Customer Success Summit: Key Takeaways

At Forestay’s recent Customer Success Summit, operators and investors came together to share lessons from the frontlines of post-sales excellence. The conversations reinforced one central theme: Customer Success is a core growth engine.

In B2B SaaS, Customer Success (CS) is often underestimated as a revenue and profit lever. When optimized, CS becomes a strategic driver of exponential growth. High-performing CS teams help companies evolve from founder-led renewals to scalable, outcome-focused processes that unlock rapid ARR acceleration.

CS directly drives Net Revenue Retention (NRR) – a core metric for investors and public markets. Strong CS programs shorten implementation cycles, speed up revenue recognition, and generate expansion and referral opportunities that reduce overall customer acquisition costs.

Key Takeaways:

1. Not All Churn Is Bad

As companies scale, churn should be viewed through a more nuanced lens. Not every departing customer is a failure. Some may no longer align with the evolving Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), or simply aren’t economically viable to serve. Recognizing and accepting “good churn” can be a sign of focus, maturity, and strategic discipline.

2. Signals of Risk for CS Teams

To stay ahead, CS teams need to monitor key indicators that signal trouble:

• Slow deployment and delayed time-to-value (TTV).

• Low product adoption or usage proficiency.

• Weak customer advocacy.

• Stagnant or declining renewals and expansion.

• Gaps in CS team expertise.

• Misaligned sales bringing in non-ICP customers with no long-term potential.

• Product issues that undermine perceived value.

These red flags should trigger fast intervention — and often point to upstream issues in sales, onboarding, or product fit.

3. The Convergence of AM and CSM

Account Management (AM) and Customer Success Management (CSM) are increasingly converging into one strategic, unified function responsible for both retention and expansion. This convergence reflects the need for seamless, continuous value delivery across the customer lifecycle.

4. One Continuous Sales Motion

The best companies no longer think in terms of “pre-sale” vs. “post-sale.” Instead, they build for a continuous sales motion – always adding value, always expanding. For this to work, Customer Success needs to own a revenue number, be organized for growth, and collaborate tightly with sales from day one.

Skills, territories, and incentives must mirror across Sales and CS to ensure aligned execution. From the hand-off between Account Executives (AEs) and CSMs to long-term account growth, the customer journey should feel seamless.

5. Retention First, Then Expansion

You can’t grow an account you don’t retain. The first year post-sale is critical – it’s where CS earns the right to expand. This period is about delivering fast value, building trust, and identifying champions. Done well, it creates the foundation for long-term growth and deep customer loyalty.

Ultimately, what “very good” looks like is a Customer Success function that is embedded in revenue strategy, aligned with Sales and Product, and built for continuous motion. As SaaS businesses evolve, so too must its mindset around Customer Success – from a support function to a strategic growth engine.

We are keen to hear your thoughts and whether this matches your experiences in Customer Success. Equally, if you’re building enterprise tooling for Customer Success, we would love to hear from you. Reach out to a member of the Forestay team or drop us a message at contact@forestay.vc.