien talks with Laith Palawan, CEO of Orange Crew and founder of Bloom Logic, about why AI is becoming the next major differentiator for MSPs. Laith explains how every modern business is drowning in scattered data across email, tickets, phone calls, Teams, Zoom, CRM, QuickBooks, and documents — and why MSPs are uniquely positioned to help clients make sense of it all.

Laith shares how he built an AI company alongside his MSP, what he learned from trying to bring AI into the SMB market early, and why the future MSP opportunity may not be just fixing infrastructure, but becoming the trusted partner who connects data, intelligence, and business outcomes.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

2:22 - Getting started as an MSP

12:04 - Differentiating your MSP with AI

38:06 - Ways AI helps him understand business

45:00 - What is down the road?

Connect more with Damien and Laith:

Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens

Laith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laith-pahlawan-26b93a/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset