The Daily Standup

Episode 230: Rob, JP, and Dillon liken CS to the most electric player in the 2025 NFL draft. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:19 - Offense meets defense in the NFL Draft 00:02:11 - Football strategy and customer success 00:03:28 - Playing both sides in the CS world 00:04:00 - Burnout is the injury of our field 00:05:34 - The 40-hour paradox in customer success 00:08:15 - Punished by our own v...

Episode 229: Matt Bennett returns to talk about his career evolution at the early stage company where he works. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:31 - Embracing the power of generalists 00:05:13 - The blurred lines between CS and product 00:06:05 - Making the leap: How Matt carved his path 00:08:09 - Could this be a chief of staff role? 00:10:11 - The gap-bridging role every company needs 00:1...

Episode 228: Neil Bhammar has a vision for how we'll spend our days as artificial intelligence further embeds in our work lives. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:56 - The walk-and-work vision for the future 00:02:48 - Rob goes screenless with voice AI 00:04:11 - Rethinking productivity, not just efficiency 00:05:36 - JP’s cornhole dreams and communal time 00:07:39 - Capitalism vs. the agreeab...

Episode 227: Laura Jark wonders: how can we clean the clutter off the CSMs' proverbial work desk? ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:22 - AI, role shifts, and the future of CSMs 00:02:31 - Why internal org noise impacts CS too 00:03:54 - Reframing value: Price is Right style 00:04:11 - Who does CS really serve first? 00:05:07 - How team charters drive focus and clarity 00:05:38 - JP’s blueprint...

Episode 226: It all comes back to money. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:51 - Rapid-fire questions kick off 00:01:05 - Follow the money mindset 00:02:56 - Triangles, trust, and success metrics 00:03:52 - Forecasting revenue like a pro 00:04:51 - The CSM role is evolving fast 00:07:13 - Tools that truly save time 00:08:22 - ROI and internal tech buy-in 00:09:41 - AI assistants are here to hel...

Episode 225: Ted Blosser, CEO of WorkRamp, breaks down the recent acquisition of Skilljar by Gainsight. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:16 - Ted Blosser & WorkRamp 00:02:04 - LMS shake-up: Skilljar acquired 00:02:57 - Platform consolidation vs. point solutions 00:04:43 - The shifting buyer mindset 00:06:17 - Rob’s LMS lightbulb moment 00:07:42 - 10,000 hours saved with LMS 00:09:01 - Edu...

Episode 224: Everything wants your attention. Onboard.io cofounder Will Stevenson encourages you to maintain your focus. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:19 - The power of focus in a noisy world 00:03:15 - Dodging trends and staying on course 00:04:43 - AI hype vs. real product value 00:05:30 - Finding your purpose on LinkedIn 00:08:05 - Let CSMs do what matters most 00:10:55 - Posting, ghost...

Episode 223: Archana Somasegar believes in a future where CS is fundamentally human. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:55 - The AI debate in customer success 00:02:48 - Demystifying how MindMe works 00:04:22 - The inspiration behind the mission 00:06:28 - Seamless integration and user experience 00:07:26 - Market trends and AI engagement boom 00:09:40 - Clarifying AI’s role in CS outcomes 00:1...

Episode 222: Emre Tekoglu sees opportunity in every support interaction. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:23 - Why support holds the retention key 00:02:31 - Beyond solving: Decoding support signals 00:04:29 - Collaboration over competition post-sales 00:05:36 - Escaping the ticket trap 00:08:44 - Support’s role in renewal strategies 00:09:59 - A mindset shift in customer care 00:10:59 - Unti...

Episode 221: Zach Hawtof is here to say: "AI may take our jobs, but it will never take our communities!" ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:28 - Building digital communities for the future 00:04:51 - AI’s role in community and personalization 00:06:39 - IRL events vs digital platforms 00:08:14 - The power of niche and global connection 00:09:30 - Customers helping customers: a hidden gem 00:10:...

Episode 220: The sun never sets on customer marketing. Melissa Beck joins Dillon live at the Customer Success Collective's Summit in New York City to describe her experience. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:50 - The evolution of customer marketing 00:02:49 - Creating experience beyond the product 00:03:31 - What customer marketing is not 00:04:12 - Crossing paths with every department 00:06:...

Episode 219: Ray Otero tells us what it's like managing customer experience at Microsoft. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:36 - Embracing a growth mindset 00:01:48 - Rethinking customer experience 00:02:57 - CoPilot’s rise and cultural moment 00:03:50 - AI as an internal power tool 00:05:32 - Global CX with a product-agnostic view 00:07:24 - Turning insights into action 00:08:28 - Boosting re...

