CHURN FM

Today on the show we have John Gleeson, founder of Success Venture Partners.In this episode, John shares his journey from being a VP of Customer Success to embracing a role as a dedicated investor. John reveals how his fund aids startups at various phases, serving as a valuable resource for early-stage founders. By offering customer success insights and assistance with recruitment, Success Venture Partners nurtures the growth of these startups. We then dove into how John evaluates the startups he invests in and the key aspects he looks for in founders.As usual, we're excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, we would love to hear from you.Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The statements made by our guest represent their own viewpoints – not those of Churn FM. The information provided and discussed does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice. Any investment decisions you make should be based on your own due diligence and in consultation with a licensed financial professional. We disclaim any liability for investment decisions based upon the content of this podcast.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show, we have Tom Carnewal, founder of Customer Cross Company. In this episode, Tom discusses his role as a Director of Digital Transformation and introduces Carnewal Consult's new brand, the Customer Cross Company. He outlines how they help mid-sized companies with recurring revenue models to set up or evolve their customer success teams. Tom presents key findings of their research, which highlights the importance of tracking usage data and the ineffectiveness of CSAT as a KPI for predicting customer churn. He also introduces the concept of friction hunting to improve customer experience and emphasizes the importance of focusing on customer success rather than just avoiding risks. Tom shares a personal example to illustrate this point and suggests that prioritizing success can lead to better customer retention. We also discuss how defining success for the customer is crucial, and how the ultimate measure of success is achieving their desired outcome. As usual, we're excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, we would love to hear from you.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show we have Enzo Avigo, CEO and Founder of June.In this episode, we discussed Enzo's journey in entrepreneurship, from his initial startup experiences to his tenure at Zalando and Intercom, exploring valuable insights he gleaned from both companies. Enzo shared how his time at Zalando helped him refine his skills in influencing people, and how Intercom imparted the importance of first principles and the 'job to be done' framework in product development.We then dove into the inspiration behind June, a game-changing BI SaaS tool designed to go beyond tracking mere button clicks, offering users a comprehensive understanding of account health. Enzo explained the tool's evolution, from initial focus on product tracking to a pivot into the analytics realm. Discussing June's core mission, he emphasized the need for new-generation tools that resonate with modern ways of thinking and working.We wrapped up by discussing the challenges encountered in identifying the ideal customer profile, and the importance of iterative processes in achieving product-market fit. Enzo also shared the unique methodology employed by Superhuman to segment feedback and solve significant problems, underscoring the indispensable role of customer feedback in product development.As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you. You can email me directly at Andrew@churn.fm.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show we have John Chen, partner at Fika Ventures.In this episode, we discussed the operations of Fika Ventures, a pre-Series A fund focused on B2B software, FinTech, and marketplaces. John emphasized the importance of building close relationships with founders and shares his views on the crucial role of culture and alignment in building a successful company. We also examined the common misconception that the Product Led Growth (PLG) approach applies to all products, which often results in the misapplication of the organic growth concept.We then dove into the intricacies of applying the Product Led Growth (PLG) principle, acknowledging that while it can be valuable for many B2B companies, there are certain scenarios where a more hands-on approach is required. A major part of our conversation revolved around understanding stakeholder requirements and how to best utilize feedback from customers. We also explored the crucial stages of product-market fit and the importance of striking a balance in growing the team.We wrapped up by discussing the challenges of customer acquisition, churn, and retention. John offers great insights on understanding the ideal customer profile and focusing on net retention over gross churn. He emphasized that having a clear understanding of PLG mechanics and mechanisms is key to its successful adaptation.As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you. You can email me directly at Andrew@churn.fm.