{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Beyond the Startup","title":"Beyond the Startup Ep. 1: Pilot","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/37ba4c4e\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3637,"description":" Beyond the Startup Ep. 1: From Chaos to Control — How MIS Solutions Was Built to Scale \nIn the pilot episode of Beyond the Startup, temporary host Scott Pressimone interviews Lliam Holmes, founder and CEO of MIS Solutions, an Atlanta IT company serving small to midsize businesses with help desk, purchasing, and support. Lliam recounts starting MIS in 1995 after his Fortune 100-focused employer repeatedly turned away small-business requests. With encouragement from his mentor, Pete, Lliam bootstrapped the company with his wife, Jennifer, and another partner—MasterCard. He describes early lack of strategy, learning to say no to non-core work, and major lessons, including failing to save for taxes, hiring timing, and the need to pause growth to build policies, processes, and standards. Lliam emphasizes that technology constantly resets (internet, cloud, cybersecurity, AI), argues for investing early to gain “battle scars,” credits EOS for managing chaos, and stresses scaling beyond the founder by delegating decisions, developing people, and focusing on client value and community learning.\n00:00 Bootstrapping MIS Origins\n00:34 Podcast Kickoff and Guest Intro\n01:35 What MIS Solutions Does\n02:26 1995 Tech Landscape and Opportunity\n04:26 Pete’s Push to Go Solo\n05:32 Credit Cards and Early Cash Flow\n09:23 Finding Focus and Saying No\n14:59 Tech Industry Constant Reinvention\n18:19 From Backups to Cloud to AI\n22:58 Early Adoption as a Moat\n27:49 Battle Scars and Tax Shock\n30:45 Learning Business Skills\n31:26 Hiring Growing Pains\n32:01 Building Processes\n34:32 Scaling Costs Reality\n37:13 Delegation Mindset Shift\n40:39 Letting Go of Control\n42:47 Strengths and Ego\n44:52 When Founders Step Aside\n47:04 EOS Managing Chaos\n49:00 Future Tech and AI\n54:13 Value and Expectations\n56:17 Community and Podcast Mission\n01:00:14 Final Thanks and Wrap","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/wdEP5kxLXZor2olvL3ehuWvX12eIjQRTrSAdLm5qkQQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85OGI0/ZmIzODA4N2NkYTE5/NDNjNWYzMmQ1MGEw/MDhkMS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}