Episode 218: Donnovan Simon stops Dillon in his tracks with one simple saying. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:03 - Customer success in tough times 00:02:57 - The global pressure on CS teams 00:03:23 - CS’s role in driving company stability 00:04:19 - CS metrics under executive scrutiny 00:05:10 - Legacy views vs. revenue accountability 00:05:56 - Why leadership must understand CS value 00:0...

Episode 217: Need Laure Maisonrouge say more? ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:34 - Data as your customer success compass 00:02:17 - Why your onboarding might be failing 00:04:20 - Blending instinct with analytics 00:05:03 - Fast-tracking feature activation 00:06:28 - Guiding customers through integration 00:07:44 - Building a scalable success framework 00:10:29 - Modular onboarding, powered...

Episode 216: Chirag Nijjer has been studying the evolution of marketing. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:50 - From Google to global brand speaker 00:02:37 - Rethinking customer journeys with AI 00:04:23 - The brand curiosity theory in action 00:05:42 - Why AI isn't always the smartest fix 00:07:07 - When deleting your homepage works 00:08:01 - Start with the end goal, not the tech 00:09:56 -...

Episode 215: Carly Agar shares advice for the #1 question she's been getting lately. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:31 - Promotions, layoffs & CS overthinking 00:03:27 - Turning weekly challenges into playbooks 00:04:50 - SDR vs. CSM: Easier to innovate? 00:05:56 - Career hygiene in uncertain times 00:08:40 - Don’t fear your resume or networking 00:09:21 - The messy truth behind promoti...

Episode 214: Hannah Brotherton can tell immediately whether you invest in your customer success team. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Wu-Tang Financial 00:01:46 - Why early ops matter for CS growth 00:02:17 - Scaling struggles without operations 00:03:52 - Operations as a success environment 00:05:03 - Rise of the data horse 00:07:20 - CSOps remains in the shadows 00:08:04 - Should leaders wear all the...

Episode 213: Ian Storm takes the guys back to school. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:46 - Ian’s vague but impactful job 00:02:50 - What drives great customer success? 00:03:51 - Autonomy: customers in the driver’s seat 00:04:44 - Empowering employees with autonomy 00:06:28 - Building competence through wins 00:08:22 - Relatedness: creating real community 00:10:04 - Real-world application of...

Episode 212: Ryan Schultz, founder and CEO of DIVACS, has a burning question. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:57 - Ryan’s journey to launching DIVACS 00:02:03 - AI in CS: hype or helpful? 00:03:21 - What are we really calling AI today? 00:06:01 - Why Ryan avoids the AI label 00:08:10 - The bubble nobody’s talking about 00:08:40 - Thanksgiving dinner and AI dreams 00:10:03 - Rise of the robo-...

Episode 211: Rob & Dillon discuss culture, exercise, and mental health. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:45 - The rise of “Meltdown Rob” 00:02:07 - Taking work too seriously 00:04:19 - Playing the game of life and work 00:05:09 - Walking the line between open and guarded 00:06:33 - Navigating emotional extremes at work 00:08:01 - Culture, vulnerability, and multitudes 00:08:32 - A company...

Episode 210: Mohammed Alqaq returns to the show to help us make sense of your building blocks. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:03 - The Lego analogy for data mastery 00:05:58 - Why data is non-negotiable in 2025 00:06:37 - The human touch in data analysis 00:08:30 - Building a smarter data model 00:09:52 - Overcoming data roadblocks 00:11:02 - Creating a culture of data excellence 00:12:30 -...

Episode 209: Seth Dovev explains his approach to building his talent bench specific to his company's needs. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Unlocking customer success potential 00:00:29 - Meet the crew of the Daily Standup 00:01:03 - Seth Dovev’s journey in CS and SaaS 00:01:49 - Hiring CSMs for product alignment 00:02:43 - The challenge of hiring technical CSMs 00:04:54 - The five personas of customer...

Episode 208: "It is not up to other people to offer you a seat to have your voice heard." - Kel Kurekgi ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:14 - The glowing office mystery solved 00:03:05 - Victim mentality in customer success 00:05:56 - Owning your outcomes, not making excuses 00:07:14 - Fighting for budget like everyone else 00:09:01 - The echo chamber of complaints 00:11:30 - Accountability s...

Episode 207: Sae Ro has an easy rule of thumb for measuring influence within the customer org. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:38 - Who holds the power in decision-making? 00:03:11 - Learning the hard way about executive influence 00:06:03 - The hidden value of below-the-line insights 00:07:13 - ATL shoutouts and empathy for BTLs 00:09:10 - Practical steps to map customer influence 00:10:45...

Episode 206: JP shares how he brings Buddhist principles to work each day. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:15 - Buddhism at work? Oh yeah! 00:02:29 - Your job can't make you happy 00:04:10 - Fulfillment vs. happiness at work 00:04:58 - Navigating human interactions with grace 00:08:05 - It’s not about you, it’s about them 00:08:46 - Embracing feedback for growth 00:11:09 - Processing before...