Lessons From Pax8’s Ryan Walsh on SMB AI Adoption (EP 1035)

I’m catching up with Ryan Walsh at PAX8 Beyond to talk venue vibes, partner trust, and what their latest SMB Pulse Report reveals about real-world AI adoption, spend, and results for small businesses. We unpack why so many AI projects get stuck in pilot mode, what MSPs are missing, and how to move fast with secure agents that clients can actually trust.

This conversation starts with the shift from Denver to Salt Lake City and why the new convention center layout changes the feel of the entire event. Ryan and I talk about the opening ceremony, where the energy hit, where it dragged, and how seriously PAX8 takes survey data, direct partner conversations, and even the uncomfortable feedback when something doesn’t work.

We then dig into the SMB Pulse Report, which combines PAX8 marketplace data, partner insights, and external research to track how small businesses are adopting generative AI, where they’re spending, and why returns are lagging. The data shows strong adoption and increased spend, but also stalled pilots, low trust in agents, and a big gap between time saved and profit realized—exactly where MSPs can step in with security, governance, data quality, and tightly integrated workflows. We also talk about emerging AI-native competitors, the importance of owning the “last mile” to the customer, and why vendors and MSPs alike need to be customer zero so they can confidently deploy secure, reliable agents at scale.

=== Chapters

• 00:24 Venue Impressions and Conference Flow
• 04:06 Opening Ceremony Reactions
• 08:22 Feedback Culture and Trust
• 12:56 SMB Pulse Report Findings
• 20:48 AI Adoption and Partner Strategy
• 23:06 Winning the First Agent
• 26:30 Vendors Must Become Customer Zero

=== Guest: Ryan Walsh, Pax8

• Website: https://www.pax8.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmwalsh1/

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

• PAX8: https://www.pax8.com
• Gaylord (venue): https://www.gaylordhotels.com
• ConnectWise: https://www.connectwise.com
• Canadian Federation of Independent Business: https://www.cfib-fcei.ca
• IDC (International Data Corporation): https://www.idc.com
• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com
• Omni Hotel (Fort Lauderdale convention hotel): https://www.omnihotels.com

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