Microsoft Mentors

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. 

👉 If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 

💡 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.” 

📬 Enjoyed the Episode? 

Subscribe to the Microsoft Mentors Newsletter for insights, episodes, and hiring data across the Microsoft Partner ecosystem: 
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7175453155780915200 

🔗 Links & Resources 

Connect with Mit Patel on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitassurix/ 

Explore Assurix: https://assurix.com/ 

Connect with Oli Ridley on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-ridley/

Follow Cloud Decisions on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/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. 

When all MSPs sound the same, the wrong ones keep winning.

That’s the uncomfortable reality Mit Patel breaks down in this episode of Microsoft Mentors.

After 25 years building, scaling, and exiting an MSP, Mit explains why differentiation in the MSP market has failed, and how that failure creates real risk for customers and real frustration for high-quality providers.

We get into:
• Why buyers rely on the wrong signals• How promises replaced proof• Why security weaknesses stay hidden until it’s too late• And what has to change if MSPs want to compete on value, not price

This isn’t theory.
It’s the result of decades inside the ecosystem.

▶️ Watch the trailer.Full episode goes live tomorrow.

What happens when you grow up coding on an Amstrad and end up leading one of the UK’s most forward-thinking Microsoft Partners?

For Helen Gelling, curiosity wasn’t just a childhood hobby. It became the foundation for a career that’s spanned continents, cloud revolutions, and courageous leadership decisions. In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Helen Gerling, CEO of Shaping Cloud, to unpack her lifelong journey through technology, from dial-up modems and AOL chatrooms to leading cloud, data and AI transformation for UK organisations. Helen shares how an early fascination with technology shaped her worldview, why curiosity beats credentials when hiring, and the pivotal moment she turned down a senior government role to lead Shaping Cloud. It’s an honest, energising conversation about the people side of tech, and how staying curious can change the course of your career. 👉 If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, follow and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode How Helen’s early curiosity for technology sparked a lifelong career in cloud and data Why loving what you do matters more than formal qualifications in today’s tech landscape What makes a great leader in a rapidly changing Microsoft Partner ecosystem How Helen navigated a major career crossroads and chose leadership over comfort Why the best technologists are still the most curious learners 💬 Memorable Quotes “I feel like I was born into tech. By five or six I was coding on an Amstrad at home.” “Some of the hackers I met online tried to take over my computer and some of them succeeded! But I was just curious, not malicious.” “I’m less interested in qualifications. I look for hunger, that curiosity for all that tech can do.” “Don’t do tech just for the money. Do it because you love it, and there’s loads of opportunity if you do.” “It’s a rare opportunity to be gifted the chance to lead a company and make something of it.” 📬 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to the Microsoft Mentors Newsletter for insights, episodes, and hiring data across the Microsoft Partner ecosystem: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7175453155780915200 🔗 Links & Resources Connect with Helen Gelling on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-gerling-b031093/Explore Shaping Cloud: http://www.shapingcloud.com/ Connect with Oli Ridley on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-ridley/Follow Cloud Decisions on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-decisions/🏢 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 insights they need to accelerate transformation. Our team combines deep ecosystem knowledge with data-led hiring strategies, helping organisations grow faster, smarter, and stronger in the Microsoft Cloud.

Most tech careers don’t stall because the tools change.

They stall because judgement doesn’t.

This episode of Microsoft Mentors is about what actually compounds over time.

Not credentials.

Not frameworks.

But the decisions people make when there’s no clear answer.

We talk about:

• Why long-term capability comes from how you think, not what you know
• Making career calls that don’t make sense on paper, but matter years later
• What still counts when the tech stack resets (again)

How leadership evolves as responsibility increases

This episode is for people playing the long game in tech — and for leaders who want to build teams that last.

🎧 Full episode drops tomorrow!

Most Microsoft partners don’t fail because of tech.

They fail because of decisions.

This is Trailer One for Microsoft Mentors — Series 3.

Five leaders.

20+ year careers.

No interest in hype.

This series breaks down:

Why “differentiation” usually isn’t

What actually drives long-term scale

How leaders survive multiple tech cycles

Why consistency beats intensity every time

Not motivation.

Operating principles.

This is the first drop.

More coming.

Series 3 launches Wednesday, 28 January.

What happens when you give a start-up mindset the scale of a global giant? 

100,000+ employees. 
Global systems integrator. 
Layers of process that can slow anyone to a crawl. 

And yet, a Microsoft business unit emerged that runs like a start-up. 
Fast. 
Innovative. 
Able to get new ideas to market before the keynote’s even finished. 

In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, we cover: 

-The “creep” from hands-on engineer to strategic leader (and how to plan for it) 
-Why leaving after 17 years made him better when he came back 
-How to build GTM plans before Satya’s even finished the keynote 
-The real enterprise play in Sovereign Cloud & AI 
-Why upskilling sales teams is just as important as technical teams 
-Leading with ambition and humanity inside a huge organisation 

Adam’s career path is part roadmap, part reality check for anyone trying to move fast in a big corporate without breaking it. 

