Kyle built $50 million in MSP revenue over 18 years but felt burned out and underpaid. He's leaving to launch Empath Cyber, a community-driven platform to teach developers cybersecurity skills, with an open curriculum anyone can modify instead of the traditional coaching model tied to individual thought leaders.
Life, man. Ever jumped the wrong train and thought your life was over? Yeah, me too. Funny thing is, I was sure it was the express ticket to getting expelled. Whoops. Can you imagine the headlines? Future rock star takes the wrong train. But hey, while I had dreams of shredding on a guitar, I also had logged quite a few nerd hours on a computer. That's just killing time, right? That mistake train somehow dropped me into a tech leadership role. I was barely 16. But hey, beats getting expelled, right? And you'd think after spending the last 18 years in IT— 18— I'd have it all figured out. Wrong. Plenty of mistakes. Believe me. I never got the chance to grow into this role. They just tossed me into the deep end. I could have been a doctor after college, but tech kept pulling me in. Had a few, let's call them learning experiences. I got booted out because apparently doors weren't made for egos my size. Like Icarus, I flew too high and got burned. But hey, I dusted off. I tried again. Guess what? It wasn't that hard. I just needed some discipline and a good game plan. And, you know, I took these templates, let's call them operating systems because they do, and I found the source code. And once you have that, you're golden. And my next project, boom, we went to the moon. Didn't do any of it alone. But, you know, somehow I flipped a bunch of retail locations, catapulted a couple of MSPs, and lent some muscle to build one of the biggest MSP consulting firms, you know, and added somewhere over $50 million in revenue to all three of them along the way. But what did I get? Boredom and an empty wallet. I'm not even 35. The sentiment was, I built empires but for others. So what's a guy to do? My guitars were collecting dust, the last project had worn me out, and I had to take another leap. And I parted ways with some amazing people trying just to make it, do something different. And now Here I am, just like Roland de Gilead, chasing some mythical Dark Tower. So I went Lone Ranger for a while. Sometimes you just have to drop the group project and go solo. And trust me, wasn't as romantic as it sounds. But the Dark Tower was elusive and in the background, it beckoned me. And yeah, I got these clients. They're amazing. They're growing fast. But there's only one of me. How do I scale me? And another firm doesn't feel right. Doesn't get me excited. I got to avoid just being another old-timer rambling about the good old days and also charging them for it. And Coaching 101 is just charge more. It's that zeitgeist I'm trying to avoid. Hell, they gave me a Go Disrupt Award this year. So how do I disrupt coaching as a whole? And the path isn't really clear. Like Roland, I felt the pull of the Dark Tower, something unknown, something drawing me in. But time is limited. How do I help more without burning out? And yeah, some CEO offers came my way, but I've had my fill building empires for the Crimson King. Man, I'm loving these live chats with my buddy Alex. We're a great team. MSPs, they came flocking and seemed to genuinely enjoy what we're talking about. The engagement was through the roof. But how do we scale this? How do we turn this duet into a symphony? We're just a couple of vagabonds sharing our ideas, no different than the other guys. And Wes, he threw out this education idea. I think he's on to something, something big. Something that could change the game for everyone. It's an operating system, but it's a flexible operating system, and it's rooted in education, not systems, not templates. And it's contemporary yet accountable. Content that evolves with the community, not just making a coach fat and rich while their clients are just stuck where they began. This is something. Hey, Kyle, come work for us at Empath. I should talk to Woz.
Hello, Kyle.
Hey, Steve. I'm thinking of joining Wes over at Empath Cyber. Alex is on board, and I mean, cybersecurity is crucial, but so is ensuring MSPs are fortified to weather any obstacle. I mean, technical, financial, strategic, operational. What are your thoughts about Empath Cyber?
Empath is a good one-stop place for developers to get more education in the field and more skills. You know, you care about your customers and their needs, and you communicate well with them.
That's good to hear, but I've been hearing about other companies in the cybersecurity space. What makes Empath Cyber stand out?
Many developers want skills in cybersecurity, for their companies, small or large, or to consult for others, you know. But promotion for this kind of skill is abundant, growing with every intrusion we read about now that cyber attacks are more common. I mean, the internet's a lot bigger than the older networks, but let's work to stop those bad players.
I appreciate that perspective, but I'm hesitant about the personal sacrifices involved in another startup. You think it's worth it?
You know, the harder you work for your own startup, your own ideas, the better you'll feel when it works. In a startup, every little thing is so critical that you have to give up your normal family life and everything to try and make it. But when you do, the joy tells you who you are and what you were made for in life.
That's how it went for me. I see what you mean. With the rise of online attacks, do you think there's a growing need for companies like Empath to help them grow in scale?
You care about your customers and their needs, and you communicate well with them. With cybersecurity talent education throughout the world of SMBs and corporations and individual consultants, we are doing good things for the world. You will receive countless thanks for what you provide.
Thanks, Steve. I'm really grateful for your time. If I do, I'd want to make a real impact. What's, what's the ultimate goal here I'm looking for?
You've actually started a company to deal with it and to train other developers to deal with it.
Thanks, Steve. I'll think it over.
Now think different and change the world. Waz out.
Education but with integrity. A new type of operating system, a flexible one, not controlled by the aging thought leaders or giant vendors that are just preventing churn, but through our platform and beyond our knowledge. When we write the book, we would decentralize who can modify the source code, and then I'm all in. You know what? Life's a journey, it's an adventure, and this This is where everything changes. Welcome to this new adventure. Welcome to Antep.
