Tom Tunguz

MARCH 11, 2020

per quarter in seed, A, B, and C rounds. The Series C was the most recalcitrant to recovery. Series Cs fell from $14M to $8.5M (a 40% drop). In 2008, I had just joined the venture industry, and then Lehman fell. So this was a bit of a trip down memory lane. Let’s look at the data. In 2006, VCs invested about $3.5B

Marketing 333

Marketing Startup Investment Trends 333

Tom Tunguz

JULY 4, 2020

The Seed, Series B, and Series C markets are down 37%, 23%, and 29%, respectively. Series Bs are up 43%, and Series Cs are up by a quarter. These corrections match 2008. On the other hand, the Series A market is up about 10% from the trailing 2 year period previous high. Median round sizes have skyrocketed across all stages.

Marketing 363

Marketing Investment Cloud Startup 363

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

For marketing, it’s increasing leads / opportunities / pipeline in one sales c ycle. It may take longer than 3 months to see your VP of CS impact upsells and net negative churn (although even there, you should see results in one quarter). If you measure NPS and CSAT on Day 1 of your VP of CS. That’s a total failure.

Sales Hiring 355

Sales Hiring Scale Sales Recruiting Engineering 355

Totango

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Totango’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Karen Budell recently joined an episode of the MarTech podcast to discuss the importance of the partnership between marketing and customer success and explain why Chief Customer Officers (CCOs) should have a seat next to CMOs at the C-suite table.

Scale 91

Scale Customer Lifetime Value Acquisition Customer Success 91

SaaStr

MAY 19, 2021

C-corp later, for a variety of governance and tax reasons. For Monday, this was around $30M ARR when they added a sales and CS team in addition to their self-service business. Not all SMB leaders have to be freemium to win. #7. Didn’t “flip” to a U.S. Many SaaS startups that start outside the U.S.

Scale 361

Scale SMB Government Enterprise 361

Tom Tunguz

MAY 5, 2020

It showed that the later rounds, the series B and series C were the most impacted. Meanwhile, Series Cs are flat to up. As, Bs, and Cs median round sizes remained level or grew. By the time a company raises a Series B or C, they have established relationships with later-stage investors. Later rounds are unblemished.

Marketing 158

Marketing Trends Startup Investment 158

Totango

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

By integrating real-time product usage data like pageviews, clicks, and more into Totango’s 360-degree account profile, businesses can more accurately analyze and understand the health of their customers, giving CS teams the insight needed to drive expansion opportunities and reduce churn , ultimately leading to an increase in net revenue retention.

Data 91

Data Finance Enterprise Interviewing 91

SaaStr

OCTOBER 3, 2023

At a C-level you are interviewing the client to identify culture fit, blockers, budget, vision and can you execute, fund and build your strategy.” ” — Peter Armaly, VP of CS at ESG “Agreed. .” ” — Peter Armaly, VP of CS at ESG “Agreed.

Interviewing 229

Interviewing Sales Hiring Sales Recruiting Consulting 229

ChurnZero

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Nearly two-thirds of CS teams added new members this year. However, CS departments remain underfunded, especially when it comes to their tech stack. Based on a detailed survey of more than 1,000 Customer Success leaders, this is the most comprehensive study of the evolving CS landscape to date. report to the CEO, 17.1%

Leadership 98

Leadership Trends Customer Success Investment 98

ChurnZero

MARCH 14, 2023

For years, Customer Success (CS) professionals, and especially CS leaders, have battled the demons of doubt, those forces within their own companies aligned against them. If you spend any time on that app, and you’re connected with CS professionals, it’s probably impossible to escape such commentary in your feed.

Systems Review 98

Systems Review VP of Engineering Scale ChatGPT 98

Totango

JULY 15, 2021

The role of a Chief Customer Officer (CCO) is a fairly new addition to the C-suite, but it has been on the rise over the past several years as companies are better understanding the importance of creating a customer-centric culture within their organizations. Championing a customer-centered mindset within the company.

Sales Hiring 123

Sales Hiring Customer Success Market Research Leadership 123

Totango

JULY 11, 2023

We believe the flexibility and versatility of a composable CS platform is what sets Totango apart, making it easy for customers to get up and running quickly and providing them quick time-to-value. We’re grateful to all the Totango users for sharing their perspectives and support with the G2 community.

Customer Success 82

Customer Success Scale Innovation Forecasting 82

ChurnZero

MARCH 14, 2023

For years, Customer Success (CS) professionals, and especially CS leaders, have battled the demons of doubt—those forces within their own companies aligned against them. If you spend any time on that app, and you’re connected with CS professionals, it’s probably impossible to escape such commentary in your feed.