🎧 Full episode live now! 

If you’ve tried to build a Microsoft practice inside a big corporate, how did it go? 

Think you need a master's degree to lead global Microsoft Security Strategy?Wrong, Jason Revill started with a train ticket to Hull, now he is.... Global Microsoft Security Practice Director at Avanade! Shaping Security strategy used by the world’s biggest enterprises in the GenAI era. But his career started with a £7k loan, a train to Hull and a big bet on becoming an expert in Microsoft technology hardly anyone knew how to use! 🎙️ On this week’s Microsoft Mentors: ➡The £7k bet that unlocked his career (and why MIM still has a place in his heart) ➡ Building Avanade’s Security Practice from scratch ➡ Moving from IC to global leader without losing touch with tech ➡ Copilot, agents, and what’s next for Microsoft Security This one’s for you if you're: 👉 Trying to stand out in a crowded consultancy 👉 Wrestling with the IC → Manager transition 👉 Wondering what to bet on next 🔊 Full episode live now! #MicrosoftSecurity #Leadership #Copilot #CareerInTech #ForefrontIdentityManager #MicrosoftPartner #Podcast #Avanade

Straight out of university, he and two mates launched a small MSP in Austin.No capital.No customers.No business degrees.Just curiosity, grit, and a knack for solving real tech problems.Fast forward 25 years…Shane Gronniger is now CEO of GCS Technologies, one of Texas’ top Microsoft Partners:➡️ 45+ employees➡️ 100s of long-term clients➡️ Still 100% privately owned➡️ Still no outbound sales teamHis growth strategy?Earn trust. Educate clients. Stay hands-on with the tech.No lock-in. No fluff. Just real work and real relationships.In this week’s Microsoft Mentors, Shane shares the blueprint:➡️ Why GCS bet big on Microsoft-first security➡️ How to grow without sales reps or investors➡️ What “AI readiness” really looks like in the SMB market➡️ How to keep clients loyal with zero contractsIf you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to go from support engineer to Microsoft Partner CEO, this is your episode.What would you tell your younger self starting out in tech?

How do you deliver outcomes, no matter the platform? 
Everyone has the same tools. The difference is what you do with them. 
 
That’s the ethos behind Telana, the new force born from Ancoris + Sundown Solutions. 
 
This week on Microsoft Mentors, we unpack how Telana is blending Azure and GCP to deliver applied innovation, not just technology. 
 
Because here’s the truth: 
✅ Innovation isn’t tech for tech’s sake 
✅ Buyers don’t care about cloud loyalty 
✅ It’s all about solving real business problems 
 
So… Azure or GCP? 
Wrong question. 
 
The most exciting projects in 2025 are multi-platform by design because customers want outcomes, not infrastructure debates. 
 
Telana is delivering those outcomes: 
 
>£1.5M annual savings for a retail client through smarter data 
>Real-time clinical environments running seamlessly on GCP 
>Strategic AI adoption on both Microsoft and Google stacks 
 
@André Azevedo has seen this play before; from Cloudreach’s 30→1000 headcount growth to building Telana’s brand that’s purpose-built for this next era. 
 
We talked: 
➡️ What applied innovation actually looks like in the field 
➡️ Why Microsoft + Google is a strength, not a split 
➡️ The leadership lessons that shaped Telana’s launch 
 
Are you designing your cloud strategy around platforms or outcomes? 
 
#Azure #GCP #CloudStrategy #MicrosoftPartners #InnovationLeadership #AppliedInnovation #MicrosoftMentors #Telana #CloudTransformation   

IBM & Microsoft.  
Once fierce rivals. Now strategic partners. 

If you'd said this in the 80s in the midst of the PC wars, you'd be laughed out of the server room. 

Fast forward to today, IBM have a strong strategic partnership with Microsoft and have  launched a dedicated Microsoft Practice. 
 
Why? 

Because transformation at enterprise scale now demands collaboration at enterprise scale. 

🟦 Azure 
🟨 Fabric 
🟩 Copilot 
🟪 AI at the edge of every workflow 

Customers are looking for aligned ecosystems.  
 
And IBM’s new Microsoft Practice puts decades of enterprise consulting muscle behind Microsoft’s modern cloud stack. 

In this week's Microsoft Mentors podcast, I sat down with Tim Callahan to unpack: 
➡️ The vision behind IBM’s Microsoft Practice 
➡️ What this means for Azure customers (hint: faster idea-to-impact) 
➡️ How IBM is restructuring to fuel transformation, not turf wars 
➡️ And why, in a world racing toward AI, it’s not about picking sides, it’s about building bridges 

This episode is packed with insight, nuance, and a few throwbacks to OCS and Blue Yonder mailboxes 👴 

What do you make of the IBM + Microsoft alignment?