Jan Young, MBA, CSPO, CSM

Project Manager

I help Heads of CS become VPs and get a seat at the Executive Table | Customer-Led Growth Advisor | 2X Top 25 CS Influencer | Top 50 CS Influencer | Top 50 Women Leaders in CS | Top 100 CS Strategist | Investor

Why do some CS leaders command executive respect, while others, despite strong results, keep fighting to be heard?

I've been in Tech for 20+ years and been through two exits as VP Client Services. Here's what I've learned:

✨ EVERYTHING has changed.

The speed. The AI transformation. The business models. The way we need to lead.

I see CS leaders working until midnight, delivering great results... and still getting told "we need to cut CS headcount."

Sound familiar?

The old playbooks stopped working.

AI is reshaping how we work, how we go to market, how we serve customers. Your 2023 playbook is irrelevant.

Today, you need SYSTEMS.

Here's what I know from coaching hundreds of CS leaders:

Those who break through have mastered The Modern CS Growth System, 4 pillars of executive impact:

💡 Modern Management & Change Leadership - Lead in the AI era  
💡 AI Fluency, Automation & Autonomy - Transform operations, pricing, GTM
💡 Business & Customer Economics - Speak profitability, not just retention  
💡 Repeatable Customer Revenue & Team Systems - Build scalable frameworks, not heroic firefighting  

This is a systematic approach to demonstrating executive-level impact in the language your fellow executives understand.

👉👉 This is what CS Business Leaders master. Not pieces. The whole system.

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WHO I WORK WITH

CS leaders who've built a department but aren't getting traction:

✔  You deliver strong results, but executives still see CS as a cost center
✔  You're excluded from strategic decisions where your insights would be valuable
✔  You’re told "do more with less" instead of getting resources
✔  You know modern CS should look different, but you're stuck in outdated frameworks

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HOW WE WORK TOGETHER

⚡️ CS BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR - Master the 4 pillars and build the Modern CS Growth System specific to your goals/challenges through executive peer community + project-based frameworks + personalized coaching.  

🔗 https://go.stepupxchange.com/csbl-accelerator

📬 NEWSLETTER:  I publish a weekly newsletter on modern CS strategies

📧 DM me and I'll share which resources fit you

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RESULTS

✅ Become an award-winning executive
✅ Reposition your team as a strategic revenue driver
✅ Transition from firefighting to repeatable, scalable systems
✅ Innovate with AI to drive profitable customer revenue growth

The modern CS leaders who succeed aren't keeping up with change: They're leading it. 

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📬 Newsletter: janyoungcx.com/#newsletter  
📧 DM me: discuss your challenges  
🎯 Follow for daily insights

Founding Member

RevRoom is a trusted space where curious revenue leaders are collaborating on the future of B2B Go to Market alignment and GTM-Led-Growth.

We were all asked the same question independently. We all gave the same answer.

When ChurnZero asked a group of CS leaders for our 2026 predictions, we didn't compare notes beforehand. 

We had limited space and were told to be specific.

Yet, a clear pattern emerged across the board.
🔸  AI was the theme throughout.
🔸  We didn't talk about playbooks. We talked about Systems. 
🔸  We didn't just talk about CS + AI. We talked about Revenue & Profitability.

A huge thank you to ChurnZero for asking me to contribute alongside such incredible leaders. 

Here is the reality I see coming for our industry:

“Customer success is the frontline of survival for both traditional SaaS and AI-first startups, shifting the mission from simple adoption to high-precision Value Engineering.

To win, leaders are replacing generalists with specialized GTM squads, using Forward-Deployed CSMs and Consumption Leads for high-touch growth, while AI CS Ops and Program Managers architect the data-driven systems that power scaled, touch-free renewals and expansions.

As AI agents automate the routine, the human CSM role will become elevated, requiring the deep EQ and business acumen necessary to turn experimental AI budgets into the predictable, profitable revenue our boards now demand.”

📌  The consensus is clear: 
AI is forcing us to restructure our teams, our roles, and our unit economics to survive in a new market model.


🚨  But there is one trend I think is still flying under the radar:  Agentic Suggestion.

👉  Right now, we prompt AI. By the end of 2026, AI will prompt us.

We are moving toward systems that understand our goals and suggest work, anticipating needs before we even articulate them. 

This will require massive Change Leadership, not just for our teams, but for ourselves.


📌  I’m digging into these trends and How to Take Action in my newsletter this Saturday, AND I have some live events on these themes in the next two weeks.

Get the Insights: 
👉 Read the ChurnZero 2026 Forecast: https://lnkd.in/gEj3Bvu2 
👉 Get my Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gBrhN3As

📆  If you are ready to build the system that supports this future, join my StepUpXchange NexGen CS Leadership Masterclass and learn about the Modern CS Growth System on Jan 20th:  https://lnkd.in/gsETU8a2

📆  If you’re really serious, join the StepUpXchange VIP Inner Circle. You’ll get an exclusive invite to Fireside Focus on Jan 15 that is usually reserved for members of the CS Business Leadership Accelerator. 