Systems Review 94

Systems Review VP of Engineering Scale ChatGPT 94

ChurnZero

MARCH 24, 2023

With the emergence of new technologies, market trends, and CS practices, the industry is abuzz with debate and discussion. To explore some of the most controversial topics in CS today and hear what those on either side of the debate have to say, we asked four industry experts to weigh in. 1: Is NPS a Customer Success metric?

Customer Success 98

Customer Success Technical Review Systems Review Metrics 98

ChurnZero

MARCH 24, 2023

With the emergence of new technologies, market trends, and CS practices, the industry is abuzz with debate and discussion. To explore some of the most controversial topics in CS today and hear what those on either side of the debate have to say, we asked four industry experts to weigh in. 1: Is NPS a Customer Success metric?

Customer Success 97

Customer Success Technical Review Systems Review Metrics 97

Tom Tunguz

JULY 22, 2018

Median round sizes have increased from 2009 dramatically across seed and Series A-C. And in 2013, the Series B median surpassed the 2009 Series C median. Through the lens of history, they look more like Bs and Cs. Or a large enough Series A to go straight to the Series C. Two blocks of the ladder have flipped.

Startup 162

Startup Finance Marketing Trends 162

Totango

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

As a leader in customer success, who’s your friend in the C-suite? Broker strong C-suite partners (especially with the CFO) Here’s the reality: growth is hard; acquisition is expensive; retention is a cross-functional effort. Is the customer journey mapping exercise a worthwhile effort? We hope so! At Totango Live!

Customer Success 97

Customer Success Construction Customer Lifetime Value Leadership 97

ChurnZero

NOVEMBER 18, 2022

And yet, downplaying your team’s needs undermines CS’s current impact and future revenue-driving potential. According to our 2022 Customer Success Leadership Study, CS teams are already underfunded and under-resourced. Q: What words, KPIs, and numbers do the C-suite and board love to hear? I’m not interested in that.

Customer Success 98

Customer Success Sales Hiring Headcount Scale 98

ChurnZero

JANUARY 11, 2024

Survey data on 2020 customer success budgets Economic context: C oronavirus gripped the U.S. More resources on customer success budgeting Webinar: What’s next for CS? Many Americans saw empty grocery store shelves for the first time. Fuel prices plummeted as workers stayed home to help “flatten the curve” of viral infection.

Headcount 52

Headcount SaaS Leadership Benchmarks 52

Tom Tunguz

JULY 15, 2017

But the real drivers in the fall of San Francisco’s overall numbers are the 66% and 75% falls of Series C and Series D. The second is that the wave of companies born in the early 2010s that needed to raise large Cs and Ds have already done so. Series As and Cs are roughly similar.

Investment 199

Investment Startup Venture Capital Trends 199

ChurnZero

NOVEMBER 4, 2022

Here are 10 takeaways for recession-proofing CS. To get your CS team to look outside of themselves and flex their empathy, coach them on how to interact with customers, especially when it involves delivering undesirable news. If you get in that position,” says Alex, “you’re truly indispensable as a CS leader or CSM.”.

Customer Success 98

Customer Success Scale SaaS Finance 98

ChurnZero

MARCH 10, 2022

Customer Success communities are the discerning CS professionals’ secret weapon. Customer Success Network is a Customer Success community for CS professionals globally to network, to share best practices and to grow. The right community can help you: Connect and collaborate with fellow Customer Success professionals.

Customer Success 98

Customer Success Leadership Consulting Trends 98

SaaStr

JANUARY 12, 2022

“For large enterprise customers, your stakeholder map is almost always too small” — Alex Farmer, VP CS, Cognite Data. 5M in ARR b/c we were too small a co and compliance dept blocked renewal (shoulda raised price I guess…) ” — Jared Hansen, CEO Thrilling Foods. isn’t enough in the enterprise.

CTO Hire 281

CTO Hire Sales Hiring New CTO CTO 281

ChurnZero

JUNE 14, 2023

It’s a company-wide goal, but the team in the spotlight is customer success (CS). Also, look for a platform that non-CS people can leverage to meet their specific needs. Does your CS team have a dedicated operations role yet? A good CS operations person will keep you on the road. Who drives retention? While 83.1%

Scale 52

Scale Customer Success Technical Review Sales Hiring 52

ChurnZero

DECEMBER 20, 2019

T hat’s why we asked some of the top Customer Success (CS) leaders to share their industry predictions for 2020. Popular predictions include CS and Product becoming the new power couple, product features taking a back seat to tangible results, and CS facing existential questions of their larger purpose within the organization.

