Customer Success Talks

Are your feature requests and customer feedback piling up in the backlog, with no movement, no ETA, and frustrated customers asking you for answers you don't have? You're not alone. One of the most common pain points for Customer Success Managers is the disconnect between CS and the product team. But the good news? It's fixable, and it starts with how you communicate, not just what you communicate. In this episode, Margo Barysheva, the first CS hire at a cybersecurity startup in Israel, discusses how she has been building the customer success function from the ground up. Margo brings hard-earned, practical experience from working across multiple high-growth startups, and she's developed a real system for turning messy customer feedback into product action. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: ✅ Why most CSMs submit feedback the wrong way, and what to do instead (hint: it's not "the button should be black")✅ How to translate customer requests into business value so product teams actually listen✅ How to set backlog timeframes in Jira so tickets don't disappear forever — and you can finally close the loop with customers✅ The beta/preview program strategy that turns customers into product advocates✅ The squad model for larger CS teams to stay aligned with product without losing context✅ The #1 mindset shift: stop acting as a customer advocate only learn to be a true peer to your product team Connect with Margo on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/margobarysheva/ Margo's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/magbelyaeva/ Follow Bayron Toruno on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/ Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/Tik-Tok @customer.success6Explore Our PodcastWebsite - https://cstalkspodcast.com/

How should Customer Success Managers actually use data? In this episode, Denny Burda, Chief Customer Officer at River Consultancy Group, to break down a simple framework for turning customer data into insights, conversations, and actions that drive retention and expansion. Many Customer Success Managers have access to dashboards, metrics, and usage reports but struggle with what to do with the data. Instead of getting lost in spreadsheets or overwhelming QBR slides, Denny explains how CSMs can move from raw data to meaningful customer conversations using a practical appoach:Signals → Insights → Conversation → ActionTogether, we explore the three key phases of working with data in Customer Success: 1. Data AnalysisLearn how to identify meaningful signals in customer data and avoid the classic “garbage in, garbage out” problem. 2. Turning Data Into InsightsData alone doesn’t create impact. Denny explains how to interpret signals to uncover early warnings for churn, identify expansion opportunities, and prioritize the right customers. 3. Data Presentation & StorytellingMany CSMs rely too heavily on dashboards or QBR slides.This framework helps Customer Success Managers turn numbers into strategic conversations that build trust with customers and executives. Listen now to learn how to transform customer data into clear insights, stronger conversations, and better outcomes.

In this episode we have the honor of having two of the most respected leaders in CS, Jan Young and Ralphie White, to unpack how the shifting global market, AI, and new pricing models are changing Customer Success, and what you can actually do about it. They get into why the market shift isn't temporary, how consumption and outcome-based pricing are changing the CSM role, why AI is pushing CS away from "gap-filling" toward specialized, technical, revenue-owning work and honest, practical advice for breaking into CS and protecting your career in 2026. Referenced in this episode:– ChurnZero 2026 CSM Confidential Report - https://churnzero.com/csm-confidential-2026-thank-you/?submissionGuid=f2ce52ae-f4d7-493d-8368-a00a764168e5 – Zylo 2026 SaaS Management Index - https://go.zylo.com/l/504631/2026-01-27/7ptsnt/504631/1769532725LybGFvUo/2026_saas_management_index_zylo.pdf?_gl=1*1e5otfv*_gcl_au*MTA2NzE2MDIyMy4xNzczNzY3ODk4 – S&P Global AI & Labor Landscape 2026 - https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/special-reports/ai-impact-on-employment-2026– Book: The Strategic Customer Success Manager by Chad Horenfeldt - https://www.strategiccustomersuccess.com/– Podcast: AI Daily BriefConnect with our guests:Jan YoungLinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-young-cx/CxXchange SuccessHour - https://www.janyoungcx.com/#newsletterJan's community sessions: https://go.stepupxchange.com/nexgen-cs-leadershipRalphie WhiteLinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphiewhite/Website — https://www.radicalcs.com/ Follow us on: Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/ TikTok — @customer.success6 Explore our Website: Website — https://cstalkspodcast.com/

What if your Quarterly Business Review didn’t need 30 slides and an hour-long meeting to deliver value? And to discover how to change this, I sat down with Customer Success leader Andrea Bumstead to break down her powerful 15-Minute QBR framework, a practical approach that is challenging the way SaaS companies run customer conversations. Andrea, former VP of Customer Success and founder of CS Impact, shares why traditional QBRs often fail to create real value for customers and how Customer Success teams can shift from reporting metrics to driving meaningful business outcomes. Together, we explore how Customer Success Managers can create high-impact executive conversations, connect product usage to customer value, and use AI and automation strategically to scale engagement without losing the human element. You’ll also learn how to structure a 15-minute QBR, how to prepare for it effectively, and how to adapt the framework across different customer segments to improve customer retention, engagement, and overall customer experience. If you’re a CSM, CS leader, or SaaS professional looking to run more strategic customer conversations, this episode is packed with practical insights. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN • Why many QBRs fail to deliver value for customers • The structure of the 15-Minute QBR framework • How AI can support Customer Success strategies • Why customer segmentation matters when scaling QBRs Here are the links to where you can find Andrea: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreabumstead Substack: https://csimpact.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/customersuccessimpact/ 15 minute QBR framework: https://csimpact.substack.com/p/the-15-minute-qbr-framework Connect with us: Andrea Bumstead -https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreabumstead/ Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/ Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/ TikTok @customer.success6 Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/

The conversation delves into the origins and evolution of the Getting Things Done methodology, emphasizing the importance of capturing, clarifying, organizing, and reviewing tasks and commitments. It explores the universal principles of productivity, the popularity of the methodology, the role of the mind in idea management, the capture habit, the importance of capturing tasks and ideas, clarifying tasks and ideas, the weekly review, and the challenge of making decisions. The conversation delves into the importance of thinking and deciding, the management of personal and digital systems, and the impact of the GTD methodology on productivity. It emphasizes the need for clarity and organization in personal and professional life, highlighting the role of decision-making and the effective use of digital tools. Takeaways * Getting Things Done methodology by David Allen focuses on capturing, clarifying, organizing, and reviewing tasks and commitments. * The methodology emphasizes the importance of making decisions about tasks and commitments to reduce mental clutter and increase productivity. Thinking and deciding * Managing personal and digital systems * The impact of GTD methodology on productivityGetting Things Done (GTD) official website, where you can learn more about GTD and purshase David's book: https://gettingthingsdone.com/ Connect with Us: David Allen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidallengtd/ Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/ Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/ Tik-Tok @customer.success6 Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/