In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Dan Adams. Dan is the chairman of New England Network Solutions, a Massachusetts-based MSP, and he's also the founder of Up-skill, a media and e-learning service for IT professionals.

Dan is also the author of "The Tech Nerd's Guide to Career Success: Seven Proven Lessons to Unlock Your Growth in an IT Services Company". He explains why he was inspired to write a book and who it's for.

Dan shares the story of his career in the IT space and how he set up and grew his MSP, as well as what inspired him to write his new book, who it’s aimed at and how it can help engineers as well as business owners.

Richard and Dan discuss the disconnects between the roles an MSP owner has, how engineers think versus how MSPs think and Dan’s four success quadrants for MSP owners.

They also talk about the lessons in the book around measuring competence and success, how MSP owners can encourage their engineers to learn from the book’s advice, and how it can be beneficial to those in both nimble and larger-sized MSPs.

Dan also shares who his mentors are, what the MSP community means to him both professionally and personally, and the book he’s gifted most often to employees and colleagues.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Operating system: Unix
• Operating system: Windows for Workgroups
• Operating system: Windows NT
• Operating system: Novell NetWare
• Communication tool: AppleTalk
• Microcomputer networking system: ARCNET
• Software company: cc:Mail
• Word processing tool: WordPerfect
• Spreadsheet programme: Lotus123
• MSP peer group: HTG Evolve
• Interview with Erik Thorsell: Why are You Building an MSP Business, Really?
• Dan’s book: The Tech Nerd's Guide to Career Success. Seven Proven Lessons to Unlock Your Growth in an IT Services Company
• Book: Bob Burg: The Go Giver
• Brian O'Connell from Service Leadership
• Interview with Dan Scott of IT Nation: How to Grow Your Business in an MSP Community Like IT Nation
• Ted Halsey of Snap Tech IT
• MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
• MSP peer group: