Customer Success as Product Strategy
Customer Success as Product Strategy
Customer Success as Product Strategy
Customer Success as Product Strategy
Find a way to get in the rooms that matter.
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I’ve been meaning to write this for a while. The idea came rushing back during a recent conversation about product–market fit. I offhandedly mentioned to a friend that I have keys to VC offices all across the country—from San Francisco down the Peninsula to New York City.
Technically, SuccessVP’s address is a WeWork in FiDi—but aside from checking the mail, I haven’t worked there in months. Instead, I set up shop in the offices of friends I admire in venture. The best mentorship isn’t formal or scheduled—it’s ambient. It happens through what you overhear, what you observe, and what you absorb by simply being in the right rooms. I want to put myself in those places where chance encounters happen often—because that’s where the real learning lives.
But this habit of “collecting keys” started long before I became a VC.
“The best mentorship isn’t formal or scheduled—it’s ambient. It happens through what you overhear, what you observe, and what you absorb by simply being in the right rooms.”
I’ve been meaning to write this for a while. The idea came rushing back during a recent conversation about product–market fit. I offhandedly mentioned to a friend that I have keys to VC offices all across the country—from San Francisco down the Peninsula to New York City.
Technically, SuccessVP’s address is a WeWork in FiDi—but aside from checking the mail, I haven’t worked there in months. Instead, I set up shop in the offices of friends I admire in venture. The best mentorship isn’t formal or scheduled—it’s ambient. It happens through what you overhear, what you observe, and what you absorb by simply being in the right rooms. I want to put myself in those places where chance encounters happen often—because that’s where the real learning lives.
But this habit of “collecting keys” started long before I became a VC.
“The best mentorship isn’t formal or scheduled—it’s ambient. It happens through what you overhear, what you observe, and what you absorb by simply being in the right rooms.”
I’ve been meaning to write this for a while. The idea came rushing back during a recent conversation about product–market fit. I offhandedly mentioned to a friend that I have keys to VC offices all across the country—from San Francisco down the Peninsula to New York City.
Technically, SuccessVP’s address is a WeWork in FiDi—but aside from checking the mail, I haven’t worked there in months. Instead, I set up shop in the offices of friends I admire in venture. The best mentorship isn’t formal or scheduled—it’s ambient. It happens through what you overhear, what you observe, and what you absorb by simply being in the right rooms. I want to put myself in those places where chance encounters happen often—because that’s where the real learning lives.
But this habit of “collecting keys” started long before I became a VC.
“The best mentorship isn’t formal or scheduled—it’s ambient. It happens through what you overhear, what you observe, and what you absorb by simply being in the right rooms.”
At my first startup, I was the first hire—pre–market fit, zero traction. We used a product called Woopra—think early Mixpanel—which gave a real-time view of user behavior. I’d sit there watching for signs of life: someone logging in, clicking around. The moment I saw movement, I’d cold-email them. No chatbot, no automation—just me, hustling to connect.
At the time, I had relocated to New York City because our ICP—agencies and media companies—were headquartered there. I’d email users saying I happened to be in the neighborhood and could stop by. More often than not, they’d say yes. That’s how I found myself inside top-tier agencies, walking people through our product in person, listening to feedback, asking questions, and iterating as fast as I could.
Some of those meetings turned into friendships that last to this day. At a few companies, I became so embedded that I got a desk and a badge. I remember sitting in pitch rooms while teams prepared decks for BMW, Spotify, and Coca-Cola. Our software helped win those deals—but more importantly, I had a front-row seat to how our product actually fit into their workflow. That was Customer Success before I even knew what the role was.
“I’d email users saying I happened to be in the neighborhood and could stop by. More often than not, they’d say yes.”
At my first startup, I was the first hire—pre–market fit, zero traction. We used a product called Woopra—think early Mixpanel—which gave a real-time view of user behavior. I’d sit there watching for signs of life: someone logging in, clicking around. The moment I saw movement, I’d cold-email them. No chatbot, no automation—just me, hustling to connect.
