In this episode of My First Million, we hear from Matt Rose and Erica Martinez-Rose, the husband-and-wife team behind Tech Rage IT. They walk through how their business evolved from consulting into a full MSP, what it really took to break past the $1M mark, and how they’ve navigated growth, hiring, and leadership while running a company together. It’s an honest look at building an MSP from the ground up without outside funding—and without pretending it’s easy.

Key Themes

Starting with consulting, shifting to MSP. The business began with consulting work that provided stable income, and eventually transitioned into managed services once that contract started winding down.

Bootstrapping instead of taking on debt. Rose and Martinez-Rose were intentional about avoiding loans, using consulting revenue to fund early growth and minimize financial risk.

Standing out in a crowded MSP market. Branding played a major role early on. Choosing a bold, memorable name helped spark conversations and differentiate them from more traditional MSPs.

Letting go of being “the best tech.” As the company scaled, Rose had to step back from hands-on technical work so the business wouldn’t bottleneck around him.

Hiring green talent on purpose. Instead of prioritizing experienced hires, they’ve focused on training entry-level employees and accepting turnover as part of the model.

Actionable Takeaways for MSP Owners

• Use stable income to reduce early risk
  If you’re starting with consulting or project work, use that predictable cash flow to fund your MSP growth instead of taking on debt.
• Price for the client size you want, not the one you have
  From the beginning, Rose focused on clients with at least 10 users, which helped avoid low-revenue, high-friction relationships.
• Expect hiring challenges and plan for turnover
  Training entry-level talent takes work, but it creates consistency. Build processes that assume some employees will eventually move on.
• Be transparent with clients during hard moments
  During staffing shortages, honesty helped preserve trust and retain clients even when the team was stretched thin.
• Learn from multiple communities, not just one
  Exposure to different peer groups, tools, and opinions helped them challenge assumptions and make better long-term decisions.

What’s Next for Tech Rage IT

Rose and Martinez-Rose are focused on continuing sustainable growth as they approach the $2M mark, while staying intentional about hiring pace and operational maturity. They’re prioritizing smarter pricing, stronger internal processes, and leadership development so the company can scale without sacrificing quality—or burning themselves out. The long-term goal is flexibility: building a business that supports both future opportunities and personal goals beyond day-to-day operations.

This episode is a great reminder that MSP growth isn’t linear—and it’s rarely clean. Rose and Martinez-Rose show that you can build a successful, profitable MSP without outside funding, perfect hires, or overnight success. It takes patience, adaptability, and a willingness to learn (sometimes the hard way).

Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe for more real MSP stories and check out MSPSuccess.com for tools and playbooks to grow your business. If you missed our last episode, tune in here to hear how Doug Bates hit his first million.