[Un]Churned – The No. 1 Podcast for Customer Retention

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedIn this episode of Unchurned, Jenny Calvert sits down with Carsten Schütz, VP & Global Head of Scaled CS at SAP, to talk about how modern CS teams must evolve to serve thousands of customers without losing the human touch.Carsten shares how his journey from startup CSM to SAP executive reshaped his thinking about scale, specialization, and the real role of AI in customer success.The conversation dives deep into why the traditional “hire more CSMs” model doesn’t work anymore, how AI agents can support the long tail of customers, and why product usage data—not just sentiment—is the future of customer health.One of the biggest takeaways: AI isn’t replacing customer success. It’s enabling teams to finally support the majority of customers who currently receive little to no human interaction. ---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction0:55 - Meet Carsten Schütz 4:25 - The real answer to the generalist vs specialist debate6:20 - What customers actually want from their CSMs7:57 - What makes a truly valuable QBR9:18 - Why AI is essential for the 80% of customers at scale 11:08 - The importance of keeping the human touch12:02 - Using AI to drive adoption, detect risk, and churn prevention13:55 - Why product usage data is critical for customer health16:28 - What CS leaders should look for when hiring today19:04 - How AI is changing how younger professionals work20:55 - “This is the worst AI will ever be.”21:48 - Q4 renewal strategy and human connection23:33 - Why in-person conferences still matter---What You’ll Learn* Why 80% of customers require a scalable CS strategy* Why the generalist vs specialist debate is the wrong question* How product usage data reveals hidden churn risks* Why CS teams must think beyond 1-to-1 engagement* How to scale digital engagement without losing human connection* Why the future of CS is human-first, AI-powered---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Carsten SchützLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carstenschuetz/---Where to Find Jenny:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycalvert/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedCustomer Success doesn’t become mission-critical because you say it is. It becomes mission-critical when it owns revenue.In this episode of Unchurned, Josh Schachter sits down with Manish Chawla, CCO at PowerSchool, to talk about what it actually takes to make CS essential — to customers and to the company.Manish doesn’t come from traditional CS. He’s been a CRO. A GM. He learned that the only truth that matters is what the customer believes.Now he’s applying that lens to CS.At PowerSchool, CSMs don’t just manage relationships. They carry GRR and expansion targets. AI isn’t a premium add-on — it’s table stakes. And cost-to-serve must go down while customer experience goes up.This isn’t theory. It’s operational.If Customer Success isn’t tied directly to profit, it risks becoming optional. And optional doesn’t survive.This episode is for operators who want CS at the revenue table — not watching from the sidelines.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:25 - Meet Manish Chawla & Overview of PowerSchool3:35 - From consulting to CRO to CCO6:13 - Why execution matters more than strategy8:35 - Bringing a commercial mindset to Customer Success10:52 - Should CSMs carry revenue? (GRR & expansion targets)16:20 - Making CS mission-critical inside the company17:42 - Cost-to-serve: Driving efficiency without hurting CX18:50 - Scaling through digital CS. partner & ecosystems21:25 - Designing CS for K-12 and vertical SaaS28:30 - AI is table stakes (and customers won’t pay extra)30:51 - Using AI internally to increase productivity32:25 - Building a CS engineering team35:45 - Becoming essential to customers---What You’ll Learn* Why CSMs carry GRR and expansion targets — not just NPS* Why AI is table stakes (and why customers won’t pay extra for it)* How to lower cost-to-serve without lowering experience* How to tie CS directly to the CEO’s revenue equation* Why vertical SaaS demands deep domain fluency in CS hiring* How to position the CSM as the COO to the AE’s CEO---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find the GuestsManish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishchawla1/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedIs the future CSM a generalist empowered by specialist AI agents?Live from Pulse Europe, Eleanora White, Global Head of CS & Solutions Architects at Supermetrics, joins Jenny Calvert to break down how her team is operationalizing Agentic AI inside customer success.From internal AI agents that reduce friction…To customer-facing automation at scale…To autonomous agents that challenge and pressure-test insights…Supermetrics is building a 3-phase AI roadmap that reshapes how CSMs work — without replacing the human relationship.If you’re working on AI adoption or retention strategy — this episode is your blueprint.