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

Meet Chuck Ganapathi, the new CEO of Gainsight!In this special episode of [Un]Churned, host Josh Schachter sits down with Gainsight’s outgoing CEO Nick Mehta and his successor, Chuck Ganapathi, to mark a pivotal leadership transition. Nick reflects on his 13-year journey building Gainsight into a category-defining company, the lessons he’s learned navigating growth, and why now is the right time to hand over the reins. Chuck shares his gratitude for the opportunity, the deep trust he and Nick have built over decades of connection, and his vision for the company’s next chapter—one shaped by AI, customer success innovation, and a human-first culture.Timestamps0:00 - Welcome & The Big Announcement2:25 - Why Nick Is Stepping Down3:54 - Lessons from Private Equity & Building a Lasting Company6:23 - Chuck on becoming the NEW CEO7:10 - How Nick & Chuck First Met (Stanford Days & Startup Stories)16:25 - Why Chuck Was the Obvious Choice for CEO21:12 - CEO Transitions as Turning Points25:40 - Human-First Leadership & Gainsight’s Mission28:20 - What’s Next for Customer Success in the Age of AI 34:12 - Will AI Replace CSMs? (Nick & Chuck’s Take)36:42 - Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter of Gainsight38:52 - Fun Facts About Chuck (Heartthrob, Tennis & Shopping!)44:34 - Final Words: Legendary & Transformational Futures👉 Explore more episodes, takeaways & transcripts: https://gainsight.com/unchurned👉 Check out the bonus episode: https://gainsight.com/unlock______________________👉 Follow the podcast Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@GainsightApple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmDSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl👉 Connect with the guestsChuck Ganapathi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckganapathi Nick Mehta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmehta/👉 Connect with hostJosh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ ______________________Keywords: Gainsight, Customer Success, Nick Mehta, Chuck Ganapathi, CEO Transition, Customer Retention, SaaS Leadership, AI in Customer Success, AI Agents, Business Growth, Human-First Leadership, Churn Reduction, Scale Customer Success, SaaS Leadership Podcast, SaaS Growth Strategies______________________[Un]Churned is presented by Gainsight About GainsightGainsight is the retention engine behind the world’s most customer-centric companies. The Gainsight CustomerOS platform orchestrates the customer journey from onboarding to outcomes. More than 2,000 companies trust Gainsight’s applications and AI agents to drive learning, adoption, community connection, and success for their customers. Learn more at www.gainsight.com.

Hosts share Josh's wedding excitement while reflecting on community memories. Kristi dives into her AI learning journey, emphasizing practical application over mere theory. They discuss innovative tools for productivity, inspired by recent tech adventures. The conversation highlights the transformative role of AI in education and customer success workflows. Ultimately, they encourage listeners to invest time in understanding AI, suggesting just ten minutes a day can lead to significant growth.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #businessRachel Tsui, the ex-Head of CS at Komodo Health, joins hosts Jon Johnson and Josh Schachter to dive deep into the intricacies of customer success. Rachel highlights the innovative use of healthcare data to identify patient trends and enhance service delivery. The conversation explores how Komodo's customer success team navigates post-sales processes, strategically collaborates with account management, and the essential role of data-driven decisions. Jon and Rachel also delve into career growth challenges, touching on the balancing act of flat organization structures, professional development, and the evolving expectations of newer workforce generations. Join us for a captivating journey through customer success strategies, organizational dynamics, and how they shape the future of innovation at Komodo Health.Timestamps0:00 - Preview, & Intros7:30 - CS at Komodo Health 10:28 - KPIs for customer success at Komodo12:00 - Plans and Priorities 13:22 - Focusing on separating support from CS activities16:03 - Managing expectations around promotions20:06 - Navigating career growth23:50 - Cross-functional collaboration and tools for knowledge sharing___________________________👉 Follow the podcast Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWkApple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl👉 Connect with the guestRachel Tsui: https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheltsui👉 Connect with hostsJon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ 👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠________________Keywords: How to keep your customers happy, customer success manager, healthcare map, health data, AI, big data, Komodo Health, customer success, net dollar retention, CSM, customer engagement, healthcare platform, data platform, CS team, account management, product utilization, strategic initiatives, executive relationships, customer influence, renewal rate, Gainsight, CRM, AMs (Account Managers), team structure.______________________Unchurned is presented by UpdateAIAbout UpdateAIAt UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

Cait Keohane, the Chief Customer Officer at Airtable and a former early employee at Zendesk, shares her journey of scaling customer success. She discusses the importance of building robust post-sale strategies and emphasizes listening directly to customers. Cait explores innovative approaches like the 'risk rally' program for enhancing retention and the role of feedback in shaping product development. Additionally, she addresses the balance between personalization and operational efficiency, advocating for effective resource management and the use of AI in customer support.

