{"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 In 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.00:00 Bootstrapping MIS Origins00:34 Podcast Kickoff and Guest Intro01:35 What MIS Solutions Does02:26 1995 Tech Landscape and Opportunity04:26 Pete’s Push to Go Solo05:32 Credit Cards and Early Cash Flow09:23 Finding Focus and Saying No14:59 Tech Industry Constant Reinvention18:19 From Backups to Cloud to AI22:58 Early Adoption as a Moat27:49 Battle Scars and Tax Shock30:45 Learning Business Skills31:26 Hiring Growing Pains32:01 Building Processes34:32 Scaling Costs Reality37:13 Delegation Mindset Shift40:39 Letting Go of Control42:47 Strengths and Ego44:52 When Founders Step Aside47:04 EOS Managing Chaos49:00 Future Tech and AI54:13 Value and Expectations56:17 Community and Podcast Mission01:00:14 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}