Channel 2.0 Podcast

Kameron Olsen
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Technology
  • Updated Semiweekly

Welcome to the Channel 2.0 Podcast, where we explore the modern technology distribution model and the trends shaping the channel ecosystem. Hosted by Kameron Olsen, each episode features dynamic conversations with industry leaders, sharing actionable insights, success stories, and strategies for growth. Whether you’re a supplier, TSD, MSP, or Trusted Advisor, this podcast offers the tools and inspiration to thrive in the ever-evolving channel landscape. Tune in to elevate your business and lead the way in Channel 2.0.

  1. Aug 10

    Why "outcomes as a service" is the new pricing model for the channel - Andrew Down

    The channel has been pricing on time for thirty years. Andrew Down thinks that era is over. Recorded live from Channel Partners 2026 in Las Vegas, this episode of Channel 2.0 sits down with Andrew Down: channel veteran, former MSP owner, and now leading channel strategy at DevTech. Andrew brings a rare perspective. He has owned an MSP, worked the marketplace side, and now leads custom development. He has seen the channel from every angle. The conversation runs through the long-promised MSP and TSD convergence and why it has been slower than everyone predicted, the "vibe code apocalypse" and why human development teams still matter, and the rise of what Andrew calls AI powered but human escalated support. The line that lands hardest: AI will not replace people, but the people who learn to use AI will become the leaders. We are entering an era of humans managing agents. The headline takeaway is a framework Kameron coins on the spot: outcomes as a service. The end of billing by the hour. A pricing model built on what the customer actually walks away with, not how you got there. If you sell into the channel, this is the conversation to have with your team this week. In this episode: Why the MSP and TSD convergence has stalled, and what would actually unstick it The "vibe code anything" myth, and why custom development still wins How AI is changing the role of the trusted advisor (humans managing agents) AI powered, human escalated: the support model customers actually want Outcomes as a service: how to stop pricing on time and start pricing on value Why your network of partners matters more than your knowledge of the stack How to turn Channel Partners networking into actual business Guest: Andrew Down, DevTech Host: Kameron Olsen, President, The Channel Advisors

    Why "outcomes as a service" is the new pricing model for the channel - Andrew Down

  2. Jul 27

    How to win in the channel (Clue: Follow up) with Madison Beedy

    Madison Beedy has sat in every seat in the channel. End user, technology advisor, supplier, and now TSD. That full-circle view is exactly why this conversation hits. Recorded live from Channel Partners 2026 in Las Vegas, Madison and Kameron get into why responsiveness is still the lowest bar and the most common miss, why a channel manager should feel like they are on the partner's team, and where the real AI opportunity sits for the channel (hint: not the LLM arms race). They cover the proprietary fiber lookup tool changing how partners quote, the case for doing business locally, and the attrition risk facing partners who cannot keep up. A grounded, human take on advocacy, technology, and the relationships that hold the channel together.

    How to win in the channel (Clue: Follow up) with Madison Beedy

  3. Jul 13

    Hire Your AI Like an Employee, with Ryan Harrelson

    Most companies are building AI wrong. Ryan Harrelson knows why. Recorded live from Channel Partners 2026 in Las Vegas. Kameron sits down with Ryan Harrelson, founder of SimpliMeta and a 15-year AI veteran who waited until ChatGPT 3.5 to dive into generative AI because he had been disappointed by the hype too many times before. When he finally jumped in, the "aha" moment that changed everything was this: AI is not an application. It is an intelligence. You hire it. You train it. You measure it on KPIs. You give it one on ones. It is a human employee. The conversation runs hot on every front. Why most AI implementations fail (governance, RBAC, and bolted-on widgets instead of redesigned workflows). Why the universities can't teach AI fast enough to keep up. Why "perfection vs excellence" is the framework every leader should adopt right now. Why the Mark Randolph approach to redistributing employees beats the Wall Street approach to cutting them. And then the call to the channel directly. The channel has spent thirty years selling widgets. Now the suppliers, the TSDs, and the advisors all need to learn how to sell workflows. The relationships are still the moat. The conversation is what has to change. The channel is, as Ryan calls it, the king of "I know a guy." That role is more valuable than ever in an AI era, but only if the advisors stop trying to be the expert and start being the one who connects the right experts to the right outcome. In this episode: Why a 15-year AI veteran waited until 2023 to start using GenAI The "aha" moment: AI as employee, not application The bot naming philosophy (and why Penny is on version 18) Why universities cannot keep up with AI curriculum Perfection vs excellence: the email Ryan has sent for two decades Why CEOs are cutting headcount when they should be redistributing it The Mark Randolph / Netflix philosophy on letting employees create their own roles The channel's widget addiction, and what to sell instead Why the channel is, and should remain, the king of "I know a guy" Guest: Ryan Harrelson, SimpliMeta Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanharrelson/ Host: Kameron Olsen, President, The Channel Advisors Connect with SimpliMeta: https://simplimeta.io/ Connect with The Channel Advisors: https://www.thechanneladvisors.com/

