How Margaret Totten Built, Sold, and Rebuilt in the Microsoft Ecosystem

What does it really look like to build a business in the Microsoft ecosystem, sell it, and then do it all again? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Mags Totten, CRO at Yavrio and one of the most well-known commercial leaders in the Microsoft partner community, to unpack a career shaped by reinvention, timing, and a clear ability to spot where the market is heading next. From launching IA Cubed at the moment cloud was becoming the next major shift, to building Akari around accessibility and automation, to stepping into the ISV world with Yavrio, Mags shares what it takes to keep evolving while staying commercially sharp. This is a conversation about much more than startup success. Mags reflects on what changed when IA Cubed shifted from a lifestyle business into a company built for exit, what she learned from navigating post-acquisition integration, and why the Microsoft partner ecosystem has been such an important constant across every chapter of her journey. She also explains how her second company was shaped by a more personal mission, and why she still believes the best operators are the ones who can see what’s coming just before everyone else does. Along the way, the conversation explores cloud adoption, accessibility, modern work, product-led growth, partner strategy, the move from services into ISV, and what the next growth chapter at Yavrio could look like. For founders, Microsoft partners, commercial leaders, and anyone trying to build something meaningful in the ecosystem, this episode offers a grounded look at what it means to start, scale, exit, and start again. If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. What You’ll Learn in This Episode • Why Mags launched IA Cubed at the point cloud was becoming the next big market shift • How personal loss changed the company’s trajectory from lifestyle business to exit-focused growth • What Mags learned while building a business that investors would want to buy • Why brand, relationships, and ecosystem presence mattered so much in attracting acquisition interest • What the reality of post-acquisition integration looks like for founders, teams, and customers • How an accessibility event helped spark the vision behind Akari • Why technology became a bridge for inclusion, and how that shaped Akari’s early direction • What changed when Mags moved from service-led growth into the world of product and ISVs • Why Microsoft is putting bigger strategic focus on ISVs and ecosystem extensibility • What drew Mags to Yavrio and why she believes it’s the right business at the right time Memorable Quotes “we decided that we were going to be Scotland's first cloud champion.” “we started looking at how we would build a company to exit, which was brand new to me.” “It's a very steep learning curve and it's something you have to learn on the job, not alongside the job.” “I can usually see what's going to come just before it starts to come.” “what we're trying to do is change how fintech works.” Enjoyed the Episode? Subscribe to the Microsoft Mentors Newsletter for insight-led conversations on leadership, growth, partnerships, technology, and scale across the Microsoft ecosystem. Links & Resources Connect with Margaret Totten on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarettotten/Connect with Oli Ridley on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-ridley/Follow Cloud Decisions on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/clouddecisions About Cloud Decisions Cloud Decisions helps Microsoft Partners and Microsoft-aligned businesses build high-performing teams across Cloud, Data, Security, and AI. As a trusted Microsoft Talent Partner, we combine deep ecosystem knowledge with data-led hiring strategies to help organisations scale securely and sustainably in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.