Why All MSPs Sound the Same and How the Industry Can Fix it

Описание: What happens when you start an IT business at 20 years old, wing it for years, scale it to a multi-million-pound MSP, and then realise the biggest problem in the industry isn’t technology, it’s trust?

In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Mit Patel, founder of Netstar and now CEO of Assurix, to unpack a 25-year journey through the MSP and Microsoft Partner ecosystem.

From early days learning IT by trial and error, to building and exiting a successful MSP, Mit shares why differentiation in the MSP market is broken, why most SMEs struggle to choose the right provider, and why “proof trumps the promise” when it comes to security and service delivery.

This is a candid, insight-led conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, and what it really takes to raise standards across the MSP industry without fear-mongering or shortcuts.


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💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How Mit built and scaled an MSP from scratch, starting at just 20 years old
-Why most MSPs sound identical to buyers, and how that hurts the whole industry
-The hidden problem of “invisible security” for SMEs
-Why trust, proof, and operational maturity matter more than marketing claims
-What changes when MSPs stop competing on price and start competing on outcomes
-How Assurix was born out of real-world MSP and buyer failures


💬 Memorable Quotes

“All MSPs sound the same to SMEs. They all say the same stuff.”

“I had no idea about strategy. I had no idea what to do. We were pretty much winging it.”

“They don’t understand when security isn’t good because it’s invisible.”

“Proof trumps the promise.”

“We’re trying to raise the bar in our industry and help good MSPs win.”


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🔗 Links & Resources

Connect with Mit Patel on LinkedIn:   / mitassurix  
Explore Assurix: https://assurix.com/

Connect with Oli Ridley on LinkedIn:   / oli-ridley  
Follow Cloud Decisions on LinkedIn:
  / clouddecisions  


🏢 About Cloud Decisions
Cloud Decisions helps Microsoft Partners and customers build world-class technical teams across Cloud, Data, Security, and AI.

As a trusted Microsoft Talent Partner, we connect businesses with the skills and insight they need to scale effectively inside the Microsoft ecosystem.

Our approach blends deep partner knowledge with data-led hiring strategies, helping organisations grow faster, smarter, and stronger.