    Hire Your AI Like an Employee, with Ryan Harrelson

  4. Jun 24

    Private Equity in the Channel: What Founders, TAs, and Channel Managers Actually Need to Know

    Private equity is reshaping the channel, and most channel managers, TA owners, and consultancy founders are operating without a real playbook. Chuck Serapilio joins Kameron Olsen with 27 years of channel experience, a founded-and-exited MMS company, and time inside both PE-backed and publicly traded operators.In this episode: Smart money vs. just money. The two lanes of private equity and how to choose between them.What PE firms actually evaluate in a company, and how they catch you when you're winging the numbers.The exit conversation. What it feels like to sell your company, and why owners overvalue what they built.Multiples in our space. Why a consultancy clears 8x while a TEM operation sits closer to 3x.Day One after the deal. What changes, what shouldn't, and where alignment matters most.How channel managers should operate inside PE-backed organizations.Reading the signal when PE starts pulling investment back.Alternatives to PE funding most founders never consider.A direct, operator-grade conversation for anyone navigating private equity in the channel.Guest: Charles "Chuck" SerapilioHost: Kameron OlsenFind Chuck on LinkedIn here

    Private Equity in the Channel: What Founders, TAs, and Channel Managers Actually Need to Know

  5. Jun 9

    Every Two Weeks: The Channel Manager Habit That Builds Real Commission, with Michael Agri (North Atlantic Consultants)

    Recorded live at Channel Partners 2026 in Las Vegas. Kameron sits down with Michael Agri, founder of North Atlantic Consultants and a 16.5-year Technology Advisor who built his business from scratch in the Boston area. Michael is candid about what it actually takes to survive in the channel, why the three-year ramp is non-negotiable, and which channel manager behaviors separate the ones earning trust from the ones earning silence. The conversation cuts to the operational habit most channel managers still skip: consistent outreach. Michael walks through the every-two-weeks cadence, why "out of sight, out of mind" is a sales rule, and how the know-like-trust order actually plays out across a 17-year commission tail. He covers the maturation of the channel under private equity, why value-added TAs (the ones running professional services and managed services) are pulling away from contract-only TAs, and where cybersecurity and AI are heading in the next three to five years. He closes on the TSD, why squeezing for 90% misses the point, and why he is still being paid on contracts he sold 17 years ago. If you run a channel program, manage TAs, or are weighing whether to invest the three years it takes to become one, this episode is for you. In this episode: Why "every two weeks" is the channel manager habit that builds real commission The know, like, trust order, and why most sellers skip step one The three-year truth about becoming a Technology Advisor Why value-added TAs are pulling away from contract-only TAs Where cybersecurity and AI are heading next in the channel The TSD math most TAs miss when they squeeze for 90% Guest: Michael Agri, Founder, North Atlantic Consultants Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljagri/ Host: Kameron Olsen, President, The Channel Advisors

    Every Two Weeks: The Channel Manager Habit That Builds Real Commission, with Michael Agri (North Atlantic Consultants)

  6. May 27

    The 90 Percent: Brian Friedopfer on Why Most AI Implementations Fail Before They Start