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction0:40 - Meet Eleanora White 1:10 - AI as a Team Member3:39 - Supermetrics’ 3-Phase AI Strategy5:38 - Removing Friction with Internal AI6:49 - The Future CSM Profile9:00 - Hitting GRR Targets in Q411:03 - The “Stay-Alive” Retention Strategy13:15 - Win-Back Metrics & LTV14:27 - What’s Next for 2026---What You’ll Learn* Why the best CSMs will become AI-powered generalists* How to structure CS teams in the agentic era* How Agentic AI can serve CSMs internally before customers* The “stay-alive contract” retention strategy to increase long-term LTV* How to win customers back without hurting GRR* Why discovery is the most underrated CSM skill---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find the GuestsEleanora's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanora-white/---Where to Find Jenny:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycalvert/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedIs community in B2B SaaS a cost center — or a growth engine hiding in plain sight?In this episode of Unchurned, Josh Schachter sits down with Jon Wishart and community strategist Brian Oblinger to break down what community really means beyond vanity metrics and buzzwords.They explore how community drives retention (GRR), expansion, and customer success — and why most companies are measuring it wrong. Plus, they unpack how AI is reshaping search, traffic, and discoverability, and why declining pageviews don’t mean declining value.If you’re building, scaling, or rethinking your community strategy, this episode will change how you think about impact — and the future of customer connection.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:45 - Meet Jon Wishart & Brian Oblinger7:56 - What community in B2B SaaS actually is9:00 - The “eras” of community ownership (Support → CS → Marketing → Product)12:30 - Is community a cost center? And measuring impact18:15 - The CFO conversation: investment vs expense19:35 - AI, traffic declines, and community panic21:30 - Why AI isn’t killing community26:42 - The shift from “How do I?” to “How do we?” 30:40 - How community impacts feature development strategy 33:13 - Starting from zero: advice for new community builders---What You’ll Learn* The core definition of community in B2B SaaS (without the fluff)* How community drives retention, expansion, and lower support costs* Why operational metrics (posts, members, pageviews) are outdated* How to measure community’s business impact using cohort analysis* What AI is really doing to search traffic and discoverability* Why declining traffic doesn’t mean declining value* How to future-proof your community strategy* The fundamentals every new community leader must get right---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find the GuestsBrian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-wishart/Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-wishart/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned 18 months ago, venture capitalist Brett Queener made a bold prediction: 75% of customer-facing software companies would disappear. Now he’s back—with receipts.On this episode of Unchurned, Brett explains why traditional SaaS moats have collapsed, why “system of record” is no longer defensible, and why we’ve entered a new era of agentic software—where you don’t buy tools anymore… You hire them.Brett introduces what he calls the Judgment Layer—the only remaining defensible advantage in AI-powered products. In a world where agents can build, code, write, and self-organize, your job shifts from operator to manager. And your product’s job shifts from workflow engine to embedded judgment engine.If you build, invest in, or buy software, this episode is required listening.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction2:15 - From GPT moment to Agents4:02 - Survival in the AI era6:50 - Meet Brett8:00 - Why SaaS moats disappeared10:40 - The Judgment Layer explained & Feedback loops13:58 - Hiring software vs. buying software---What You’ll Learn* Why most SaaS companies are now replaceable* Why embedded judgment is more valuable than workflow automation* The new decision framework for buy vs. build* Why the humanities may outperform pure STEM in the AI era* What founders must build to remain defensible---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Brett QueenerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/Substack Article: https://queener.substack.com/p/in-the-end-it-may-just-be-judgementBonfire Ventures: https://www.bonfirevc.com/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned What happens when you bring consumption-based customer success into a company?In this episode of Unchurned, Jared Collins, Senior Director of Customer Success at Dell Technologies, shares how the Apex team is building a modern CS engine inside a $100B infrastructure giant.Unlike SaaS companies that can deploy value instantly, Dell Apex operates in a world of physical logistics, supply chain constraints, and long hardware lead times. That means customer success isn’t just about adoption — it’s about anticipation.Jared breaks down how his team connects data sources across the enterprise, builds trigger-based playbooks, partners deeply with sales, and prepares for an AI-driven future where customer signals surface before customers even recognize the need.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:25 - Meet Jared Collins & Overview of Dell Apex 3:55 - The operational reality of shipping infrastructure5:52 - Why CS must anticipate months ahead (lead times + forecasting)8:20 - Working inside a $100B company: complexity vs opportunity9:53 - Enabling CSMs for success to build strategic relationships11:20 - Becoming data strategists: Building health scores across multiple business units13:15 - Data → Triggers → Playbooks: the operational CS framework16:46 - AI in CS: why foundations matter more than hype19:20 - What success looks like for Apex CS in the next 1–2 years21:55 - What Jared loves about Dell---What You’ll Learn* Why hardware logistics fundamentally changes how CS operates* How to build proactive CS using data triggers and standardized playbooks* How to integrate CS inside a massive enterprise organization* The difference between