In this episode of MSP Unplugged, Paco Lebron talks with Michael Assraf, Founder and CEO of Flamingo, about tool sprawl, the vendor tax, and how an open-source foundation plus AI agents can change the economics for growing MSPs.

Michael has spent 20 years in tech, mostly in startups. At his previous company, Vicarius, a vulnerability remediation platform, most of the traction came from MSPs, and he saw them keep adding tools and losing margin. He and Paco cover:

• Why tool sprawl and add-on pricing keep eating into MSP margins
• How AI-driven roll-ups and rising tool prices are squeezing growing MSPs
• How OpenFrame hosts open-source tools as one platform, with AI agents Mingo (for techs) and Fae (for end users)
• Why moving AI from suggestions to real ticket reduction is a business process decision
• What a three-person MSP should expect when AI starts closing tickets
• How to start testing AI by building with tools like Claude Code, and why brokering AI projects for clients may be the future of the MSP

Links:
Flamingo: https://www.flamingo.run
OpenFrame: https://www.flamingo.run/openframe
OpenMSP community and vendor directory: https://www.openmsp.ai
Michael Assraf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelassraf/
MSP Unplugged: https://www.mspunplugged.com

This episode is brought to you by Flamingo, makers of OpenFrame: one platform instead of eight tabs, with AI assistants Mingo and Fae that actually fix things with your approval. $1 per device per month. Try it free for 14 days, no card needed, at https://flamingo.run

Chapters:
00:00 Intro and welcome
03:34 Michael Assraf's path to the MSP space
05:57 Tool sprawl and the vendor tax
08:06 From technician to business owner with AI
13:22 AI roll-ups and the margin squeeze
15:22 Open source, OpenFrame, Mingo and Fae
19:13 Moving AI from suggestions to ticket reduction
22:41 What a three-person MSP should expect
27:17 Rapid fire: AI myths, vibe coding, and AI projects

More episodes: https://www.mspunplugged.com/episodes/
Vendors, partner with us: https://www.mspunplugged.com/sponsor-with-us/
MSP Unplugged is the weekly podcast for growing MSP owners, under $1M with 10 or fewer techs.

Before you plan 2027, score 2026. In the first chapter of our 4th Quarter Living series, Paco Lebron welcomes Rick Smith and Nancy Henriquez as co-hosts for the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Together they take inventory of the year: the wins, the plays they would not run again, how AI changed the way they work, and how each of them plans to unplug before the new year.

Nancy shares what she is learning from her first acquisition, Rick talks about starting a new company from scratch, and Paco opens up about standardizing systems across an MSP roll-up. They cover:

• Why spending your first 30, 60, or 90 days on product learning instead of execution can slow you down
• How to plan without overplanning, and why perfectionism is a mask for procrastination
• Why profit is the heartbeat of your business and how cash flow makes or breaks you
• How Rick and Nancy are using AI this year, from research and admin help to an AI digital twin that checks processes against agreements
• Why getting more out of your existing client relationships beats always chasing new leads
• How to unplug, take time off, and build a business that does not own you

Hosts: Paco Lebron, Rick Smith, Nancy Henriquez

More episodes: https://mspunplugged.com/episodes/
Vendors, partner with us: https://mspunplugged.com/sponsor-with-us/
MSP Unplugged is the weekly podcast for growing MSP owners, under $1M with 10 or fewer techs.

🎙️ In this episode of MSP Unplugged, we sit down with Ryan Walsh, Channel Chief and Chief Strategy Officer at Pax8, to talk about where small MSPs actually go next.
Ryan has spent years helping partners clean up messy stacks, scale through the marketplace, and rethink what "managed services" even means as AI changes client expectations. This conversation is built for owners running lean shops — under $3M and under 20 employees — who need a practical path, not a enterprise slide deck.
What You'll Learn:

Why Pax8 frames the shift from MSP to Managed Infrastructure Provider (MIP)

What AI actually changes for small MSPs (and what it doesn't)

How to clean up a messy vendor stack without blowing up delivery

Leadership and culture moves that help a small team adopt new
services

How marketplace, partnerships, and product expansion can drive growth without a huge sales org

Practical first steps for MSPs who feel behind on AI and strategy

👉 Resources & Links:

Pax8: https://www.pax8.com
Ryan Walsh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmwalsh1/
MSP Unplugged: https://www.mspunplugged.com

What's one thing in your stack you'd rip out tomorrow if you could? Drop it in the comments.

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