AI-Ready Enterprise: Scaling Your People Stack

The cybersecurity channel strategy has undergone a fundamental transformation over the last 30 years. Early on, businesses relied on basic white box server reselling and physical, hardware-based firewalls. Partners operated through distribution channels, focusing on pick, pack, and ship logistics. The primary challenges were less about digital threat detection and more about network connectivity through expensive ISDN or T1 lines. This period was characterized by high hardware margins and a regional approach to business, where face-to-face relationships and physical stores were the primary channels for customer acquisition.

As the internet and bandwidth expanded, the channel shifted its focus toward managed services and security appliances. The modern reality of cybersecurity is one of overwhelming data and complexity, even with the aid of AI. Coro Cybersecurity, Joe Sykora’s current company, embodies this shift by offering an AI-Ready Enterprise solution: an all-in-one platform for lean IT teams who lack large budgets or deep staff. By building their own technology, they achieve a true single pane of glass, eliminating complicated API integrations and simplifying operations for both end-users and MSP partners.

This dramatic shift from tangible hardware sales to cloud-based subscriptions and specialized services has significantly impacted the margins and viability of new partners. Starting a new partner business is harder today because the switching costs and risks are higher in established markets compared to the greenfield opportunities of the past. The need for deep expertise, coupled with shrinking margins and intense price pressure on managed services, has fueled a wave of partner consolidation. The challenge for the AI-Ready Enterprise is managing both increasing complexity and the ever-present threat of human error, as people remain the weakest link in security.

The current climate for the channel is defined by intense competition and a trend toward consolidation, making it difficult for new entrants. The high profitability of selling infrastructure and hardware in the early decades has given way to subscription models with lower margins. Partners are under continuous price pressure, forcing many to pivot completely to services. However, even the managed services market is seeing heavy competition and price compression. This challenging economic environment, combined with the aging out of many long-time partner owners, is driving a natural market consolidation, as attractive acquisition multipliers encourage exits.

A significant factor in this consolidation is the persistent global talent shortage in cybersecurity, a problem that has persisted for years. For smaller MSPs, competing with large organizations for highly skilled Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts is nearly impossible due to salary demands. This resource scarcity, in conjunction with the need for scale to maintain profitability, suggests that large, consolidated players may continue to dominate the market. However, this crisis in resources may also be solved by the very technology driving the threats: AI.

The hope for partners—both small and large—lies in next-generation AI-ready tools that can do a hundred times more with less labor. Platforms like Coro’s, which simplify multiple security functions into a single system, directly address the lean IT problem and level the playing field for partners. By operationalizing the back end for MSPs and eliminating time-consuming tasks, technology can help mitigate the impact of the talent gap. Success in this AI-ready enterprise era depends less on being first to market with new technology and more on successfully integrating and simplifying the existing, complex tech stack.

Joe Sykora's career, marked by multiple successful pivots from founder to C-suite executive and back to CEO, highlights the importance of a loyal People Stack as the most critical business asset. He consistently attracts and retains a core team of entrepreneurial individuals who are driven to "make a name for themselves" and chase success. This team is defined by a shared characteristic: a willingness to embrace change, a passion for continuous learning, and a desire to challenge the status quo. Joe’s approach is to execute a framework quickly, aiming for 90% accuracy, then making rapid tweaks, which contrasts with the slower, risk-averse processes of some large organizations.

A key lesson from his journey is the importance of relationships—not just with customers and partners, but with the loyal team members who move from one company to the next. Joe asserts that relationships are more important than processes, building a competitive advantage that allows a new organization to move much faster. For example, his international experience allowed him to quickly open new offices in APJ and Europe by leveraging his existing network for key hires and market insights. This ability to mobilize a trusted team enables the AI-Ready Enterprise to condense months or a year of planning into days or weeks.

As the complexity of the AI-Ready Enterprise grows, Joe recognizes the need to look for non-technical attributes in new hires, such as an openness to change and a willingness to learn new concepts like advanced AI. When hiring outside his network, his vetting process extends beyond checking technical boxes to include an actual conversation, ensuring a cultural and personality fit. This intentional focus on the People Stack—the right talent, culture, and relationships—is the foundational blueprint for achieving the hyper-growth Joe is pursuing.