CapEx and consumption-based thinking* Why AI only works if your data foundations are clean* How to free CSMs to focus on strategic relationship-building* What “good” looks like for CS inside infrastructure businesses---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Jared CollinsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredrcollins/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Udi Ledergor joined Gong as employee #13 and marketer #1, helping build it from a 12-person startup to a category-defining revenue intelligence leader. As Chief Evangelist and author of "Courageous Marketing," he's learned one hard truth: if you don't have product-market-fit, no amount of marketing genius will save you.In this conversation with Josh Schachter and Lauren Olerich, Udi shares the real indicators of product-market-fit, when companies should actually hire their first marketer, and how Gong evolved through multiple category iterations—from conversation intelligence to their current positioning as an AI operating system for revenue teams.The discussion digs into Gong's "brand as person" exercise that created consistency across everything from content voice to event experiences, why data-driven content about salespeople cursing went viral, and the value of leaving raving fans everywhere you go. Udi's 27-year working relationship with Gong's CEO proves that burning bridges is career suicide in a small industry.For anyone building brands, creating categories, or wondering if their startup is ready for marketing investment, this episode cuts through the fluff with practical frameworks and hard-won lessons.---Do you love great TV? Lauren co-hosts a podcast about popular TV show finales called The Finale Pod. Take a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction0:54 - Meet Udi Ledergor and Lauren Olerich 4:00 - Udi's early journey at Gong7:00 - When should you hire your first marketer? 10:55 - Lauren's early journey at Gainsight14:00 - How Gong created the revenue intelligence category in 201922:58 - Diamond is forever28:10 - Pulse predates Gainsight32:17 - Early struggle at Gainsight33:40 - The importance of domain expertise41:52 - Brand as human: The exercise that creates consistency across everything---What You’ll Learn* Evaluating product-market-fit for marketing to succeed* How to create consistent tone across content, events, and category positioning* Real tactics behind building and evolving categories across 10 years* Why leaving raving fans at every company matters more than titles* How a 27-year working relationship led to employee #13 becoming Chief Evangelist* How data-driven content can go viral while staying perfectly on-brand* When to publish the controversial insights your competitors are too afraid to share---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Udi LedergorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/Book "Courageous Marketing": https://www.udiledergor.com/bookWhere to Find Lauren OlereichLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenolerich/The Finale Pod: Apple Podcasts⁠ | Spotify⁠---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Guy Galon, CCO at Obrela, joins Jenny Calvert at Pulse Europe in Dublin to discuss how he's transforming CS hiring and operations for the AI era. In this conversation, Guy explains how he measures AI capability in his team, why he's building some AI tools internally at a cybersecurity company, and his three big bets for AI in 2026. Guy tackles the generalist vs. specialist debate, explains why his technical background as a software engineer helped him earn credibility as a CS leader, and explores the emerging question: What does it mean to manage AI agents? From performance reviews for bots to getting CS leaders a real seat at the revenue forecasting table, this conversation covers the practical and philosophical challenges of leading customer success in 2026.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction0:54 - Meet Guy Galon, CCO at Obrela2:27 - The Generalist vs. Specialist Debate in the Age of AI3:35 - The Multifaceted CSM Framework: Origins and Evolution4:47 - How to Measure AI Proficiency6:05 - 2026 AI Strategy8:03 - What Changes When AI Delivers on These Three Promises9:41 - Q4 Advice: Think in 8-10 Weeks, Not 1211:30 - Getting CS a Seat at the Revenue Forecasting Table13:00 - The Human Element AI Can't Replace: Trust and Influence14:14 - The Future of Managing AI Agents---What You’ll Learn* How the Multifaceted CSM Framework helps identify talent across five key capability areas* How to balance AI innovation with data compliance in highly regulated industries like cybersecurity* How to move CS from execution-focused roles to strategic contributors in revenue forecasting* The difference between building internal AI capabilities vs. using external tools in customer success* What it might look like to manage AI agents in the future (priorities, objectives, performance reviews)---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Guy GalonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-galon-b1a80/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Christine Lavery, VP of Customer Success at Conga, shares why the traditional approach to digital customer success is broken and how she's applying digital motions across all customer tiers—not just the long tail.Christine discusses her two major priorities for 2026: implementing product analytics as the foundation for customer outcomes and rolling out SMART goals to move from vague value conversations to measurable impact. She also explores how AI is transforming customer intelligence by synthesizing structured data (product analytics) with unstructured data (emails, support tickets, NPS verbatims) to create a complete picture of customer health.