In this lively discussion, Nick Mehta, the energetic CEO of Gainsight, shares insights about the upcoming Pulse 2025 conference in Las Vegas, revealing its exciting evolution from humble beginnings. He discusses recent innovations, including new AI tools like Staircase and ModerateKit, designed to enhance customer success roles. Nick also reflects on significant leadership changes within Gainsight and how AI integration is transforming both their offerings and internal operations, all while keeping the conversation entertaining and motivating for customer success professionals.

Sarah Parker, SVP of Global Customer Success at BetterUp and former VP at UiPath, discusses the pressing need to transition from high-touch to low-touch customer connections. She highlights how coaching empowers leaders and the challenges of maintaining customer engagement in a post-pandemic world. Parker elaborates on balancing free and paid services, advocating for a shift from reactive support to enabling customer ownership. She emphasizes the evolving role of Customer Success Managers as they adapt to demanding workloads while articulating their value within organizations.

Michael Goetz, VP of Customer Success Strategy at GitHub, shares his insights from his extensive experience in the tech industry. He breaks down GitHub's strategic shift towards customer success, emphasizing the importance of defining measurable business outcomes. The discussion highlights how GitHub navigates diverse user needs and maintains engagement with rapid product innovations. Goetz also explores the dynamics between end-users and organizational stakeholders, stressing the necessity of understanding user personas to enhance customer interactions.

In this podcast episode, Josh Schachter interviews Srikrishnan Ganesan, founder, and CEO of Rocketlane, a customer onboarding platform. Sri discusses the origins of Rocketlane, including the community they built before launching the product, and the birth of Rocketlane. They also talk about the importance of collaboration and marketing in the SaaS industry. Sri emphasizes the importance of consistency in the customer journey, particularly during the onboarding phase, and how it can impact customer success and lead to better outcomes. They also discuss Rocketlane's approach to marketing and community building.___________________________👉 Follow the podcast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@updateai9697Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl👉 Connect with the guest Srikrishnan Ganesan : https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikrishnang/👉 Connect with hostJosh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ 👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠______________________Unchurned is presented by UpdateAIAbout UpdateAIAt UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great relationships with their customers. We work with early & growth stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #businessJosh Schachter, Co-Founder & CEO of UpdateAI, sits down with Carly Van Kirk, Head of CS at AngelList. Carly pulls back the curtain on AngelList’s unique approach to supporting emerging and established GPs and shares her journey into this pivotal leadership role amidst rapid company growth and industry transformation. Join us as Carly shares how AngelList is reshaping customer segments, dealing with the challenges of scaling an increasingly complex platform, and balancing high-touch professional services with tech-driven solutions.Timestamps0:00 - Preview1:45 - Overview of AngelList2:35 - COVID-Era Growth & Rolling Fund at AngelList4:12 - Carly's Role, Team Structure & Customer Segmentation at AngelList9:30 - Hunting for a New Job13:20 - Carly’s Priorities in Her First 180 Days at AngelList14:45 - Key Challenges and Initiatives Identified14:45 - Automation, Tooling, and Workflow Inefficiencies22:43 - Understanding and Improving Time to Value24:24 - AI’s Current and Future Role in AngelList and CS27:36 - Customer Success as a Commercial Center___________________________👉 Follow the podcast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@updateai9697Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl👉 Connect with the guest Carly Van Kirk : https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyvankirk/👉 Connect with hostsJon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠______________________Unchurned is presented by UpdateAIAbout UpdateAIAt UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

In this deeply personal discussion, the hosts share heartfelt stories about navigating life's challenges, including job transitions and profound losses. They reflect on the healing power of love and the importance of community during tough times. With a mix of humor and vulnerability, they touch on personal growth, the complexities of grief, and the balance between work and life. Each story serves as a reminder that personal journeys shape professional paths, highlighting the intertwined nature of success and experiences.