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This week, we’re looking at how founders can build out the initial version of their customer success orgs, from identifying the right people to hire, to the best early metrics to track. At some point, founders can no longer moonlight as customer success leaders. The moment you realize it’s time to turn off support notifications can come in different forms — maybe something breaks and you’re drowning in tickets, or maybe too many high-profile customer requests pull focus away from other responsibilities. Knowing when it’s time to build the CS function is one thing. Knowing how to build it is another. Stephanie Berner, Atlassian’s SVP of Customer Success, is here to give you a blueprint. Prior to Atlassian, she led customer success for LinkedIn’s Sales Solutions arm, was the Senior Director of Customer Success Management at Box and gained early startup experience at Medallia, all the while learning the ins and outs of delivering strong customer experiences. “Customer success is all about getting your product into your customer's hands as fast as possible,” she says. “If founders and product builders are spending disproportionate amounts of their time solving customer experience problems instead of driving the mission forward, it’s time to formalize your customer success operations.” In this exclusive interview, Berner breaks down the crucial components of building an early customer success org, with specific zero-to-one tactics for founders standing up CS from scratch. Here’s what you’ll learn: - Whether your first hire should be someone technical or an industry specialist
- Interview questions to ask that will evaluate drive, self-awareness and customer empathy (which are the most important traits of first hires)
- Why your CS leader should report to the CEO instead of the CRO or CPO
- Target ratios for the number of CSMs on SMB, mid-market and enterprise accounts
- Why customer health and renewal rate are the most important early metrics to track (and why NPS and CSAT can wait)
This is an invaluable, tactical approach for founders who are just starting to build their customer success functions. Thanks, as always, for reading and sharing!
-The Review Editors
Recommended resources:-How to calibrate your gut for hiring -How to build a “board of brains” with AI
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