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:25 - Meet Christine Lavery2:15 - Overview of Conga3:05 - Conga's acquisition of PROS and the future of CPQ4:04 - Structure of Christine's 100-person global CS organization6:35 - Why digital motions shouldn't be "long tail only."9:52 - Mapping customer journeys and communication strategies13:42 - Collaboration between CS, Product, and Marketing19:42 - Reporting to revenue and driving growth25:30 - Breaking down the SMART goals framework for customer outcomes27:42 - How AI fits into product analytics and customer intelligence31:27 - Why CS leaders must fight for a seat at the table---What You’ll Learn* Why limiting digital customer success motions to only "long tail" customers is a mistake * How to scale one-to-many strategies across enterprise and strategic accounts* How to use SMART goals to transform vague "value" conversations into measurable customer outcomes that clearly demonstrate ROI* The difference between basic product analytics and sophisticated use-case tracking that helps you coach customers to better outcomes* How AI synthesizes structured data (product usage) and unstructured data (emails, support tickets, NPS) to create a complete picture of customer health* Why CS leaders must actively fight for a seat at the executive table---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Christine LaveryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-lavery/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedJim Richmond is the Chief Customer Officer at Smartling, an AI-powered translation company doing AI "before it was cool" since 2009. Leading 50 professionals across support, services, and customer success, Jim shares his 2026 playbook: why GRR is his North Star, how he's building systems to scale 4x, and why role specialization beats generalization in the AI era.Jim reveals how AI bots eliminated single-touch support tickets at Smartling, why he still carries his own book of business as a CCO, and his career advice for aspiring leaders to build the professional empathy that makes them an authentic partner.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:25 - Meet Jim Richmond 1:50 - Smartling Overview4:33 - 2026 Priorities: GRR as the North Star metric6:30 - Building a four-quarter forecast9:40 - Building systems for 4x growth12:24 - Forecasting to eliminate surprises14:55 - Will AI make CSMs more generalized or specialized?18:32 - How AI bots eliminated single-touch support tickets21:42 - What it's like being a first-time Chief Customer Officer23:38 - The rule of thirds: How a CCO allocates time25:10 - Why this CCO still carries his own book of business25:52 - Seek out a diversity of experiences---What You’ll Learn* How to build a four-quarter forecast that eliminates revenue surprises* Why role specialization creates more operational leverage than generalization* How AI bots eliminated single-touch support tickets at Smartling* Why leading from the front means carrying your own book of business* How to build professional empathy by seeking diverse experiences across sales, CS, and services---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Jim Richmond LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimrichmondatl/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedGitHub's SVP of Customer Success Abbas Haider Ali reveals why post-sales investment should drop from 10% to 7% of revenue, breaks down the 6-layer customer health model used by Fortune 100 companies, and introduces the "specialized generalist"—the AI-native CSM role that's redefining customer success in 2026. Learn the frameworks CS leaders need to prove ROI, restructure teams, and solve the 80-20 problem in AI adoption.From playbook evolution to knowledge management, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for CS leaders navigating rapid technological change while proving ROI to increasingly demanding CFOs. Whether you're structuring your CS organization, defending your budget, or preparing your team for AI transformation, this episode delivers the frameworks and benchmarks you need.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction2:05 - Meet Abbas Haider Ali & GitHub's Scale 3:40 - The 500-Pound Zoom Background Story 8:40 - The Customer Hierarchy of Needs Framework 17:50 - Why CS Playbooks Must Constantly Evolve 21:00 - How Abbas Discovered the CS Budget Benchmark (Surveying 100+ Companies on Post-Sales Investment)25:50 - The Journey from 10% to 7%: AI's Impact on Post-Sales Economics 27:40 - Should You Aim for 7% or 10%? 28:58 - CFO Reactions & Proving ROI in a Post-ZIRP World 33:33 - Under-Investing vs. Over-Investing in Support38:05 - Return on the 10% - 7% Investment46:46 - Introducing the "Specialized Generalist" CSM Role 51:27 - Why AI-Native Organizations Scale Faster 53:00 - Abbas's 2026 CS Resolution---What You’ll Learn* Why post-sales investment should be 7% of revenue and how AI is driving this shift* The ROI framework CS leaders need to defend their budgets to CFOs in a capital-constrained environment* Why customer health models need constant evolution (not static playbooks)* Why specialist roles will move up the value chain in AI-powered organizations* The T-chart model for CSM skills with AI proficiency as the critical vertical capability* Why CS leaders should come from multidisciplinary backgrounds (product, engineering, sales)---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Abbas Haider Ali: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbashaiderali/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/---Resources Mentioned: - CS operating model- ROI of Customer Success (original)- ROI of Customer Success (updated)- Rise of the Specialized Generalist- The future of CSMs is more generalized