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show, we have Vanessa Neurohr, VP of Customer Success at Muck Rack.In this episode, we discussed Vanessa's unique perspective on how comedy shows can help improve public speaking skills, and why understanding the product intimately is crucial for success. Vanessa delves into her journey with Muck Rack, offering insights on company growth and how clear lines of ownership enhance each stage of the customer journey.We then dove into Vanessa's approach to building the customer success department into four robust functions: customer success managers, customer support, customer onboarding, and customer education. Vanessa stressed the significance of promoting oneself internally, delegating responsibilities, and showcasing impact to secure support within an organization.We wrapped up by discussing the importance of establishing early connections within the organization during onboarding and how to bring the voice of the customer to new team members as swiftly as possible. Vanessa shared her experiences of improving help center materials and her discovery that the most engaged customers are those who write into support chat frequently and tend to renew their subscriptions.As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you. You can email me directly at Andrew@churn.fm.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show we have Vic Davis, SVP Customer Experience at Inflection.io.In this episode, we discussed Vic's drive to ensure customers are at the heart of every business decision and the innovative capabilities of small businesses that can still make a significant impact at scale. We also touched on how Inflection.io leverages product activity data to create a uniquely engaging customer experience, breaking away from traditional marketing automation models.We then dove into the concept of Product-Led Growth (PLG) and its inherent creativity and room for experimentation. Vic shares his experiences transitioning to a PLG model, the importance of staying in tune with market signals, and how Inflection.io intends to evolve over the next 6-12 months. We also explored the role of data capture and action-based onboarding in understanding and guiding customer behavior, with insights into how Segment can be used as a tool for unifying customer data.We wrapped up by discussing the necessity for cross-functional teams to support the PLG model and the challenges enterprise software companies face when trying to offer starter products to different markets. The importance of product ease of use in driving customer success was also underscored, along with strategies for scaling customer success.As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you. You can email me directly at Andrew@churn.fm.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show we have Chris Dishman, Sr. VP of Customer Success at Totango.In this episode, we discussed Chris's unique transition from being a customer of Totango to becoming a crucial part of its team. We explored how his past experiences as a customer offered invaluable insights to shape the company's approach to customer success.We then dove into an overview of Totango and its innovative customer success platform. Chris shed light on the concept of composable customer success and the importance of refining the customer journey. He shared interesting cases and surprising use cases of Totango, emphasizing that the principles of customer success are not limited to the software industry.The conversation took a compelling turn as we discussed the importance of customer-centricity in a company's culture and strategy. With the increasing emphasis on customer success in the face of layoffs and budget constraints, Chris highlighted the role of robust Customer Success Platforms (CSPs) in boosting team efficiency.We then navigated the realm of data and automation. We addressed how companies are focusing on automating onboarding and improving their processes to scale with limited resources. Chris flagged data integration as a major challenge in this domain and emphasized the significance of clean, consistent data for a seamless customer journey.We wrapped up by discussing actionable strategies for improving customer retention. Chris advised against overcomplication and recommended focusing on one area at a time, refining it before moving on to the next. In a hypothetical scenario where he has 90 days to improve retention, he suggests starting with the value proposition and effectively communicating it to customers.As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you. You can email me directly at Andrew@churn.fm.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show we have Alison Prator, Director of Customer Success at Float. In this episode, Alison shared her experience transitioning from leading a sales team to leading a whole department across sales, account management, and support. She walked us through the natural evolution these teams make as they grow into areas of specialization. We then discussed how feedback loops between customer success and product teams are challenging to close, and ultimately solving the problem is a cultural challenge. As usual, I'm excited to you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show we have Tony Sternberg, co-founder and CEO of Prosper Stack. In this episode, Tony shared the challenges of selling a business and the importance of churn and retention in the review process, and the final valuation they got. We then discussed how you can use tailored user experiences to reduce voluntary churn and leverage your company's data more effectively. As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Today on the show we have Maria Blakeway, Senior Vice President of Customer Success at Pushpay. In this episode, we discussed the reactive nature of customer success teams in hyper-growth startups and how Pushpay evolved its customer success approach from reactive to predictive. We also discussed the importance of a cultural shift and mindset change within the organization, grounding the customer success team on a mission and vision for success that is shared widely with the entire team. As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode. And if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.