A segment from a YouTube discussion about hiring VPs of Customer Success. The speakers contrast needs for early-stage companies (hire a builder: technical, hands-on, builds delivery model, handles day-to-day operations and escalations) versus mid-to-late-stage companies (hire a leader: sets strategy, vision, operational cadence). In both cases the VP must translate product value into customer business outcomes and build executive relationships.
Chapters
Actually, on my team, we sometimes call that the CSM of the gaps Theory of hiring for customer success Managers turning to executives in terms of what kind of VP you should hire. You know, Mary, I noticed that there are tons of different types of VPs of customer success. How should your product influence what kind of executive you should hire?
Yeah, I think it really depends on the maturity of your product and your company. Do you need a builder or do you need a leader? Typically in the early stage, you need more of a builder. Somebody who can be technical and hands on, build the delivery model, hire the right team. Somebody who's in the day to day operations dealing with customer escalations. But in mid to late stage, you can bring on a leader who can set the strategy, set the vision, execute on that strategy, and set operational cadence. But in both of these situations, you need to have somebody who has the skill set to be able to explain the product value of your product to the desired business outcomes of your customers. Right. So someone who can build relationships at the executive level and help them understand the value of that partnership.
