[Un]Churned â The No. 1 Podcast for Customer Retention Why Your Post-Sales Budget Should Be 7% of Revenue (Not 10%) ft. Abbas Haider Ali (Github)
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Jan 21, 2026 In this engaging discussion, Abbas Haider Ali, Senior VP of Customer Success at GitHub, shares insights into post-sales investment strategies. He argues that budget allocation should drop from 10% to 7% of revenue driven by AI integration. Abbas introduces a six-layer customer health model and emphasizes the need for evolving playbooks to match customer demands. He also explores the concept of the 'specialized generalist' role in customer success, poised to revolutionize the field with AI tools. This conversation provides a roadmap for CS leaders in todayâs rapidly changing landscape.
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Six-Layer Customer Hierarchy Of Needs
- The Customer Hierarchy of Needs has six layers from technical health up to commercial health.
- CSMs should report on each layer (red/amber/green) and own remediation plans.
Make Playbooks Actionable And Operational
- Make playbooks actionable and tied to measurable outcomes, not busy work.
- Ensure playbooks guide CSM actions and feed product, travel, and forecasting decisions.
Post-Sales Budget Benchmark Moves From 10% To 7%
- Across 100+ companies, the median post-sales investment lands around 10% of revenue.
- Abbas predicts AI will reduce that median toward 7% as customer-facing automation matures.