At the time, I had relocated to New York City because our ICP—agencies and media companies—were headquartered there. I’d email users saying I happened to be in the neighborhood and could stop by. More often than not, they’d say yes. That’s how I found myself inside top-tier agencies, walking people through our product in person, listening to feedback, asking questions, and iterating as fast as I could.
Some of those meetings turned into friendships that last to this day. At a few companies, I became so embedded that I got a desk and a badge. I remember sitting in pitch rooms while teams prepared decks for BMW, Spotify, and Coca-Cola. Our software helped win those deals—but more importantly, I had a front-row seat to how our product actually fit into their workflow. That was Customer Success before I even knew what the role was.
“I’d email users saying I happened to be in the neighborhood and could stop by. More often than not, they’d say yes.”
At my first startup, I was the first hire—pre–market fit, zero traction. We used a product called Woopra—think early Mixpanel—which gave a real-time view of user behavior. I’d sit there watching for signs of life: someone logging in, clicking around. The moment I saw movement, I’d cold-email them. No chatbot, no automation—just me, hustling to connect.
At the time, I had relocated to New York City because our ICP—agencies and media companies—were headquartered there. I’d email users saying I happened to be in the neighborhood and could stop by. More often than not, they’d say yes. That’s how I found myself inside top-tier agencies, walking people through our product in person, listening to feedback, asking questions, and iterating as fast as I could.
Some of those meetings turned into friendships that last to this day. At a few companies, I became so embedded that I got a desk and a badge. I remember sitting in pitch rooms while teams prepared decks for BMW, Spotify, and Coca-Cola. Our software helped win those deals—but more importantly, I had a front-row seat to how our product actually fit into their workflow. That was Customer Success before I even knew what the role was.
“I’d email users saying I happened to be in the neighborhood and could stop by. More often than not, they’d say yes.”
Those days were formative. They taught me something that sounds obvious but is often overlooked: customer discovery isn’t a phase—it’s a posture. It’s not something you do until you have product–market fit. It’s something you do to get product–market fit—and then keep doing to stay ahead.
Today, the best founders I back are relentless in their pursuit of customer insight. They outlearn the competition—and that’s their edge. In a world where software ships faster than ever, speed of learning is the real moat. And customer discovery is the engine that drives it.
You can see the shift in how modern go-to-market teams are being designed. The CSM role is being refined to focus on what truly matters. Routine tasks like password resets and bug triage? Those are now handled by best-in-class tools. In many cases, your chatbot delivers better, faster answers to product FAQs than a newly onboarded CSM ever could—and that’s a good thing. As automation takes care of the repetitive work, the value of human connection rises. For years, Customer Success claimed to be the “trusted advisor,” but too often it was reactive, not strategic. Now we finally have the opportunity to change that.
“In a world where software ships faster than ever, speed of learning is the real moat. And customer discovery is the engine that drives it.”
Those days were formative. They taught me something that sounds obvious but is often overlooked: customer discovery isn’t a phase—it’s a posture. It’s not something you do until you have product–market fit. It’s something you do to get product–market fit—and then keep doing to stay ahead.
Today, the best founders I back are relentless in their pursuit of customer insight. They outlearn the competition—and that’s their edge. In a world where software ships faster than ever, speed of learning is the real moat. And customer discovery is the engine that drives it.
You can see the shift in how modern go-to-market teams are being designed. The CSM role is being refined to focus on what truly matters. Routine tasks like password resets and bug triage? Those are now handled by best-in-class tools. In many cases, your chatbot delivers better, faster answers to product FAQs than a newly onboarded CSM ever could—and that’s a good thing. As automation takes care of the repetitive work, the value of human connection rises. For years, Customer Success claimed to be the “trusted advisor,” but too often it was reactive, not strategic. Now we finally have the opportunity to change that.
“In a world where software ships faster than ever, speed of learning is the real moat. And customer discovery is the engine that drives it.”
Those days were formative. They taught me something that sounds obvious but is often overlooked: customer discovery isn’t a phase—it’s a posture. It’s not something you do until you have product–market fit. It’s something you do to get product–market fit—and then keep doing to stay ahead.
