Should vendors build for the MSP of today or the managed intelligence provider of tomorrow? Cole said tomorrow. Jared said earn it first.
MSPs built their business on keeping systems running. More of them are now being asked to help clients use data and AI safely, with governance those clients can defend. Some in the industry call that a managed intelligence provider, or MIP. Cole and Jared argued about what vendors should do about it.
The buyer is changing faster than most vendor pitches. If MSPs are being asked for outcomes and governance, vendors need to bring a story about the client outcome, controls an MSP can stand behind, and pricing that fits a service the MSP is still learning to sell. Cole has been spending time on industry standards work for exactly this reason.
The MSP buying from you this quarter still asks the same questions it did last year. Can one tech run this across all my clients? Does the price fit inside what I already charge? Is there margin after my labor? Will you answer the phone when something breaks? If you can't answer those, the MIP story won't save the deal. If you can, it's what gets you invited back.
Sell Monday, build for next year. Cole drew the line at the roadmap: if your next two releases don't touch governance or AI, you'll be selling to a shrinking version of your buyer. Jared agreed, as long as Monday's questions get answered first.
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