For our latest Tubblog Travelogue, Community Manager Stephen McCormick interviewed Richard Tubb 
and James Steel of Akamai Linode to share their learnings from CompTIA’s ChannelCon23.
The focus? How MSPs can build the impossible.
For those not familiar with CompTIA, think of it as forward-thinking and innovative trade association for the IT industry. Their flagship event in Las Vegas had people from all over the world in attendance.
James said it’s unlike any other event he’s been to. But despite being so big, it still retains a community feel.
Highlights for MSP Attendees Looking to Build the Impossible
On this fun and upbeat call, which you can listen to above, Richard and James shared their highlights with me and Pascal Fintoni.
- The Oxygen Bar: James says: “It looks like a scientist’s lab. There are lots of boiling pots, all in different colours. You pick whether you want something to perk you up or helpl you to wind down. So, you sit on a stool, they put two prongs up your nose and you inhale pure oxygen!”
- Impossible Labs: Sustainability experts Impossible Labs talked about their project to support sufferers of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and their families, which was moving and inspiring
- MSP Focus: Tracy Pound (CompTIA Chair) delivered a really useful talk on marketing for MSPs, including lifetime value of client and how to attract and retain them
- Taking Action: Why MSPs should focus on their vertical
- The Linode Dinner: Beers, food and darts with MSP industry legends Erick Simpson and Karl Palachuck
An Easy Way to Manage the Onboarding Process
Uptime Solutions explained that a good onboarding process leads to lifetime clients. James highlights their use of using emojis as a nice, easy way to check in with how they’re feeling.
“It’s quite possible that a customer will experience a problem at some point during the onboarding process. Because it’s a big adjustment for them. But if you can keep in touch with how they’re feeling, you reduce the risk of buyer’s remorse.”
James’ Top Conference Tips
James was attending the event to represent Akamai Linode, a cloud computing company with the world’s largest CDN. Their mission is to deliver great hosting across thousands of distributed sites. And to do so, they offer enterprise-grade security tools.
As a veteran conference goer, here are James’ top tips:
- Do your research
- Have a proper plan
- Identify who you want to talk to within the community, the exhibitors and the speakers
- Pick the most relevant talks ahead of time
- Look for collaboration opportunities
- Identify podcast guests, or shows looking for guests
Overcoming Mental Health Challenges to Build the Impossible
Richard explains: “I was invited to join a panel session called “Triumph Over Adversity”, and it proved to be a hugely emotional experience for all involved. I’ve alluded to my mental health challenges in the past, but this was an opportunity to share my story, hear others’ and offer support to the wider community.
“Each of the three panellists shared their coping strategies. And, we touched on the fact that we’re probably seen as high achievers by most people. But what they don’t see is that sometimes we go through hell. And sometimes, sadly, we struggle with suicidal thoughts.
“I was so nervous, because I had to give a lot of myself and show a lot of vulnerability. But the good news was, at the end of the session, a lot of us were crying. And we got a standing ovation. So many people came up to me afterwards to say thank you and what a difference it made to them. That was incredible.”
Test Your Las Vegas Knowledge!
Just for fun, Pascal put together a quick quiz to test Richard, James and Stephen on their knowledge of Las Vegas. The questions are below, and you can hear the answers in the recording above. If you just want to hear the quiz (and find out how they did), skip to 24:45.
- Can you name a famous movie taking place in Las Vegas?
- Las Vegas has a copy of the Eiffel Tower, which measures 165m. How tall is the original?
- The name ‘Las Vegas’ is Spanish. What is the English translation?
- Extra question for James: What has Richard been getting up to in Vegas?!
Can MSPs Build the Impossible?
From what James and Richard reported back to us, I think there’s a real possibility that MSPs CAN build the impossible!
Were you at the CompTIA ChannelCon 2023 event too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.
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I'm a small business owner, technical writer and blogger, with 15 years experience in corporate IT. I frequently attend MSP peer groups and create content relevant to IT service providers and business owners.
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