Customer Success 80

Customer Success Scale Technical Review Sales Hiring 80

Valuize Consulting

MAY 26, 2022

They empower their Customer Success (CS) team with the right tools, processes and playbooks to drive maximum customer value. Properly Invest In Your CS Operations Function. From our experience, a costly mistake that leaders often make is under-investing in CS Operations. . Luckily, that’s exactly what we’re striving to change.

Technical Review 52

Technical Review Scale Systems Review Customer Success 52

Totango

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

Any CS team member knows that happy customers make for a thriving enterprise, but the same cannot always be said for C-level executives or your board of directors. Best Practices for CS Reporting to Executives. Some tips for presenting CS data to executives: Lead with KPIs. How you present that data also matters.

Customer Success 72

Customer Success Business Forecasting Onboarding 72

Tom Tunguz

APRIL 25, 2016

The number of Series A, B, C, and D investments in software companies stabilized at roughly 170 per quarter from mid-2013 through mid-2015, before falling 17% in Q4 2015 to a two year low. Series Bs and Series Cs are flat. As the overall venture market environment evolves in 2016, so too does the SaaS and Software segment.

Marketing 100

Marketing SaaS Investment Startup 100

CustomerSuccessBox

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

Customer Success (CS) teams are going through a difficult transition in the subscription economy developing out of the ill-fitting garments that never offered them the right fit and trust in their ability to take ownership of their part in the customer relationship. The 6 Steps to the C-Suite Leaders Engagement. Keep the goal in mind.

Software Review 52

Software Review Customer Success Software Technical Review 52

ChurnZero

OCTOBER 15, 2021

Customer Success gradually, then suddenly, joined the C-suite. As a CS leader, you should be ready to explain and back up your NRR. But for this mutually beneficial relationship to happen, there needs to be a mindset shift among CS leaders. When you’re a large business, 80% of revenue comes from CS. NRR is your friend.

Customer Success 97

Customer Success Benchmarks Scale Underperforming Technical Team 97

Tom Tunguz

OCTOBER 7, 2014

Above, I’ve plotted the mean and median investment amounts for Series As, Bs, and Cs from 2006 to through September of 2014 in the US, as reported by Crunchbase data. Second, Series C sizes have ballooned. The median C round is 2014 is twice as large as the median 2009. The data reveals three trends.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Trends 100

ChurnZero

DECEMBER 9, 2022

Additionally, “leapfrog” candidates—those who come from a level below the C-suite, such as senior vice presidents—now make up roughly 5% of new chief execs. As CS leaders, you’re in the catbird seat to solve the hardest problems because you have the nexus between the product and the market need.

CTO Coach 52

CTO Coach Customer Success VP of Engineering CTO Hire 52

Valuize Consulting

JUNE 9, 2022

Are You Missing The Mark On CS Operations? Customer Success Operations is an exploding domain within the realm of Customer Success (CS) yet few companies are leveraging this function to its full potential. More often than not, CS Operations is a dispersed function with Director-level and below folks.

Sales Hiring 52

Sales Hiring Customer Success Scale Leadership 52

ChurnZero

MARCH 10, 2022

Customer Success communities are the discerning CS professionals’ secret weapon. Customer Success Network Customer Success Network is a Customer Success community for CS professionals globally to network, to share best practices and to grow. While established out of London, they welcome people from everywhere.

Customer Success 52

Customer Success Leadership Consulting Trends 52

SaaStr

MARCH 7, 2021

The team approach wasn’t a total failure, and it ensured all our partners got VP or C-level support. Having CS hack customer marketing may be OK in the early days, but you are leaving a lot on the table if you have CS own it after $5m ARR or so. But it also meant no one really owned partners strategically.

Part-Time VPE 268

Part-Time VPE Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Scale 268

FastSpring

JANUARY 26, 2024

With years of experience at managing customer success (CS), Jake Dipple knows how important it is to foster collaboration between businesses and their customers. How CS impacts your ARR, product value, and marketing. So how do we get them from A to B to C to ultimately X? And much more! Jump to highlights.

Customer Success 144

Customer Success VP of Engineering Payments Payment Methods 144

Valuize Consulting

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

The Customer Success (CS) function has only recently broken through the glass ceiling and joined the C-Suite table. In this journey, NDR has played a pivotal role in helping CS secure their spot. Firstly, it gave CS leaders a clear and well-established identity and ownership of an important metric.

Retention 52

Retention Metrics B2B Customer Success 52