Today, the best founders I back are relentless in their pursuit of customer insight. They outlearn the competition—and that’s their edge. In a world where software ships faster than ever, speed of learning is the real moat. And customer discovery is the engine that drives it.
You can see the shift in how modern go-to-market teams are being designed. The CSM role is being refined to focus on what truly matters. Routine tasks like password resets and bug triage? Those are now handled by best-in-class tools. In many cases, your chatbot delivers better, faster answers to product FAQs than a newly onboarded CSM ever could—and that’s a good thing. As automation takes care of the repetitive work, the value of human connection rises. For years, Customer Success claimed to be the “trusted advisor,” but too often it was reactive, not strategic. Now we finally have the opportunity to change that.
“In a world where software ships faster than ever, speed of learning is the real moat. And customer discovery is the engine that drives it.”
The best CS leaders don’t just support customers—they deeply understand them. They embed themselves in their customers’ world, uncovering insights others miss. Then they bring that intelligence back to shape product, influence the roadmap, and accelerate go-to-market execution. That’s the future of the function—and the companies that embrace it early will win.
As for me, I’m still doing what I learned in those early startup days. I may be running a venture fund now, but I’m still collecting keys—not just to offices, but to relationships, insights, and ecosystems. I post up in the rooms where the best investors work, listening closely to what’s on their minds, where their conviction lies, and how they operate at the highest level. Every conversation, every hallway chat, is customer discovery for SuccessVP.
Because whether you’re building a product or a fund, it all comes down to staying close—to your customers, or to the people already doing what you aspire to do better. It starts by showing up, asking the right questions, and staying relentlessly curious.
The best CS leaders don’t just support customers—they deeply understand them. They embed themselves in their customers’ world, uncovering insights others miss. Then they bring that intelligence back to shape product, influence the roadmap, and accelerate go-to-market execution. That’s the future of the function—and the companies that embrace it early will win.
As for me, I’m still doing what I learned in those early startup days. I may be running a venture fund now, but I’m still collecting keys—not just to offices, but to relationships, insights, and ecosystems. I post up in the rooms where the best investors work, listening closely to what’s on their minds, where their conviction lies, and how they operate at the highest level. Every conversation, every hallway chat, is customer discovery for SuccessVP.
Because whether you’re building a product or a fund, it all comes down to staying close—to your customers, or to the people already doing what you aspire to do better. It starts by showing up, asking the right questions, and staying relentlessly curious.
The best CS leaders don’t just support customers—they deeply understand them. They embed themselves in their customers’ world, uncovering insights others miss. Then they bring that intelligence back to shape product, influence the roadmap, and accelerate go-to-market execution. That’s the future of the function—and the companies that embrace it early will win.
As for me, I’m still doing what I learned in those early startup days. I may be running a venture fund now, but I’m still collecting keys—not just to offices, but to relationships, insights, and ecosystems. I post up in the rooms where the best investors work, listening closely to what’s on their minds, where their conviction lies, and how they operate at the highest level. Every conversation, every hallway chat, is customer discovery for SuccessVP.
Because whether you’re building a product or a fund, it all comes down to staying close—to your customers, or to the people already doing what you aspire to do better. It starts by showing up, asking the right questions, and staying relentlessly curious.
Becoming a Forward-Deployed CSM
If you’re a CSM looking to transition into a Forward-Deployed CSM role, the first step is expanding beyond relationship management into technical problem-solving. Start by building fluency with your product’s configuration tools, APIs, and integrations — even if you’re not expected to own them today. Get comfortable navigating internal admin environments, pulling usage data, and working alongside solutions engineers. Understanding how your product actually works under the hood is key. At the same time, go deeper into your customers’ workflows and industries. Learn how they operate, what constraints they face, and what success really looks like beyond adoption metrics.
