What framework do you use when assessing a new opportunity at a different company?

While I have been at HubSpot for a long time (13+ years), many opportunities have come up over time that I have had to assess new opportunities. Here are the things I tend to look at when considering a role; Market Evolution Size and growth potential of the market the company plays in Stage of evolution : is this a horizon that is in its late stages or on the cutting edge? Potential : is this a single product/one trick pony or do Product Do customers love their product/service? Who are their com ...Read More

The most important things to consider when assessing a new opportunity with a different company are: The company's trajectory. Is there a viable path to success for the organization, and are you comfortable with that path? (i.e. are they profitable? If not, what level of ambiguity works for you?) The definition of Customer Success at the company. With Customer Success being a relatively new field, the term can be used in a lot of different ways. It's really important to make sure the company's d ...Read More

I don’t have a go-to framework for assessing a new opportunity but it is VERY important to get clear on what you value as a person and an employee when assessing a new company for fit. With regards to Customer Success - some of the things I inspect: Who does the CS team report up to? It can depend on the stage and size of the company but  you may find Customer Success organizations that report into a CRO or CEO, while others have a CCO. In either case, It’s important to understand how the organi ...Read More

Product: Is the product something I will be excited about? Ultimately, a CSM's role is to drive value through Product. If you are not convinced about the impact of the product, how will you convince others? Process: Are there tools and processes in place for the CS organization? Do they have a CCO or is CS under Sales, CFO, COO or Support? Having a CCO indicates that the CEO truly cares about CS and is invested long-term in the CS organization. Tools: Do I have the tools to do my job well? Do th ...Read More

If you enjoy what you do and why you do it, you’ll do it better and you’ll do better. Here are some questions to ask yourself when consider a new role: Do I feel good about what I would be doing in this role? Do I feel good about the company I would be working for? Maybe it’s in an industry that you’re interested in, or maybe it’s something that helps shape the sort of world you want to live in - whatever it is, make sure you feel good about it. If you believe in the company you are working for, ...Read More

Business Model. For me the company should be a SaaS based company. I.e. selling cloud-based software for a subscription fee. If the company is hybrid i.e. has some older products that are still perpetual / on prem but mostly moving to SaaS then that is for the most part acceptable. Is the company's philosophy and strategy of Customer Success aligned with my own. I would also assess the maturity level of the Customer Success Organization and where it reports into. Ideally Customer Success reports ...Read More