#678 Pax8 Beyond-Chris Day: 🧭 From IT Glue to AI Glue: Chris Day on Building with Purpose — Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations

2 Apr 2026 · 32 min
Episode

2 Apr 2026 · 32 min

0:00

In this episode of Joey Pinz’s Discipline Conversations, host Joey Pinz and guest Chris Day recap the massive PAX8 Beyond 2025 event (3,400 attendees, 40+ breakouts) and discuss the many interviews they conducted with MSP leaders. Joey shares his personal discipline story—losing 130 lb after a health scare—and frames the podcast’s mission to explore how discipline fuels growth in health, business, and technology. Chris walks through his entrepreneurial arc from founding IT Glue (which popularized documentation for MSPs) to leading Scalepad and launching the $40 M TopDown Ventures fund that backs early‑stage AI‑first MSP SaaS startups. The conversation then pivots to the core challenges of the Managed Service Provider (MSP) model: balancing recurring‑revenue pressures, margins, and a people‑dependent service, and the need to shift from pure efficiency to genuine customer‑experience value. They explore the AI wave hitting MSPs—data as oil, agentic automation, emerging protocols like MCP/A2A, and the rapid influx of AI‑first startups. Chris explains Scalepad’s new customer‑success focus, including the upcoming Lifecycle Manager X platform that wraps QBRs, VCIO, roadmaps, and assessments into a strategic partnership model. Personal discipline resurfaces as Chris describes his three‑bucket framework (business, personal, family) and the ongoing struggle to keep them balanced. Motivation is measured not by revenue but by lasting impact—people still thanking him for IT Glue years later. The episode ends with practical contact info (LinkedIn) and several promotional spots for MSPInfluencer.com, Joey Pinz merch, and YouTube membership.

Chapters

More from Chris

PodcastS2E5: Tate Talks - With Chris Day, Topdown Ventures — Tate Talks - The MSP Podcast
Podcast

S2E5: Tate Talks - With Chris Day, Topdown Ventures — Tate Talks - The MSP Podcast

6mo ago
PodcastVirtual CISO Demand, AI Adoption, MSP M&A Market, Edge Computing, and More — Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights
Podcast

Virtual CISO Demand, AI Adoption, MSP M&A Market, Edge Computing, and More — Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights

6mo ago
PodcastEpisode 31 - Reactive to Intentional: How MSP Leaders Actually Level Up (w/ Guest: Chris Day) — The MSP Sales Podcast
Podcast

Episode 31 - Reactive to Intentional: How MSP Leaders Actually Level Up (w/ Guest: Chris Day) — The MSP Sales Podcast

6mo ago
PodcastEpisode 113: Chatbot Doom Loop — MSP Chat
Podcast

Episode 113: Chatbot Doom Loop — MSP Chat

6mo ago
See all content