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedWhat if the fastest path to product-market fit isn't building more features—it's deploying engineers to solve customer problems?Diego Ballona, Senior Director of Engineering at Intercom, runs Forward Deployed Engineering—a team that helped scale Fin from 5 design partners to 7,000 customers, hitting a 67% resolution rate in 18 months. But FDE isn't professional services rebranded. It's product managers, engineers, and data scientists working directly with customers to accelerate outcomes and turn real friction into features everyone can use.Diego breaks down the exact team structure that makes this work, why outcome-based pricing changes go-to-market strategy, and how to know if FDE is right for your business. If you're scaling an AI product or rethinking how engineering and CS collaborate, this conversation delivers the blueprint.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction3:00 - Diego's origin story at Intercom and how FDE emerged organically5:35 - Intercom's scale: 7,000 Fin customers, 67% average resolution rate across all segments7:25 - From 5 design partners to proving the FDE model9:12 - Building the business case and getting leadership buy-in12:05 - FDE team structure18:55 - How FDE turns customer insights into product features23:15 - Ownership boundaries: CSMs vs. FDE teams 25:25 - Outcome-based pricing and why it aligns incentives perfectly27:00 - Diego's golden nugget: Stay open-minded ---What You’ll Learn* How Intercom scaled from 5 design partners to 7,000 Fin customers in 18 months using Forward Deployed Engineering* Why the FDE team structure requires three specific roles working together* How outcome-based pricing changes everything about go-to-market incentives, comp plans, and team alignment* Why FDE engineers need different skills from product engineers* How to know if FDE is right for your business (and why it might not be)* The ownership boundaries between FDE teams and CSMs that make cross-functional collaboration actually work---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Diego:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dballona/Intercom: https://www.intercom.comFin AI Agent: https://www.intercom.com/fin---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

- Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedThe customer success landscape is about to shift dramatically. Kristi Faltorusso, fresh off her departure from ClientSuccess after five years, reveals the three trends that will define CS in 2026—and the second one might surprise you. From the explosion of CS Ops to the "ERR apocalypse" hitting tech stacks across the industry, Kristi breaks down what's coming and how to prepare. Plus, she shares the uncomfortable truth about why she left a job she loved and how an hour a day of AI learning built four products in 2025.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:23 - Kristi is back! 2:34 - Why Kristi Left a Perfect Job?5:20 - What She'll Miss Most6:50 - Building Unbreakable Trust with Leadership9:20 - Kristi's Next Chapter10:35 - Kristi's 2026 Predictions for CS13:13 - The ERR Apocalypse & The Consolidation Wave 15:45 - The Rebranding of CS Ops Roles18:15 - Kristi's Vibe Coding Journey 21:30 - Make AI Learning Fun25:00 - Find and Champion Your AI Champions26:10 - Device Addiction & Reading for Fun---What You’ll Learn* Why companies have been accumulating AI tools and what triggers the consolidation* How CS Ops will become critical as AI and automation require system builders* How to identify and champion the AI early adopters in your organization* The trust formula that built an unbreakable 5-year executive partnership* What the "ERR apocalypse" means for your tech stack ---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Kristi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristifaltorusso/Website: https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/Newsletter: https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/the-journey-cs-newsletter---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/---Referenced Episodes: - https://www.gainsight.com/episode/why-100m-ai-companies-are-failing-at-renewals-ft-cassie-young-kyle-poyar/- https://www.gainsight.com/episode/how-to-scale-customer-success-with-ai-agents-ft-leeron-yahalomi-aligned/Resources:- ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/- Claude: https://claude.ai/- Gamma: https://gamma.app/- Zapier: https://zapier.com/- Replit: https://replit.com/- Lovable: https://lovable.dev/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurnedEvery major transformation Yvette Hill has led started the same way: with a moment of panic.Across a 35-year career at IBM, Xerox, Microsoft, and now F5, Yvette Hill, SVP of Customer Success and Global Renewal Sales at F5, has repeatedly observed the same pattern: big deals on paper, but little customer value realized. Each time, the fix was clear: transform the teams closest to customers into engines for value.Recorded live at Pulse Europe in Dublin, Yvette joins host Jenny Calvert to share why today’s AI shift is the most exciting transformation she’s seen—and how she’s acting on it. From recruiting data scientists into CSM roles to allocating 100% of her budget to AI, tracking 175 customer signals, and forcing automation conversations, Yvette is focused on what works now.This episode is a candid look at leading real change—and why teams that get curious today will pull ahead fast.