Next, shift your mindset from supporting outcomes to owning them. Forward-Deployed CSMs embed early — often during pilots or proof of concepts — and take responsibility for driving value from day one. That means proactively designing onboarding plans, configuring workflows, solving rollout blockers, and aligning technical and executive stakeholders around a clear outcome. Instead of escalating issues, co-create solutions.
Becoming a Forward-Deployed CSM
If you’re a CSM looking to transition into a Forward-Deployed CSM role, the first step is expanding beyond relationship management into technical problem-solving. Start by building fluency with your product’s configuration tools, APIs, and integrations — even if you’re not expected to own them today. Get comfortable navigating internal admin environments, pulling usage data, and working alongside solutions engineers. Understanding how your product actually works under the hood is key. At the same time, go deeper into your customers’ workflows and industries. Learn how they operate, what constraints they face, and what success really looks like beyond adoption metrics.
Next, shift your mindset from supporting outcomes to owning them. Forward-Deployed CSMs embed early — often during pilots or proof of concepts — and take responsibility for driving value from day one. That means proactively designing onboarding plans, configuring workflows, solving rollout blockers, and aligning technical and executive stakeholders around a clear outcome. Instead of escalating issues, co-create solutions.
Becoming a Forward-Deployed CSM
If you’re a CSM looking to transition into a Forward-Deployed CSM role, the first step is expanding beyond relationship management into technical problem-solving. Start by building fluency with your product’s configuration tools, APIs, and integrations — even if you’re not expected to own them today. Get comfortable navigating internal admin environments, pulling usage data, and working alongside solutions engineers. Understanding how your product actually works under the hood is key. At the same time, go deeper into your customers’ workflows and industries. Learn how they operate, what constraints they face, and what success really looks like beyond adoption metrics.
Next, shift your mindset from supporting outcomes to owning them. Forward-Deployed CSMs embed early — often during pilots or proof of concepts — and take responsibility for driving value from day one. That means proactively designing onboarding plans, configuring workflows, solving rollout blockers, and aligning technical and executive stakeholders around a clear outcome. Instead of escalating issues, co-create solutions.
Where We’re Seeing It:
Palantir — The Blueprint
Harvey, Hebbia — legal AI with embedded customer experts
Ramp, Rippling — where fast deployments drive retention
Motive — dealing with legacy systems, complex integrations, and significant change management, embeds someone during the sales process who stays on the account through to value delivery.
Where We’re Seeing It:
Palantir — The Blueprint
Harvey, Hebbia — legal AI with embedded customer experts
Ramp, Rippling — where fast deployments drive retention
Motive — dealing with legacy systems, complex integrations, and significant change management, embeds someone during the sales process who stays on the account through to value delivery.
Where We’re Seeing It:
Palantir — The Blueprint
Harvey, Hebbia — legal AI with embedded customer experts
Ramp, Rippling — where fast deployments drive retention
Motive — dealing with legacy systems, complex integrations, and significant change management, embeds someone during the sales process who stays on the account through to value delivery.
Final Thought
Customer Success is evolving from a service function into an embedded operating layer. In an AI-first world, value is created in real time, inside the customer’s workflow, by people who can translate technology into measurable outcomes. That’s the job description of a Forward-Deployed CSM — outcome owners who ship, iterate, and prove impact on the front lines.
If you’re already feeling this pull—or you’re building a product that demands it—let’s compare notes.
Final Thought
Customer Success is evolving from a service function into an embedded operating layer. In an AI-first world, value is created in real time, inside the customer’s workflow, by people who can translate technology into measurable outcomes. That’s the job description of a Forward-Deployed CSM — outcome owners who ship, iterate, and prove impact on the front lines.
If you’re already feeling this pull—or you’re building a product that demands it—let’s compare notes.
Final Thought
Customer Success is evolving from a service function into an embedded operating layer. In an AI-first world, value is created in real time, inside the customer’s workflow, by people who can translate technology into measurable outcomes. That’s the job description of a Forward-Deployed CSM — outcome owners who ship, iterate, and prove impact on the front lines.
If you’re already feeling this pull—or you’re building a product that demands it—let’s compare notes.
Delivering Outcomes
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