What made you pursue a career in CS?

CS pursued me! I started my career about two decades ago as a customer-facing account and project manager when tech startups were in their infancy. This naturally evolved into what's known today as Customer Success.

What do you like about your role?

My passion is startups and early-stage companies. What I find most rewarding is creating processes as the product and company evolve. The contributions of Customer Success have a particularly significant impact on the company's revenue and product development growth. It's an exciting time to be part of this growth.

What were the most important tips/insights you received that contributed to your professional growth?

Always ask "why". This and the five whys technique has served me well in every customer-facing aspect. From customers requesting features to express excitement over a feature to bad feedback. Asking why always uncovers root causes helps shed light on use cases and what customers need to support them.

What are the CS aspects you focus on in your current role?

Currently, I am focused on building my teams and analysing customer data. Building the right teams ensures that our customers feel confident in the knowledge and positive outcomes we can deliver. Customer data is important for us to develop better processes and understand what leads to retention and expansion of our customers.

What tips and recommendations can you share with other CSMs looking to pursue their professional growth?

Learn and lean on others in our community. We are fortunate to have so many sources in the SC community for brainstorming, consulting, and sharing experiences.