We’re saying thanks to the individuals and teams behind a dozen free MSP resources that we’re grateful for every day.
It’s one thing to do webcasts, podcasts, email newsletters, and blogs — pretty much every vendor does that these days. But it’s another thing to do all that stuff in an authentic, compelling way that’s actually beneficial to the community. In other words, it’s easy to pump out more content, and most people stop there. What’s hard is making sure it’s coming from the right place and that it doesn’t suck. That’s what all of the teams and individuals on this list shine at.
None of the following resources suck. Their creators are awesome contributors to the community who genuinely care about giving back. We’re insanely grateful for them, and we think they deserve a good shout-out!
MSP Webcasts
Tradecraft Tuesday from Huntress Labs
Security has always been a top focus in the MSP community, but this year, with attackers actively setting their sights on MSPs, specifically, the stakes and pressure to stay up-to-speed has never been higher. Thankfully, the team at Huntress has been right there leading the charge, encouraging MSPs and MSP vendors to circle the wagons and share actionable threat intel, so all of us can better understand how we can fight back and keep each other safe.
Tradecraft Tuesday, a monthly webcast series where the team breaks down the latest bleeding-edge, real-world attack tactics is the perfect example of a vendor giving back for the greater good — and having a ridiculously good time doing it, too. Not only is it a testament to vendors being genuine and authentic, every episode is packed with lively audience discussion and Q&A that keeps the experience interesting and entertaining as hell.
Bonus thanks to Kyle and the other guests on our own webinar series
While we’re on the subject of webcasts, we also want to mention how thankful we are for the guests who made our own recent series on Surviving Ransomware so successful. That series kicked off with Huntress CEO Kyle Hanslovan and I talking all about the dramatic surge in coordinated attacks on MSPs. Thanks to all the great follow-up questions we got from that session, we decided to expand it into a series that included a webinar on incident response featuring Tyler Hudak and Paul Sems from TrustedSec and a webinar on cyber insurance and legal risk featuring Bradley Gross and techrug founder Justin Reinmuth. A big thanks to those guys and to everyone who participated!
MSP Podcasts
Tubb Talk from Richard Tubb
After successfully growing and selling a business many of would probably opt for sitting back and enjoying well-earned R&R. Richard Tubb dove right into helping other MSPs accomplish what he did. Richard is incredibly active in the community and can be found walking the halls of countless MSP events and contributing articles for countless industry blogs. But it’s his podcast, Tubb Talk, where his deep, first-hand knowledge, natural curiosity, and engaging empathy really shine. Richard’s a fantastic interviewer, and he often gets his guests to open up in thoughtful ways. As a result, the conversations go beyond the easy surface interviews you find in similar podcasts.
Frankly MSP from Auvik
There’s certainly no lacking for MSP-focused podcasts, but Auvik’s Frankly MSP podcast is another that stands out from the pack. It’s clear from the topic and guest selection that they have their finger on the pulse the MSP community, and host Jennifer Tribe brings a keen editorial instinct to her interviews. The company could have been content with doing just “another podcast,” but they’ve clearly invested in taking it a step above.
MSP Emails (that we actually look forward to getting)
Daily emails from MSSP Alert
Things move fast in security. The daily emails from MSSP Alert (the sister site of ChannelE2E) are one of the best ways to ensure you stay updated with the latest breaking news and big developments. I pride myself on keeping tabs on security news, but I’ll be damned if MSSP Alert editorial director Joe Panettieri doesn’t beat me to the scoop every time. Hats off, Joe. Thanks for your tireless work!
IT Pro Tuesday from EveryCloud
Free tools, tips, and tutorials delivered to my inbox every week? Yes, please. In addition to the stuff the staff at EveryCloud curates, what makes the IT Pro Tuesday emails really stand out is they also include crowdsourced tips and suggestions from IT pros via Reddit. As a result, there’s always something interesting in the weekly mix. Plus, they’re keeping track of all the great tools and tips for posterity on their website here.
Evolved Management Consulting emails from Todd Kane
Maybe it’s in part because he’s Canadian, but Todd’s approach to MSP consulting is incredibly practical, down-to-earth, and generous. All of that clearly comes across in his emails, which don’t read like marketing at all, but rather personal outreach. He’s deeply knowledgable and eager to solve problems — two attributes that have made him highly active and sought-after in several MSP communities, including IT Pool Party (more on it below).
MSP Blogs
CyberDrain
CyberDrain is the online home of Kelvin Tegelaar, CTO and System Architect by day, scripting blogging legend by night. Kelvin has come to the rescue of many an MSP searching for a way to automate something, and his blog is full of scripts and walkthroughs ready for the using.
The Lazy Administrator
Another must-bookmark for busy MSPs looking for the right PowerShell module or configuration walkthrough to make their day-to-day lives a little bit easier. The Lazy Administrator is run by Bradley Wyatt, technology specialist at Porcaro Stolarek Mete Partners.
Altaro’s MSP Dojo
Ok, sure, we sort of wish we’d grabbed that name first, but the fact is Altaro’s MSP Dojo really is a great resource that dives deep into cloud and virtualization topics and provides solid advice for managing MSP teams, too.
Nerdio’s Academy
Another vendor who nails delivering the right mix of technical and business expertise with their content is Nerdio. Their Academy is a fantastic resource for MSPs looking for nuts-and-bolts explanations as well as answers for the most timeless MSP question of all — how do I make more money?
MSP Peer Forums
IT Pool Party (Slack)
These days, it’s never been easier for MSPs to directly connect with one another, and some of the most valuable conversations they’re having aren’t happening at conferences or on Reddit, they’re happening on Slack and Discord. IT Pool Party is a great example. Started by Dedicated IT Managing Partner Chris Burns, it’s a Slack group that’s rapidly become a hub for MSPs to exchange thoughts and advice on anything and everything, from products to troubleshooting to day-to-day #random.
MSPs R Us (Discord)
Like IT Pool Party, MSPs R Us is an extremely active community that’s sprung up and managed to maintain a positive, constructive atmosphere even as its members list has exponentially grown. It’s the perfect place to connect with other MSPs one-on-one or in larger groups for first-hand takes on practically any topic you can think of.
Thanks to everyone who makes these resources great additions to the MSP community day in and day out!
