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Podcast Episode

Building a $5M Tech Enterprise Through Radical Accountability with JP Keesy

The Founder's Growth Show··16 July 2026·1h 6m

About this episode

How do you transition from a "scrappy dream" to a highly structured, multi-million dollar enterprise? In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with JP Keesy, Co-Founder of Fort Worth-based managed service provider F1 IT. JP shares his 25-year journey scaling an IT services firm past $5M in gross revenue while navigating high-stakes industry regulations, such as CMMC Level Two certification. Ditching standard startup clichés, JP delivers a masterclass in alignment, operational resilience, and founder humility. He unpacks the real-world mechanics of a successful business partnership between starkly contrasting personalities, explaining how a unique compatibility test paved the way for an enduring enterprise. JP also shares a vulnerable turning point in his leadership journey, demonstrating how implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) enabled his team to hold him accountable, take tasks off his plate, and break through growth bottlenecks. The conversation also explores utilizing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to capture niche market functionalities, building high-trust communities for business owners, and navigating the cyclical shifts between technological advancement and analog human connection.