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction[00:00] Introduction: Live from Pulse Europe in Dublin [01:15] Yvette's unconventional path into customer success [02:45] The Xerox transformation: From selling devices to driving outcomes [05:30] Microsoft Azure: Solving the "big commits, no revenue" problem [07:20] Joining F5: Hardware to SaaS, single product to multi-product [09:00] The agentic era: Why AI is the biggest transformation yet [11:45] 100% budget allocation to AI—zero new headcount [13:30] Hiring data scientists as CSMs: The breakfast table story [16:00] Building curiosity in legacy teams: "Be more curious every day" [18:15] Structuring teams for AI: Leaders, data analysts, and business-side AI builders [20:30] Use case #1: Harvesting unstructured feedback across silos [23:00] Holding product teams accountable with ROI-driven insights [25:45] Use case private channel: Aggregating 175 customer engagement signals [28:00] Why you can't wait for IT—and why speed matters more than perfection [30:30] Investing in people: Skills for operating alongside AI agents [33:15] Getting team buy-in: From fear to excitement about AI [36:00] The democratization of AI: Small wins and Titanic shifts [38:45] Final advice: Just get started—the tough stuff isn't harder than the easy stuff [41:00] Closing thoughts: This is CS's time---What You’ll Learn* How to shift from retention-only to expansion-driven CS in a multi-product business* Why Yvette is hiring data scientists as CSMs (and what they bring to the team)* The 175 customer engagement signals F5 is aggregating to predict retention and expansion* How to hold product teams accountable for customer feedback using ROI-driven insights* Why investing in people—not just tools—is the key to AI adoption* The breakfast conversation that changed F5's entire hiring strategy for AI* The ROI framework that holds product teams accountable for customer feedback* Why waiting for the perfect use case means you'll never start---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Yvette HillLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-hill-smith-0374265/---Where to Find Jenny:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycalvert/

Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a monthly roundup of every episode at ⁠⁠gainsight.com/unchurned⁠⁠Two of SaaS's most influential voices just sounded the same alarm: Cassie Young, General Partner at Primary Ventures, and Kyle Poyar, founder of Growth Unhinged, both published viral articles warning of a "gross retention apocalypse" in AI-powered SaaS.Cassie's investigation revealed a shocking truth: when she called customer logos cited in AI fundraising decks, nine out of ten had already stopped using the product. Kyle's data showed founders bragging about hitting $10M ARR in a month with zero cohorts up for renewal.In this conversation, they unpack why explosive growth often masks catastrophic churn, distinguishing between Annual Recurring Revenue and what Cassie calls "Experimental Recurring Revenue" - revenue that evaporates when customers realize the product doesn't deliver.The discussion moves beyond diagnosis into what actually works. Kyle introduces forward-deployed engineering as a sales motion—getting customers live in production before they pay prevents churn better than any post-sales fix. Cassie argues we're entering a Customer Success Renaissance where the discipline evolves from reactive firefighting to strategic value delivery.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:36 - Meet Cassie Young & Kyle Poyar3:00 - The Gross Retention Apocalypse & AI Churn Wave7:25 - ERR vs ARR: The Red Herring - 9 out of 10 Customers Stopped Using10:00 - Series A's Done on "Vibes" 11:05 - What Investors Are Looking For14:40 - The Cluely Controversy: Distribution vs Product Quality16:15 - Why Fast Growth Means Nothing Without Retention Data21:15 - Customer Success as a Core Operating Philosophy29:30 Forward Deployed Engineers as Part of Sales Motion31:40 - Most Overrated Metric 32:08 - Most Underrated Metric33:10 - SaaS Principles That Will Last 10 Years35:30 - The Way Forward---What You’ll Learn* Why 9 out of 10 AI customers cited in fundraising decks have already churned* The critical difference between ARR and ERR (Experimental Recurring Revenue)* The "automatic pass test" top VCs use to evaluate startups in 60 seconds* How to identify your north star usage metric for predicting churn* Why distribution alone isn't enough (lessons from the Cluely phenomenon)* How the Customer Success TAM could 10X if companies focus on the right things---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at ⁠⁠unchurned.substack.com.⁠---Where to Find Kyle Poyar:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/Substack: https://www.growthunhinged.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-growth/id1842238102Where to Find Cassie YoungLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassyoung---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/---Resources: Cassie's article: https://topline.beehiiv.com/p/tech-is-on-the-brink-of-a-gross-retention-apocalypse-a-customer-success-renaissanceKyle's article: https://www.growthunhinged.com/p/the-ai-churn-wave

