In my experience, it is usually possible to get through periods of rapid growth without pre-existing support or knowledge. Sometimes you learn fast enough to m

In my experience, it is usually possible to get through periods of rapid growth without pre-existing support or knowledge. Sometimes you learn fast enough to manage on your own; sometimes you have to bring in experts after-the-fact, and pay through the nose. But there's no rule that says you need to ask for help now. If you want to "muddle through", you will probably manage. Paradoxically, technology companies are rarely killed by a lack of technical know-how. That said, there's also no shame in having support in place. If you already know that high scalability is not your core competency, and if you aren't intensely interested in making it be, having pre-existing support can be very helpful. I don't know how good Rackspace support is in particular, but I've often had very helpful conversations and planning sessions with support (mostly ISVs). Not to mention, it may be more cost-effective to consult them now than try to put out the fire later.