This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.

Ashley Cooper on Lovable, Local-First AI Apps, and Safe Agent Workflows for MSPs

The host interviews Ashley Cooper (COO at Cyber Drain, VP of Community at Rewst) about her use of Lovable and other AI coding tools to build small, local-first, deterministic apps and learn through prompting. Ashley describes receiving a Lovable contributor gift after ranking in the top 0.01% of users, her early failed attempt to rebuild community software, and her shift to rapid, browser-based prototypes like JSON-to-CSV converters, receipt/expense and food trackers, and a webhook-driven PSA time-entry timer. She explains her workflow moving from Lovable scaffolding to GitHub/VS Code with Copilot, plus experimenting with Bolt and tools like OpenClaw, emphasizing trust boundaries, least privilege, and treating agents like employees. They discuss prompt engineering using philosophical mental models, risks of unvetted "vibe-coded" SaaS, and advising MSPs to start with data readiness and education before deploying AI for clients.

This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.

00:00 Meet Ashley Cooper

01:17 Lovable Gift Surprise

03:01 Early Builds and Lessons

05:25 Hackathon One Shot Apps

09:34 Finding Ideas to Build

11:00 Viral AI Side Projects

14:09 Keeping or Killing Projects

18:22 Local First Automation Wins

19:51 Beyond Lovable Toolchain

24:03 OpenClaw Risks and Power

30:49 AI As Employee

31:18 Stress And Bias

32:02 Context Anxiety

34:52 Prompt Writing Workflow

37:23 Mental Model Prompts

41:44 Deep Instruction Sources

47:20 SaaS Apocalypse Debate

49:53 MSP AI Readiness

53:47 Education And Governance

56:30 Closing Thoughts

Ever wonder what really happens behind the scenes when a rocket-ship MSP vendor goes from scrappy startup to multi-billion dollar public company? Today, I'm talking with Michael Fass, former Datto general counsel and now CEO at Slide. Michael's seen the vendor/MSP relationship from every angle—legal, operational, and now as a co-founder, building Slide for the MSP channel.

If you want a brutally honest look at what hypergrowth actually looks like from the inside, why most MSPs never get past "just technical," and how to avoid being the cobbler with ragged shoes, this episode is for you.

You'll walk away knowing how to spot your "butter zone" in leadership, and a new way to think about partnering with the tech vendors in your stack.

This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.

Today, we have a unique perspective on AI, courtesy of our guest, Jeff Gaines with Treeline.ai.

In this episode, we're exploring what it truly means to be "AI-first" in the MSP space—not just adding AI as a feature, but building it into every layer of the operation for a fundamentally different approach to service delivery.

If you've been following the rapid changes in software, automation, and managed services, you won't want to miss this episode. We're getting into operational strategy, technology adoption, and the future of MSPs in the age of AI.

This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.

In today's episode, I'm joined by John Capobianco to talk about what John calls "VibeOps." If you've ever wondered where network automation and AI intersect—or how the next evolution of IT operations could look almost like managing a team of digital coworkers, you're going to love this one.

Hear how John went from working in an aluminum factory to managing the network for the Canadian House of Parliament.

John explains VibeOps and J shares practical advice for MSPs, how to get started with agentic tools safely, and where he thinks the whole industry is headed.

If you're curious about building your own AI-powered assistants, augmenting your IT workflows, or just want a better handle on demystifying "the network layer," this episode is packed with insights.

Resources:

John' Github Repo

John's YouTube Channel

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This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.

Today's topic is close to my heart and, honestly, one that doesn't get enough airtime in the IT industry: health and wellness.

Joining me for this conversation is my Paul Vedder, CEO of VXIT, a return guest you might remember from a Episode 77. We're talking about what it takes to prioritize our physical and mental health—while juggling the endless demands of business ownership, parenthood, and life in the tech world.

Paul unpacks his personal journey: from the challenges of work-life balance and struggles with unhealthy habits, to discovering the power of change through things like the 75 Hard challenge, ditching alcohol, and building sustainable routines that actually stick. We dig into the importance of accountability, how discipline can unlock true freedom, and why sometimes the smallest steps—like a daily walk—can have the biggest impact.

If you've ever felt like you can't find the time, energy, or motivation to look after yourself, this episode is going to speak to you. We get honest about the trade-offs, the wins, and why choosing to invest in your well-being pays off in every other aspect of your life and business.

So, whether you're listening on your lunch break, out for a walk, or just looking for that spark to get started—stick around. There's a lot of practical wisdom, some laughs, and maybe that nudge you've been needing to make a positive shift.

This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.

Today I'm speaking to Mike Psenka, CEO of Moovila, once again. If you missed our previous episode together, Advanced Project Management—episode 104—I highly recommend checking it out for some great insights.

Today, we're diving into a topic that's been top of mind for me and, honestly, I believe not enough people in the MSP industry are paying close attention to it: project management and profitability. We'll break down some eye-opening stats about how 25% of the MSP channel is either breaking even or losing money—and how poor project management is often the hidden culprit, even when service delivery is profitable.

We're going deep into why projects are causing financial headaches and customer churn, and, more importantly, what MSPs can actually do to fix it. Mike and I will talk through real-world challenges, practical fundamentals, and how AI and automation are changing the game for project delivery.

Whether you're struggling with projects, worried about client retention, or just looking to level up your operational maturity, this episode is packed with actionable advice.

This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.

Today I'm joined by Matt Tougas, CEO of Mizo.

We'll explore how Matt's background as a software engineer and MSP operator led him to develop Mizo, an AI-powered help desk automation platform.

We discuss the realities of AI adoption in the MSP industry, why AI agents can sometimes outperform humans in quality and consistency, and why Canadian companies have such an outsized impact in the global MSP software ecosystem.

We're talking MSP innovation, Canadian tech pride, and the real-world impact of agentic AI in service operations. Let's get started!

This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP.