How do you think about your first 30/60/90 day goals when coming in as the Head of Customer Success in a startup that didn't have customer success before?

What a wonderful opportunity- to start a fresh org! I see the Customer Success org as playing a key linking role between departments in your company to bring continuity to the customer journey, and with customers to make their voices heard within your organization.

The first few weeks are about learning:

• What are the gaps your company is trying to address by adding a Customer Success function?
• Ask your customers: What have been the moments of truth (make or break moments) in their journey with your company so far? Where have they struggled? What has gone well?
• Ask your coworkers: What opportunities do they see to make improvements in customer experience and cross-org partnership?

Then you can turn to planning:

• What are the key objectives of the new Customer Success Organization? How will you structure the team to meet those?
• What should the new Customer Journey look like and what role does each team play in it?
• Socialize these plans with your business partners, executive team, and some customers to get feedback and make them better.

Then it's about doing:

• Start with a few processes and metrics you can impact within a quarter. Get some quick wins and build from there.
• Ensure you have a feedback mechanism for customer input and that you check in frequently with your business partners.

My focus is on learning, optimising, and driving impact. Here’s my structured 30-60-90 day approach:

30 Days – Learn & Align

Deep dive into company goals, customers, and key metrics (ARR, GRR, NRR).
Meet stakeholders (CS, Sales, Product, Support) & assess CS playbooks.
Know your team - Listen & Learn
Identify quick wins—engage with top accounts & address renewal risks.

60 Days – Optimise & Engage

Strengthen customer health monitoring & playbooks for onboarding, adoption, outcomes and renewals.
Build alignment with Sales & Product for expansion and feedback loops.
Empower the CS team with training & automation to improve efficiency.
Carve out initiatives and boost morale in the team.

90 Days – Execute & Scale

Implement data-driven engagement strategies to boost retention & expansion.
Establish a Customer Advisory Board (CAB) & enhance VoC programs - leverage Community
Present a long-term CS roadmap with measurable business impact.
Evaluate and Recognise.

Success in CS isn’t a one-time plan/change...it’s an ongoing cycle of learning, improving, and evolving with customers!