📢 This will be an intimate conversation with Ralphie (Ralphette) White, VP CS of Deepgram.  Ralphie is one of the leaders who has been at the forefront of the AI + CS [r]evolution. If you don't want to miss out...
https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

Top 25 Customer Success Influencer 2023 | Fintech Business Strategist | Customer Success Leader | Women in Tech Advocate

I’m a Customer Success pro with over a decade of experience helping Tech companies drive adoption, reduce churn, and unlock revenue growth. My background spans both pre- and post-sales motions, where I’ve launched scalable GTM strategies, built customer success programs from the ground up, and partnered with enterprise clients to deliver measurable business outcomes.

I specialize in creating strategies that align product adoption with growth objectives, whether that’s through churn mitigation, segmentation analysis, or designing scalable playbooks that empower teams and customers alike.

I’m also committed to the Customer Success community, serving in leadership and advisory roles across CxXchange, CS Middle East, Latinos in Success, and RevGenius, while sharing insights through speaking, consulting, and thought leadership.

Outside of work, I’m an avid traveler, yoga practitioner, lifelong learner. These experiences have shaped a global perspective from living and working in the UK, France, and across LatAm.

CORE STRENGTHS:
• Customer Success Strategy & Leadership
• Revenue Growth & Retention Programs
• Enterprise Relationship Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & GTM Alignment
• Community Engagement & Thought Leadership

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE:
•	SaaS Solutions
•	Compliance/Trade Surveillance
•	AML & KYC Strategies
•	Fixed Income Trading & Derivative Instruments
•	Financial Market Research
•	Institutional Investors (US/Latam)
•	Maritime Solutions (AIS & Global Trade Flows)
•	Defense Sector (US/EMEA)

TECH STACK:
•	LinkedIn Sales Navigator
•	Salesforce
•	Hubspot
•	Jira
•	Figma
•	Confluence
•	Power BI
•	Tableau
•	Qualtrics
•	Wiki
•	Splunk
•	Calypso
•	Refinitiv Eikon/Workspace
•	Bloomberg Terminal
•	Canva
•	Camtasia
•	ZoomInfo
•	Vidyard
•	Slack
•	Zoom
•	Microsoft Teams

Cinthia Silva

One of the most underrated skills in Customer Success?

Cross-functional influence

Because no matter the size of your company, CS outcomes are rarely owned by CS alone.

They’re shaped by how well we collaborate with Product, Sales, Marketing, and beyond.

That’s why I’m excited to be moderating a panel at the upcoming Customer Success Collective NYC 2026, “CS Cross-Functional Diplomacy 101: Herding Cats Across Departments”

This conversation will touch upon real-life scenarios such as:

📢 How does CS champion customer feedback without becoming annoying, background noise?

🤝 How do you set up handoffs that actually reduce friction instead of creating it?

💰 How do you partner with Sales on expansion motions that feel additive vs. transactional?

🗣️ How do you work with Marketing to scale post-sale storytelling, education, and advocacy?

As Customer Success becomes more outcome-driven and commercially aligned, internal partnerships aren’t optional anymore.

It's a muscle that needs to be worked and a core competency the best players leverage.

So if you care about delivering impact (not just activity), this conversation is for you.

Will I see you there?

Just sayin…

#customersuccess #tech #saas #community

2 CSMs can do the same job, at the same company, and end up with very different careers.
 
This is what I’ve seen:

CSM 1

👉Loved getting in the weeds on every call (customer and internal)

🤝Knew internal stakeholders but tried to solve everything themselves

🤔Waited for permission before testing new ideas

✅Preferred to color within the lines while being quick to shut down new ideas

🤷‍♂️Blindly followed process, even when it didn’t make sense
 
CSM 2
 
❓Approached every customer interaction with curiosity and a focus on discovery.

👫Built cross-functional relationships

🤝Pulled in the right internal partners to solve problems and act on leads.

🔥Would not settle for status quo and actively worked to improve process

💡Growth mindset - actively engaged with peers to crowd-source knowledge and learning opportunities.

Which one do you think got promoted, and eventually found better opportunities beyond their company?
 
Think about it because across your career, talent isn’t the differentiator, behavior is.
 
But I’m curious
 
Which one do you see more often on your team? CSM 1 or 2?

Just sayin…

#customersuccess #mindset #tech #community

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I was talking to a founder recently who wanted to understand CS enablement practices.
 
The truth is that enablement in CS is often an afterthought.
 
And typically consists of sales “leftovers” such as gong, zoominfo, etc (if you’re lucky).
 
But that doesn’t mean CS pros shouldn’t take charge of their learning and growth path.
 
On the contrary, smart players are constantly looking for ways to upskill themselves.
 
I’ve been touting this for ages:
 
🔥Grow your network and learn from peers (don’t limit yourself to CS)

📖 Read books about relationship management, negotiation, AI trends and more
 
🎙️Listen to podcasts and webinars to learn about current tactics and trends (within CS and across tech)
 
🌎 Proactively engage in communities (not just when you’re looking for a job)
 
These are not new concepts and may seem simple to you
 
But guess what - simple ain’t easy (or you’d already be taking these actions)
 
And if you’re worried about the permeation and potential threat of AI to your job?
 
Creativity and critical thinking still belong to humans.
 
So it’s time to distinguish yourself from box-ticker to high performer 
 
Your future self will thank you.
 
Just sayin…

#customersuccess #tech #saas #network

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The Battle

Jan Young, MBA, CSPO, CSM

Cinthia Silva

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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