What Rex Frank Taught Us About Growing an MSP That Doesn't Break At Scale
Growing an MSP isn't easy. Just ask Rex Frank - he's helping thousands of MSPs grow in his role as VP, Academy at Pax8.
Rex Frank didn’t just watch the MSP space evolve—he built within every phase of it.
"I started in the industry in 1988 doing Novell networks... I rode through a lot of different business transitions—from selling hardware to services to managed services to this whole cloud transformation." - Rex Frank, VP Academy, Pax8.
From the early Novell days to today’s SaaS-anchored stacks, Rex has been in the trenches. But when he sat down with Carrie Richardson to reflect on his journey, one idea emerged more powerfully than any other: maturity in process always beats heroics in talent.
The Hero Trap
"If you're still solving the same problems with a cape, and not a checklist, you're not maturing."
In many MSPs, growth comes with pain. That pain is often papered over by superstar employees who "just get it done." But as Rex points out, that very behavior—though noble—is a sign of systemic fragility. When success depends on individual heroics instead of institutional process, your business is always one resignation away from chaos.
This isn’t just about operations.
It bleeds into sales, service delivery, client retention. If your techs are also your best closers, or if your project manager is the only one who knows how to run onboarding, you’re not scaling—you’re gambling. Growing an MSP requires a commitment to process. You can "fake it 'til you make it," but running an MSP on best guesses or 'muscle and feel' will only take you so far.
MSPs who aren't adopting best practices (Dean Trempelas from Empath says don't call them that, but today we're gonna) will find themselves stagnant or worse: retracting in size at a critical time in their growth cycle. With potential buyers looking for three years of progressive growth, stagnant years can impact your future in more ways than one.
Listen to Rex Frank on the WIN Podcast here:
Maturity is a Discipline, Not a Phase
"Process maturity is a choice. You don't stumble into it."
At PAX8 Academy, Rex is working to change how MSPs view maturity. It’s not a distant milestone. It’s a deliberate redesign of how the business operates today. That includes:
- Building and documenting repeatable processes
- Creating checklists that replace tribal knowledge
- Developing layered accountability within teams
The goal?
Predictability.
If your MSP can deliver consistent outcomes regardless of who's on vacation, that is maturity.
The vCIO Is Not a Closer
"We don’t treat the vCIO like a salesperson—they’re your business translator, your strategic layer."
One of the strongest points Rex made is how MSPs misuse their vCIOs.
Too often, they are pushed into sales roles—expected to drive upsells or close QBRs. Rex’s take is a radical reframing: the vCIO should be the strategic voice that bridges IT and business, not a glorified account manager.
By aligning the vCIO role to strategic outcomes rather than sales quotas, you build trust and long-term stickiness. It also allows your MSP sales process to live with the people who own it: trained sales professionals.
For a tactical breakdown of how to structure this, see MSP Sales Discovery and Process Development.
Your Org Chart Reveals Your Priorities
"If your org chart still says technician first and everything else later, you're already scaling the wrong things."
Rex believes you can diagnose an MSP's maturity by looking at its org chart.
If there's no sales lead, no dedicated ops manager, no client success structure—just a pile of techs—you're not building a business, you're creating a support group.
True MSP growth means investing in the infrastructure of scale. That includes:
- Hiring for strategic sales roles
- Building layered leadership beyond the tech bench
- Establishing a sales pipeline separate from service delivery
This shift also unlocks paths to higher-value work—like vCIO strategy, compliance consulting, and proactive client planning.
Community Accelerates Maturity—If You Engage
"This community will save you years of mistakes—if you show up, ask questions, and apply what you hear."
PAX8 Academy and peer groups are more than networking events. They're blueprints in real time. But, as Rex says, too many MSPs treat them as inspiration instead of implementation.
The ones who grow fastest?
They take notes, ask hard questions, adapt quickly.
And then they act.
Fox & Crow’s Blog is a great place to start identifying which communities might match your maturity goals.
See the full interview on the Fox & Crow Group Youtube channel or watch it here:
Why You Shouldn't Miss PAX8 Beyond
If Rex’s insights resonate with you, there’s no better place to deepen your learning than PAX8 Beyond. It's not your typical MSP conference. It's a convergence of strategy, leadership, community, and the future of cloud commerce.
At PAX8 Beyond, you’ll get to:
- Hear directly from Rex Frank and other thought leaders
- Network with mature MSP operators and strategic vendors
- Workshop the exact frameworks that fuel scale
Learn more at PAX8.com and PAX8Beyond.com and make your plan to attend.
Ready to Grow Without Breaking Your Business?
If you’re tired of heroic effort and want to build a durable, scalable MSP, Rex Frank’s message is clear: maturity is built, not bought.
👉 Book a strategic sales session with Carrie Richardson and take the first step toward process-driven growth.
Find Carrie and Ian Richardson at Pax 8 Beyond at booth #929 - right up against the back wall - look for the t-rex, come grab a t-shirt, and let's talk about eliminating those single points of failure with the MSP Sales Process.
Here's a map:
FAQ: Rex Frank’s MSP Maturity Principles
Q: What does 'maturity' actually mean in an MSP context?
A: Operational maturity in an MSP context means your outcomes are consistent and process-driven, not dependent on specific people.
Q: How should we restructure the vCIO role?
A: Restructure the vCIO role by moving the vCIO out of sales. Position them as business strategists and client success leaders.
Q: What’s the first sign of operational immaturity?
A: Operational immaturity is easy to diagnose when MSP success is dependent on a few overworked stars instead of documented systems.
Q: What should MSPs stop doing immediately to ensure growth doesn't break their business?
A: MSP owners should stop assuming growth means hiring more techs. Start building process and sales structure.
Q: Where can I see these ideas in action?
A: Join peer communities, explore PAX8 Academy, and check out MSP Sales Discovery.
Q: How can MSPs begin documenting their internal processes?
A: Start documenting processes by starting with your most repeated tasks—onboarding, ticket triage, and QBRs. Turn them into checklists and train your team to use them consistently.
Q: What role does leadership coaching play in MSP maturity?
A: Leadership coaching plays a massive role in MSP Maturity. Most MSP leaders grew up as techs, not execs. Coaching helps develop vision, delegation, and accountability habits.
Q: How do you transition from reactive to proactive service delivery?
A: To transition to proactive service delivery, MSPs should implement process accountability layers and use metrics to guide improvements and strategic planning.
