Jeff Borello, CEO of Andromeda Technology Solutions shares insights on leading a tech company through various stages of growth in this episode of BeyondSaaS, helping tech companies grow. Jeff discusses the importance of helping people succeed, the challenges faced by mid-stage tech companies, and the strategies for effective marketing and lead generation. Jeff emphasizes the significance of niche targeting, the role of partnerships, and the evolving landscape of technology, particularly the impact of AI. He offers valuable advice for early-stage CEOs and highlights the importance of resilience in the face of challenges.
Takeaways
- Marketing strategies must be constantly tested and adapted.
- Niche marketing can lead to more effective messaging.
- Lead generation remains a significant challenge for tech companies.
- Partnerships and peer groups provide valuable insights and support.
- Early-stage CEOs should be prepared for long-term commitment.
- AI is transforming content creation and marketing strategies.
- Authenticity in marketing is becoming increasingly important.
- Switching IT providers can be less daunting than expected.
- Open communication and support are crucial for team success.
Sound Bites
- “There’s no silver bullet for marketing.”
- “You have to be in it for the long haul.”
- “AI hype is out in front of the reality.”
Show Notes
BeyondSaaS Transcript
Jason Niedle
Today we’re talking with Jeff Borello, the CEO of Andromeda Technology, about how to keep your tech company growing—from a TRS-80 computer to a team of nearly 50.
Welcome to Beyond SaaS, Jeff. Before we jump in, have you got a golden nugget for us today?
Jeff Borello
Man, starting right in with the tough ones. I’ve had the same email address for over 25 years, so inbox management has always been a challenge. A tool that’s made a huge difference for me is called SaneBox—S-A-N-E-B-O-X. It uses AI to filter out messages you haven’t seen before and sorts less important emails into a folder called SaneLater.
Recently, I gave my executive assistant access to those folders. She goes through them and filters out 95% of the stuff I don’t need to see. So instead of going through 100 messages at night, I only have to look at a couple. Total game-changer.
Jason Niedle
I’m definitely going to check that out—badly needed. My golden nugget is actually about microphones. My wife is a musician and kept telling me to upgrade. I finally did and got this USB Shure microphone. It sounds amazing—life is just better with good audio.
Okay, quick intro on Jeff: He’s been leading Andromeda Technology since 1994—over 30 years—growing from 3 co-founders to a team of nearly 50. He started on a gifted RadioShack computer (which I also remember!), learned to program and type, and eventually built Andromeda, which now helps manufacturing businesses with managed and co-managed IT services.
Is that about right, Jeff? Can you give us a high-level view of your role today?
Jeff Borello
Yeah. It’s changed a lot over 30 years, but today I focus on three main areas:
- Marketing – a never-ending and always-evolving challenge
- Financials – always tracking the numbers
- Strategy – high-level planning and executing our 3-year roadmap
That’s how I spend most of my day.
Jason Niedle
Love it. After 30 years, what still motivates you?
Jeff Borello
Great question. I really do get excited every day—my brain starts going the minute I wake up. Our company’s mission is helping people succeed—whether that’s our team, our clients, or partners. That’s what drives me.
It could be helping a teammate grow in their role or supporting someone as they transition to something else. It’s all about making sure someone has a better day because of something we did.
Jason Niedle
That’s huge. So you’ve been in mid-stage tech a long time. What are the challenges you regularly see?
Jeff Borello
One of the biggest challenges has been getting qualified leads in the door. The MSP space is super noisy. Everyone says the same thing, and it’s tough for people to see the difference unless they deeply understand the space.
Many clients stick with mediocre or even bad providers because switching seems too hard. They don’t know that better is possible. So, our biggest challenge has been cutting through the noise and helping people realize they don’t have to settle.
Jason Niedle
What have you done that’s worked in addressing that?
Jeff Borello
I’ll let you know when we figure it out completely!
But seriously, marketing is always evolving. What worked yesterday doesn’t work today. You’ve got to keep testing, be willing to pivot, and double down when something is working—because it won’t work forever.
Jason Niedle
Any recent messaging changes that have made an impact?
Jeff Borello
Yeah. About two years ago, we focused heavily on manufacturing. We still have clients in medical, legal, and finance, but our messaging, our content, everything is tailored to manufacturing.
We’ve been learning the industry, understanding the needs, and building solutions specific to ERP reliance, networking, and system uptime. That focus has really sharpened our messaging and helped us stand out.
Jason Niedle
Same journey for us. We niched into tech companies after 22 years of working across industries—it’s been transformative. How are you getting the word out within the manufacturing space?
