Oakland startups operate in one of the best ecosystems in the Bay Area – lower costs than SF, strong community, proximity to talent and customers. But when it comes to IT, most early-stage companies either spend too much on things they don’t need yet or too little on things that will bite them later.
Here’s how to get solid IT without burning runway.
What You Need from Day One (Don’t Skip These)
- MFA everywhere – Free on most platforms. Prevents 99% of account compromise. Takes 10 minutes to enable.
- Backups – Automatic offsite backup on every device. If a laptop dies or gets stolen, your work survives.
- Basic endpoint protection – Malware/ransomware protection on every machine. Non-negotiable.
- Cloud-based workspace – Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Email, files, collaboration – accessible from anywhere.
What You Need at 10-15 People
- Identity management – One system controlling access to everything (JumpCloud). Makes onboarding/offboarding instant.
- Device management – Centrally manage all laptops. Push policies, enforce encryption, enable remote wipe.
- Someone to call – A managed IT provider who responds in 30-60 minutes. Your engineer’s time is too expensive to spend on IT tasks.
- Compliance readiness – Enterprise clients will ask for SOC 2 eventually. Getting controls in place early means you’re ready when the deal comes.
What You Don’t Need Yet
- A full-time IT hire (until 50+ employees)
- On-premise servers (cloud-first for flexibility)
- Enterprise security tools (proper basics beat expensive unused tools)
- Complex infrastructure (keep it simple, scale when you need to)
The Cost Reality
Flat-rate managed IT for a 10-person startup costs less than one engineer spending 5 hours/week on IT tasks (which they’re currently doing whether you track it or not). That engineer should be building product, not resetting passwords and troubleshooting WiFi.
We serve startups in Oakland, SF, and across the Bay Area. No long-term contracts, month-to-month, and we scale with you as you grow.
Need IT help? Seashore IT provides flat-rate managed IT for businesses with 5-250 computers across the Western US – from auto shops and contractors to law firms and healthcare practices. Call (833) 997-6886 or email info@seashoreit.com.
Seashore IT – Your transparent IT partner, aligned to your goals, embedded in your success.