A mindset shift from technician to entrepreneur helped Jason Hamende move Advanced Computer Specialists(ACS) away from unpredictable break/fix and project work to a scalable managed services model with steady monthly recurring revenue. On track to end 2025 with $2.75 million in revenue, Hamende believes the company he founded in 2005 will hit $3.25 million next year. In this interview with MSP Success, he shares how transforming his business model, focusing on leadership, and empowering his team helped him position his company for lasting success.
MSP Success: What are the top three growth indicators you use to measure your company and why?
Hamende: Monthly recurring revenue (MRR), because we used to be so dependent on project work, which is unpredictable. Break/fix is [also] unpredictable, and our revenue stream was tied to people having problems—and the more problems, the more income we made. MRR obviously allows us to have a more predictable stream of revenue and we’re not so dependent on the lows of the economy.
Two, all-in seat price. Our [average] all-in seat price was around $40; now it’s around $100. We were not charging enough; losing money on managed services and not providing everything my customers needed. We have been able to hire additional roles in the organization to increase service quality and go after new sales.
Third, I would say new logo MRR. One thing TMT founder Robin [Robins] tells us for our business model ACE framework is: attract, convert, and expand. Now, we track new customers; that’s my No. 1 goal.
MSP Success: What is one key secret to your success over the past year or so?
Hamende: Putting in the work. I was already working hard before, but now I’m working harder on the right things that move the needle.
MSP Success: What were your biggest challenges this past year related to growth?
Hamende: The bandwidth to meet with all our customers and trying to deliver perceived value to them. Having those hard conversations. We’ve been working really hard for them for a long time, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job retaining customers. So in their minds, things are fine, and in my mind they’re not … The only way to grow is to get more clients, and … changing [current clients’] perception of what good IT looks like and where we were and where we want to be. [At the same time], how do you do the day-to-day work on the business? The answer to that question is just work more and look at the end goal.
MSP Success: Has there been a vendor or tool that has been instrumental in getting you to where you are today?
Hamende: TMT [now part of Kaseya] and [TruPeer, also part of Kaseya]. I’m in a peer group with both but I will say it started with TMT, which helped change my mindset in terms of what is normal and giving me confidence to go out and charge higher prices. And then giving me a framework for how to conduct the meetings; the TBRs [technical business reviews]. And, how to go out and meet clients face to face and having meetings with respect to strategy, planning, budgeting—providing real value beyond just fixing the computers.Once you stop doing break/fix then you’re having more conversations with greater value to [clients] about business outcomes.
MSP Success: What book has helped with your business and leadership style?
Hamende: I’m almost finished with Traction by Gino Wickman. Several peers and mentors have taught me concepts from this, so it’s helped. Also, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck has helped me think differently.
MSP Success: What is the top lesson you’ve had to learn that has been critical to your company’s growth?
Hamende: Getting out of my own way. Not being the bottleneck in your company because you’re trying to do everything and … then trying to start getting other people in positions of leadership … I want to do a really good job because I want my customers to be happy and wasn’t trusting employees to do the basic things. I don’t do that anymore. [TMT’s] Robin [Robins] contrasts two personas or mindsets for business owners. One acronym she uses is TECH: tedious, exhausting, chaotic, and hard. What we should be is an entrepreneur. I’m building a business that’s rewarding, easy, attractive, and lucrative (REAL).
MSP Success: What advice would you give to other MSPs looking to grow their businesses?
Hamende: Stop doing the things that don’t move the needle. Having been that person who’s always working on the tech and not the things that are going to fix the problems … you have to stop doing those things. Start listening to other people’s ideas. You might be in situation where you’re a small MSP and you may not have a bunch of other people to do the work for you. So you’re working on policies, procedures, and documentation because you’re trying to build systems … but I’ve worked extra hard to correct the reasons why I was having to work so hard to begin with. So I’m working smarter. The people who are successful do the hard work and change the business from just a tech to an entrepreneur.
Jason Hamende is a 2025 Titans of the Industry finalist in the government/public sector category. For the full list of finalists, go here.