Jeff Borello
It’s a long game. We’ve refocused our website, LinkedIn connections, and content on manufacturing. I’ve cleaned up my LinkedIn so most of my first-level connections are in that space. It takes time, but it’s starting to pay off.
Jason Niedle
What’s blocking your growth now?
Jeff Borello
Lead gen is still the biggest piece. Also, we’re not trying to grow 20–30% a year—that breaks systems. We usually onboard one or two clients a month—any more and it gets messy.
And most clients come to us from bad situations. That means their systems are a mess, and they’ve been neglected. So onboarding becomes a firehose—suddenly we’re hit with 30 problems they’ve been holding back. That makes rapid growth unsustainable, so we aim for slow and steady.
Jason Niedle
Do you do all the usual tactics—email, social, trade shows?
Jeff Borello
Some email campaigns, yes. We use a mix of in-house and agency support. We’re active on LinkedIn and run some paid ads—though that’s always been a challenge.
We do some small regional events, but not the big ones. We just don’t have the staff for that yet. But I do think events have potential for us once we figure out the resourcing.
Jason Niedle
Any marketing hacks or tricks that have worked for you?
Jeff Borello
Nothing revolutionary. We’ve had some luck with aggregators—they do well in SEO rankings. But even that varies. Some clients won’t touch an ad. Others click immediately. So no silver bullet. Just trying lots of things and watching for signals.
Jason Niedle
How do you find and choose your partners?
Jeff Borello
We’re big on loyalty—to our team, our clients, and our vendors. We don’t switch partners often. When we do need help, we rely on word of mouth and our peer groups.
I’m in a CEO group. My COO is in one for operations leaders. We share recommendations and hear about what others are using. Peer feedback has been incredibly valuable.
Jason Niedle
Any peer groups you recommend?
Jeff Borello
We’re part of Evolve, formerly HTG. It’s IT-focused and owned by ConnectWise. It’s excellent. I also hear great things about Vistage and EO. There’s no bad one—it’s just about committing time, money, and being open to feedback.
Jason Niedle
What advice would you give to CEOs who are earlier in the journey?
Jeff Borello
You’ve got to be in it for the long haul. It’s hard. One of our core values is grit.
Forget the “four-hour workweek.” That’s not real. It’s 16-hour days, grinding through tough months and even years. If you’re in it, know your why. For me, if I fail, 50 people and all our clients are affected. That keeps me going. Sometimes you need to walk away, breathe, and fight again tomorrow.
Jason Niedle
Any trends or predictions for tech and tech marketing?
Jeff Borello
AI is obviously the hot topic. I think the hype is ahead of reality right now—especially in IT. Everyone’s talking about it, but not many are actually using it yet.
That said, content creation and marketing are where AI is really making an impact. Tools like ChatGPT are great—but you still need to learn how to use them well. And ironically, AI may create a new lane for more human, personal content to stand out again.
Jason Niedle
Love that. My wife’s in theater, and I think live performance might be due for a comeback—something you can see and trust in person.
Jeff Borello
Totally. These days, you can’t believe what you see online—video, audio, text. It’s all potentially fake. So there’s going to be a real hunger for authentic, real-world experiences.
Jason Niedle
How about AI in your own business? Is it changing managed IT services?
Jeff Borello
Not yet—but it’s coming. Right now, most MSPs are just talking about AI. A few tools might use it for repetitive tasks, and eventually, it will help more with things like troubleshooting and automation. But we’re not there yet.
We’ve created a steering committee to look ahead 2–3 years and figure out where we can apply AI. On the marketing side, we’re already using it for content, brainstorming, and even light competitive research.
Jason Niedle
Anything else you want to share about Andromeda?
Jeff Borello
Just that people don’t have to suffer with bad IT. We help both companies with no IT and those with an overwhelmed internal team.
We make switching providers easier than people think—we take care of 95% of the transition. And most clients tell us afterward, “I can’t believe I waited this long.” So even if you just want to talk, I’m always happy to chat—even if you don’t hire us.
Jason Niedle
Where can people find you?
Jeff Borello
Find me on LinkedIn – Jeff Borello (B-O-R-E-L-L-O) from Andromeda Technology.
Or visit our site: andromeda-tech-solutions.com
Email: jborrello@wenetwork.com
Jason Niedle
Perfect. Jeff, thank you so much for being on Beyond SaaS.
To our listeners—if you’re a leader in mid-stage tech looking to grow, send us your feedback, questions, and of course, those likes and subscribes help a ton.
Until next time, this is Beyond SaaS.