    Most AI implementations fail before they start. Brian Friedopfer knows why. Recorded live from Channel Partners 2026 in Las Vegas, this episode of Channel 2.0 sits down with Brian Friedopfer, now leading partner strategy at Quandary Consulting Group. Brian started his career on the customer side, watching partners miss scope, pad billables, and pitch product instead of solving problems. He pivoted to the partner side with one mission: build the practice he always wanted to hire. He scaled it from zero to a hundred million dollars in six years. Now he is doing it again, this time around AI and data consolidation. The conversation is direct. Why ninety percent of AI implementations fail to deliver. Why the answer is not better software, it is cleaner data and fewer manual processes. Why the workforce fear around AI is misplaced, and who actually has reason to be worried. The real story behind a client who went from a sixty day payroll cycle to twenty minutes. Brian also says something out loud that most people in the channel will not say. Some TSDs are choosing AI vendors not by impact, but by sponsorship. The right question to ask is not who paid to get into the portfolio. The right question is who can move the needle for the customer. If you sell into the channel, advise on AI, or sit in a portfolio decision seat, this is the conversation that should be in your team meeting next week. In this episode: The customer side pain points that built a hundred million dollar practice Why "single pane of glass" is dead, and what is replacing it What it actually means to "clean your data" before deploying AI The 90 percent failure rate of AI implementations, and how to avoid it The workforce question: who AI actually replaces and who it doesn't The 60 day payroll story: from manual chaos to a 20 minute query The portfolio problem: when TSDs pick vendors by sponsorship instead of impact The channel as collaboration, not competition Guest: Brian Friedopfer, Quandary Consulting Group Host: Kameron Olsen, President, The Channel Advisors Connect with Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/friedopfer/ Quandary Consulting Group: quandarycg.com Connect with The Channel Advisors: thechanneladvisors.com

    The 90 Percent: Brian Friedopfer on Why Most AI Implementations Fail Before They Start

  7. Feb 20

    Sweat Equity to Strategic Advisory: Navigating the Channel Ecosystem

    On this episode of the Channel 2.0 Podcast, Kameron sits down with two channel veterans, Andrew Bond (Trinity Network Solutions) and Shane Speakman (Adaptive Advisors). With over 20 years of combined experience, they discuss the evolution of the Technology Advisor role and the grit required to survive the early years. Shane and Andrew dive into the "sweat equity" required to succeed, why loyalty lies with people rather than brands, and how suppliers can win their attention not with donuts, but with strategic tools and unique solutions. They also provide a candid look at why they might fire a supplier—specifically when they go behind their back to renew a customer with a subpar deal. In this episode, we cover:  The 20-Year Evolution: Andrew’s journey from "selling his soul" for MRC to building a robust advisory firm. The Barrier to Entry: Why the "on-ramp" to profitability takes years, not months, and how to survive the lean times. Supplier Strategy: Why "donuts and lunch" are no longer enough to win over top-tier advisors. The Litmus Test: Why true partnership is defined by how a supplier reacts when an install goes wrong. Niche Hunting: The value of finding the "1%" of suppliers who solve unique problems (like high-volume voice for debt collectors).

    Sweat Equity to Strategic Advisory: Navigating the Channel Ecosystem

  8. Feb 2

    Behind the TSD Curtain: What It Really Takes to Get (and Stay) in a Portfolio with Meggan Fenton

    On this episode of the Channel 2.0 Podcast, Kameron sits down with Meggan Fenton, Senior Director of Supplier Management at Telarus. With over 12 years in the channel, Meggan pulls back the curtain on exactly what it takes for a supplier to get into a TSD portfolio, and why so many fail. Meggan dispels the myth that TSDs are just "lead ports" and explains the rigorous vetting process involving technical, operational, and financial audits that prospective suppliers must pass. She also shares the hard truth about timelines, revealing that a supplier is often considered "new" for up to three years before gaining real traction. In this episode, we cover: The Vetting Process: The specific steps and criteria Telarus uses to accept (or reject) 15+ supplier applications a month. The "Lead Port" Myth: Why signing a contract doesn't mean the orders will just roll in. Contractual Protections: The non-negotiables regarding evergreen commissions, channel conflict, and ROEs. Mistakes to Avoid: Why prematurely exiting the channel or treating it as "pay to play" can destroy your reputation. ROI on MDF: How suppliers should actually be tracking their marketing spend (hint: it's not just revenue).

    Behind the TSD Curtain: What It Really Takes to Get (and Stay) in a Portfolio with Meggan Fenton
See All (31)

About

Welcome to the Channel 2.0 Podcast, where we explore the modern technology distribution model and the trends shaping the channel ecosystem. Hosted by Kameron Olsen, each episode features dynamic conversations with industry leaders, sharing actionable insights, success stories, and strategies for growth. Whether you’re a supplier, TSD, MSP, or Trusted Advisor, this podcast offers the tools and inspiration to thrive in the ever-evolving channel landscape. Tune in to elevate your business and lead the way in Channel 2.0.

Information

  • Creator
    Kameron Olsen
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kameron Olsen
  • Show Website
    Channel 2.0 Podcast