Sunny’s Silver Linings wasn’t just an event. It was a moment of clarity.
We came together to share ideas, challenge perspectives, and focus on what truly matters: people, purpose, and progress. And if there was one theme that kept surfacing across conversations, it was this:
Even in change, there’s opportunity.
Here’s a look back at the biggest takeaways I heard from some of the strongest voices in the MSP space,and why they matter heading into 2026.
1) Stop “Fixing People.” Fix Processes, With Data.
One of the sharpest leadership reminders came through early:
Fix processes, not people.
Because none of us are qualified to “fix” people, and trying to do it usually turns problems emotional. The better play is to get the emotion off the table, let your smartest people attack the data, identify the real source of the issue, and improve the process.
That idea hit even harder when it was framed like this:
Immature companies rely on rock stars. Mature companies rely on rock-star processes.
If you build repeatable operations, you don’t need heroes. You need competent people who can win inside a great system.
2) Culture Matters, but Profitability Isn’t Optional
A big truth that too many MSPs still ignore:
You can build the best culture in the world… but you still have to be consistently profitable.
In the MSP world, especially when acquisition, growth, and scale are involved: profitability is the foundation. EBITDA matters, yes, but the bigger point was deeper:
- Consistent profits signal operational maturity.
- A growing EBITDA “bucket” changes how buyers view you.
- Integration is the hardest part: so size and stability matter.
In other words: if you want optionality in your business, you don’t get it through vibes. You get it through performance.
3) The MSP Channel Is Full of “Incidental Entrepreneurs”, and that’s a strength
One of the most relatable moments was hearing the origin story many MSP owners quietly share:
“I was a really bad employee… so I became an entrepreneur.”
That’s not a knock. It’s the reality of this channel: people who believed they could do it better, build something stronger, earn more, serve customers differently, and they took the leap.
The phrase that stuck with me:
Incidental entrepreneurs.
It’s a reminder that the MSP industry has always been built by people who didn’t wait for permission.
4) AI Isn’t Replacing People. It’s an Exoskeleton.
The AI conversation got real fast.
The best analogy I heard all day was this:
AI is an exoskeleton, like Iron Man.
A normal human becomes superhuman with the suit.
That’s the opportunity: AI as a complement, not a replacement. And the warning was just as clear:
AI is only a threat to the people who don’t embrace it.
Yes, the long-term future is unknown. But right now? The people who lean in: MSP leaders, technicians, sales reps, creators become more valuable, more powerful, and more impactful.
5) AI Is Also Reshaping Sales: Less Admin, More Conversations
One of the most practical takeaways: AI is buying time back.
When admin work shrinks – proposal reviews, follow-ups, meeting prep, analysis. Sales teams get to do what actually drives growth:
- more conversations
- better reviews and business discussions
- stronger follow-up
- more time with more customers
The point wasn’t “use AI because it’s trendy.” It was:
Use AI to move humans upstream into higher-value work.
6) AI in Cybersecurity Needs Discipline; Not Hype
When the conversation turned to cybersecurity, the tone shifted (in the right way).
The message: be careful how you rely on AI.
Because “AI will solve everything” is just the modern version of an old mistake – wanting machines to decide what’s good or bad in situations that are often contextual.
Some things are clearly malicious. Others aren’t inherently bad every time… but could be. That’s where judgment, guardrails, and strong security design still matter.
The takeaway: use AI thoughtfully, especially in security, because consequences are real.
7) The Word That Kept Coming Up: Impact
If I had to summarize the heartbeat of SSL 2025 in one word, it would be:
Impact.
Make measurable impact for the customer → build trust → earn the right to make more impact.
That’s the growth loop.
And it’s what too many MSPs are missing when they get distracted by tools instead of outcomes. Tech helps, sure, but the bigger unlock is the “aha”:
Can we agree this is a real issue worth solving, so we solve it for the industry?
Because when SMBs grow, MSPs grow. And when MSPs grow, the whole ecosystem levels up.
8) Automate Cash Flow and Put the “Happy Path” on Autopilot
One of the most underrated themes of the day was financial operations.
We heard it bluntly:
Revenue is vanity. Profits are sanity. Cash flow is reality.
And then the practical angle: cash flow is one of the easiest things to automate-set up the happy path, focus humans on exceptions, and move your best people into high-value work instead of “pressing buttons.”
The bigger insight: there’s still a ton of low-hanging fruit across the industry. MSPs who tighten cash flow and time-to-value will build healthier businesses-fast.
9) Valuation, Markets, and the Power of Peer Groups
The valuation discussion brought a needed reminder:
Business value has a lot of variables, and “beauty” really can be in the eye of the beholder.
Tax laws shift. Markets move. Interest rates change. Global exposure adds complexity. The advice wasn’t to obsess – it was to stay flexible and get professional guidance.
But the strongest recommendation?
Join at least two credible peer groups.
Not the ones that waste your time- the ones that push you to the next level. Because there’s something unbeatable about sitting with peers who are four, five, six steps ahead. That changes how you think, how you decide, and how you lead.
10) The Future: MSPs Must Lead Business Change, Not Just IT
This might be the biggest “2026” takeaway of all:
As service delivery gets commoditized, the opportunity moves upstream into high-value transformation.
But here’s the tension-we’re not naturally good at it yet.
We have to get better at:
- leading change
- understanding the business outcomes behind the tech
- connecting all the pieces
- operating like true thought partners
Because the future isn’t just “keeping systems running.” The future is MSPs leading the charge in business change.
Final Reflection
Sunny’s Silver Linings 2025 reminded me why I keep doing these conversations.
Not because the MSP space needs more noise.
Because it needs more clarity.
The leaders who stood out weren’t chasing hype. They were focused on fundamentals: process, profit, impact, discipline in AI, and the evolution toward outcomes.
And if we take that seriously, 2026 won’t be something that happens to us.
It’ll be something we shape- together.
If you want, paste the CCC recap blog link you’re referencing internally (or drop the version you want matched), and I’ll mirror the exact same formatting beats (headline rhythm, section lengths, and closing style) while keeping this SSL recap content intact.