When the Chief Customer Officer role first emerged in SaaS, Alexis Hennessy was already there—helping define it. Twelve years ago, she co-founded the post-sales executive search practice inside Heidrick & Struggles, one of the world’s premier search firms. She witnessed the rise of the CCO, the collapse of the role during the downturn, and now the fastest resurgence the market has seen in years.In this episode, Alexis breaks down why retention has become existential, why CCO hiring has spiked again, and what the best CCO candidates consistently do to stand out. She details the patterns behind successful hires, the emergence of consumption and AI-driven operating models, and why the path from CCO to CEO may finally be opening wider than ever.A practical and unfiltered look into the future of post-sales leadership—from the person helping shape who gets the top jobs.---Timestamps0:00 – Preview & Introduction1:22 – Meet Alexis Hennessy: Partner at Heidrick & Struggles2:02 – Many CEOs Still Don’t Know What They Want4:10 – What CEOs Want in a CCO5:16 – What Great CCO Candidates Do in Interviews6:15 – Why CCO Hiring Is Surging Again7:25 – What Sets VP Candidates Apart When They Want to Move Up9:00 – Are Boards Demanding AI Experience? 10:45 – What the Best CCO Hires Do in Their First Year12:45 – Personality Traits That Define High-Performing CCOs13:43 – Agentic AI, Consumption Models & the New Stakes for CCOs15:23 – Can CCOs Become CEOs? 18:28 – Predictions: The Future of the CCO Role19:23 – Closing Thoughts---What You’ll Learn* Why the CCO role is surging again after a multi-year slump* The three types of CEOs who hire CCOs—and which ones to avoid* The interview behaviors that separate top candidates from the rest* Why “listening first” is the #1 predictor of CCO success* What VPs need to show to break into the CCO ranks* The business conditions making the CCO-to-CEO path more realistic than ever* The critical KPIs great CCOs build to influence their executive peers* How consumption and agentic AI models increase the strategic importance of retention---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/---Where to Find Alexis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexishennessy/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

When Erica Kuhl joined Salesforce as employee #176, nothing about her role or title suggested she would go on to build one of the most influential customer communities in SaaS history. Given a broken website, no roadmap, no team, she hacked together the first Salesforce Community with duct-taped technologies, raw conviction, and a fierce belief that customers needed a place to help each other.That grassroots experiment eventually grew into a 17 million-member global community, became a blueprint for digital customer success, and reshaped the way enterprise SaaS companies think about adoption, retention, and product feedback loops.Today, Erica is EVP & GM at Gainsight, leading community, education, and in-app product experience—and shaping the emerging category of Digital Customer Success.This episode is a masterclass in community-powered retention, scrappy innovation, and how one person can build an entirely new motion inside an organization long before the market knows it needs it.---Timestamps0:00 – Preview 0:58 – Meet Erica Kuhl: EVP at Gainsight & Former Employee #176 at Salesforce3:39 – What Early Salesforce Adoption Actually Looked Like6:25 – Teaching Admins Before Admins Existed9:40 – Why Erica Pitched a Community Before “Community” Was a Thing11:25 – Building the First Salesforce Community13:43 – Scaling Without Support19:30 – How Community Became a Strategic Retention Lever 24:44 – Defining Digital Customer Success26:35 – Where to Start: Crawl–Walk–Run for Digital CS30:25 – Why Community Multiplies GRR31:28 – Closing Thoughts---What You’ll Learn- How the first modern SaaS community was built—from scratch, without buy-in- Why peer-to-peer engagement scales support, adoption, and product feedback- How to tie community engagement directly to retention (and why it’s essential)- Why COVID reshaped the priority of customer marketing and always-on programs- How community, education, and in-app experiences converge into Digital CS- Where digital CS programs should start and how to avoid fragmented experiences- The cultural mindset needed to build community programs that actually survive- Practical tactics for early-stage community building: seeding, puppeteering, protecting, and aligning---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/---Where to Find Erica:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakuhl/Podcast: In Before the LockWhere to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/---Resources Mentioned:* Gainsight Community* Brian Oblinger’s Community Strategy Academy* Skilljar * Salesforce Community

When Cloudbeds faced a post-sales organization at 120% capacity, no budget, and declining efficiency, Colin Slade chose to rebuild the operation through AI. Within nine months, his four-person AIOps team deployed more than 150 workflows and agents, automating 75% of repetitive work and reclaiming 7,000 hours every month.This episode details how Colin turned a resource-starved customer success organization into an AI-driven engine. It explores the early missteps, the shift from overengineering to small, quick wins, and how incremental adoption evolved into company-wide transformation.A practical study in applied AI, organizational change, and measurable outcomes—showing how constraint, not abundance, can drive real innovation.Timestamps0:00 – Preview & Introduction0:57 – Meet Colin Slade and the Situation at Cloudbeds9:25 – Mitigating Team Fears Around AI Replacing Jobs13:13 – The Stepwise Approach to Implementing AI19:50 – Scaling Securely: Working with IT, Risk-Taking, and Adoption24:00 – Roles and Team Structure for Effective AI Operations33:10 – Documentation as a Hidden Bottleneck39:45 – Build vs. Buy: Why Cloudbeds Built In-House42:20 – The Impact and a Culture of Fearless ExperimentationWhat You’ll Learn* How