CS in the chaos of startups
So how do you approach Customer Success in early-stage startups?
And what lessons from CS in early-stage startups apply in more established companies?
Johan and I had a super-fun conversation on this week's Impact Weekly episode about building CS operations in early-stage startups that I think you'll like even if you're not in a startup.
Listen to the episode here (or on Spotify, Apple, or Youtube)
And if you're thinking about joining a startup as an (the) early CS hire, this episode will help you better understand what you're getting yourself into. 😬
~ Lincoln
BTW: Next week we have two Impact Academy training programs starting on Monday, 5-Feb:
Partner Success - This 2-week intensive program is for anyone who works with channel partners, distributors, VARs, Affiliates, or basically if any 3rd party sits between you and the end-customer of your product.
Head of CS: How to Build - This 3-week program is foundational for modern Heads of CS, regardless of experience level, as we focus on the three areas key to your role: Leadership, Management, and Coaching.
I hope to see you in one of those programs.
Lincoln Murphy
I help SaaS companies Maximize LTV through Customer-centric Upselling
Hey, Expectations on Customer Success are super high in 2026. Customers want faster outcomes. Leadership wants proof of impact. Reactive CS won’t get you there. AI-first initiatives are taking over. Lifecycle Success & Retention Planning helps teams shift now. Outcome-driven focus across the customer lifecycle. Why teams join this type of training: Live, interactive sessions (not on-demand content) Role-playing & real scenarios that impact retention Hands-on work with your own customers...
November 18-20 in Kelowna, BC, Canada. This intensive is designed for SaaS companies ready to integrate AI into their growth strategy. Over two days, we'll explore how AI is transforming the five growth levers: product, marketing, customer success, sales, and leadership. I'll be leading the session on AI-first Customer Success Management—with practical, actionable strategies you can implement now, plus a roadmap for scaling over time. You'll leave with a clear operating model for your next...
On Monday, you find out. Join our Head of CS training starting October 20, 2025. This is one of the most impactful programs we offer because it focuses on the critical aspects of Leadership, Management, and Coaching that every Head of Customer Success needs to leverage to drive real business impact. Our live sessions are going to focus on the big shifts AI is having on everything we do in Customer Success. While the core, underlying principles of building, running, and scaling a CS org...