to rebuild a post-sales org around AI without additional headcount* The step-by-step approach to deploying 150+ workflows in under a year* How to identify and structure AI roles: visionary, operators, knowledge masters, and project leads* The cultural and psychological levers for AI adoption* How to optimize documentation for AI readability (and boost SEO at the same time)* The measurable impact of AI on cost savings, efficiency, and morale---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: ⁠https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/⁠---Where to Find Colin:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinslade/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠---Resources: n8n – https://n8n.io/Forethought – https://forethought.ai/Google AI Studio – https://aistudio.google.com/Anthropic Claude – https://claude.ai/Gemini – https://gemini.google.com/appLovable – https://lovable.dev/Pinecone – https://www.pinecone.io/Snowflake – https://www.snowflake.com/en/Zendesk – https://www.zendesk.nl/Salesforce – https://www.salesforce.com/Slack – https://slack.com/

Why most enterprise AI fails — and how Cat Valverde’s 4-week adoption framework shows that the fix is just 15 minutes a week.Most enterprises are stuck in AI pilot purgatory — running endless experiments that never scale. In this episode of Unchurned, Josh Schachter sits down with Cat Valverde, founder of Enterprise AI Group, to break down what’s really blocking enterprise adoption.Cat shares her research-backed 15-Minute Rule, a simple 4-week framework that’s doubled or tripled adoption rates — all by making AI implementation human-centered instead of tool-centered.If you’re a leader trying to take AI from pilot to production, this is your playbook.What You’ll Learn- Why most enterprise AI initiatives fail to scale past pilot stage- How to reduce adoption friction and create lasting behavior change- The psychological levers that improve user buy-in and learning retention- How to structure a simple 4-week rollout for any AI tool or workflow- What metrics actually matter when evaluating AI adoption successTimestamps: 0:00 – Preview & Intro1:02 – Meet Kat Valverde 1:42 – What buyers and sellers say in enterprise AI roundtables3:11 – The challenge of internal adoption 6:20 – The 15-Minute Rule; a 4-week micro-adoption framework11:45 – The psychology behind AI adoption12:18 – 2–3× adoption rates and major cost savings14:45 – Closing thoughtsKey Takeaways- Pilot fatigue is real — the biggest blocker to enterprise AI adoption isn’t money, it’s time and cognitive load.- The true KPI: internal adoption, not just model accuracy or ROI.- Fear ≠ just job loss. It’s the fear of asking “dumb” questions or not keeping up with peers.- The 15-Minute Rule: a 4-week program built on psychology that uses micro-commitments to build momentum.- Outcomes: 2–3× higher adoption and ~50% training-cost reduction per user.---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: ⁠https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/⁠---Where to Find Cat:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/catvalverde/Enterprise AI Group: https://www.eais.io/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠---Resources: The Power of Habit: https://www.charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit

The Biggest GTM Mistake (Spoiler Alert: Stop Chasing CAC!!!)Mark Roberge shares how AI is transforming sales, customer success, and go-to-market strategy. The former HubSpot CRO, now co-founder of Stage 2 Capital and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, Mark Roberge breaks down the 4 phases of AI evolution that will redefine how companies sell, serve, and scale. From agentic AI to LTV-driven growth, this is a masterclass on what the next era of go-to-market looks like.Mark Roberge helped take HubSpot from $0 to $100M and literally wrote The Sales Acceleration Formula. Now, he’s turning his attention to the AI transformation sweeping every GTM function. In this episode, Mark explains why it’s time to stop obsessing over CAC and start optimizing for LTV—the customers who actually succeed—and how AI can make that possible at scale.He also shares bold predictions about the future of work, the death of departments, and why capitalism itself may need to evolve for the AI era.Timestamps0:00 – Preview & Introduction1:19 – Meet Mark Roberge: Co-Founder, Stage 2 Capital2:45 – The Early Days of AI in GTM6:33 – What’s Slowing Down AI Adoption8:00 – Why Most AI Startups Are Still Too Iterative12:00 – The "Agentic" Shift: From Co-Pilots to Autonomous Agents14:15 – The 4 Phases of AI Go-to-Market Evolution20:35 – Managing Your Agents: The New CRO Skillset26:00 – Deciding the ICP: It’s Not CAC29:35 – How AI Breaks Down Department Silos35:40 – Can Capitalism Survive the AI Era?46:00 – The Science of Scaling: Mark’s Next Big Book---What You’ll Learn* Why CAC is the wrong north star metric for GTM leaders* How to use AI to identify and retain high-LTV customers* The 4 phases of AI transformation in go-to-market* How agentic AI will redefine the roles of CROs, CSMs, and RevOps* Why AI will blur departmental boundaries and change the structure of business* How capitalism and work culture must evolve in the AI era---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: ⁠https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/⁠---Where to Find Mark:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markroberge/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠---Resources mentioned:* Stage 2 Capital Blog – Go-to-Market AI Case Studies: https://www.stage2.capital * The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge