[Un]Churned – The No. 1 Podcast for Customer Retention

Gainsight
  • 5.0 (96)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

If you're experimenting with automation, questioning the traditional post-sales model, or trying to drive more value with less headcount, you're in the right place. AI won’t fix churn, but these conversations might. Retention is the new growth & AI is rewriting the rules. Hosted by Josh Schachter, SVP of Atlas at Gainsight, [Un]Churned—the No. 1 podcast for retention and Customer Success leaders—features real talk with the sharpest minds in the Customer Success space. We dig into how teams are scaling smarter, activating AI agents, and redesigning the customer journey for lasting impact.

  1. Inside SAP’s Scaled Customer Success Strategy ft. Carsten Schütz (SAP)

    5D AGO

    Inside SAP’s Scaled Customer Success Strategy ft. Carsten Schütz (SAP)

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned In this episode of Unchurned, Jenny Calvert sits down with Carsten Schütz, VP & Global Head of Scaled CS at SAP, to talk about how modern CS teams must evolve to serve thousands of customers without losing the human touch. Carsten shares how his journey from startup CSM to SAP executive reshaped his thinking about scale, specialization, and the real role of AI in customer success. The conversation dives deep into why the traditional “hire more CSMs” model doesn’t work anymore, how AI agents can support the long tail of customers, and why product usage data—not just sentiment—is the future of customer health. One of the biggest takeaways: AI isn’t replacing customer success. It’s enabling teams to finally support the majority of customers who currently receive little to no human interaction. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:55 - Meet Carsten Schütz 4:25 - The real answer to the generalist vs specialist debate 6:20 - What customers actually want from their CSMs 7:57 - What makes a truly valuable QBR 9:18 - Why AI is essential for the 80% of customers at scale 11:08 - The importance of keeping the human touch 12:02 - Using AI to drive adoption, detect risk, and churn prevention 13:55 - Why product usage data is critical for customer health 16:28 - What CS leaders should look for when hiring today 19:04 - How AI is changing how younger professionals work 20:55 - “This is the worst AI will ever be.” 21:48 - Q4 renewal strategy and human connection 23:33 - Why in-person conferences still matter --- What You’ll Learn * Why 80% of customers require a scalable CS strategy * Why the generalist vs specialist debate is the wrong question * How product usage data reveals hidden churn risks * Why CS teams must think beyond 1-to-1 engagement * How to scale digital engagement without losing human connection * Why the future of CS is human-first, AI-powered --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find Carsten Schütz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carstenschuetz/ --- Where to Find Jenny: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycalvert/ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    25 min
  2. How This Ex-CRO Is Making CS Impossible to Ignore ft. Manish Chawla (PowerSchool)

    MAR 4

    How This Ex-CRO Is Making CS Impossible to Ignore ft. Manish Chawla (PowerSchool)

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Customer Success doesn’t become mission-critical because you say it is. It becomes mission-critical when it owns revenue. In this episode of Unchurned, Josh Schachter sits down with Manish Chawla, CCO at PowerSchool, to talk about what it actually takes to make CS essential — to customers and to the company. Manish doesn’t come from traditional CS. He’s been a CRO. A GM. He learned that the only truth that matters is what the customer believes. Now he’s applying that lens to CS. At PowerSchool, CSMs don’t just manage relationships. They carry GRR and expansion targets. AI isn’t a premium add-on — it’s table stakes. And cost-to-serve must go down while customer experience goes up. This isn’t theory. It’s operational. If Customer Success isn’t tied directly to profit, it risks becoming optional. And optional doesn’t survive. This episode is for operators who want CS at the revenue table — not watching from the sidelines. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 1:25 - Meet Manish Chawla & Overview of PowerSchool 3:35 - From consulting to CRO to CCO 6:13 - Why execution matters more than strategy 8:35 - Bringing a commercial mindset to Customer Success 10:52 - Should CSMs carry revenue? (GRR & expansion targets) 16:20 - Making CS mission-critical inside the company 17:42 - Cost-to-serve: Driving efficiency without hurting CX 18:50 - Scaling through digital CS. partner & ecosystems 21:25 - Designing CS for K-12 and vertical SaaS 28:30 - AI is table stakes (and customers won’t pay extra) 30:51 - Using AI internally to increase productivity 32:25 - Building a CS engineering team 35:45 - Becoming essential to customers --- What You’ll Learn * Why CSMs carry GRR and expansion targets — not just NPS * Why AI is table stakes (and why customers won’t pay extra for it) * How to lower cost-to-serve without lowering experience * How to tie CS directly to the CEO’s revenue equation * Why vertical SaaS demands deep domain fluency in CS hiring * How to position the CSM as the COO to the AE’s CEO --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find the Guests Manish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishchawla1/ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    38 min
  3. How We Turn Churn Into Comebacks (The Revenue Hiding Inside Your Churn) ft. Eleanora White (Supermetrics)

    FEB 27

    How We Turn Churn Into Comebacks (The Revenue Hiding Inside Your Churn) ft. Eleanora White (Supermetrics)

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Is the future CSM a generalist empowered by specialist AI agents? Live from Pulse Europe, Eleanora White, Global Head of CS & Solutions Architects at Supermetrics, joins Jenny Calvert to break down how her team is operationalizing Agentic AI inside customer success. From internal AI agents that reduce friction… To customer-facing automation at scale… To autonomous agents that challenge and pressure-test insights… Supermetrics is building a 3-phase AI roadmap that reshapes how CSMs work — without replacing the human relationship. If you’re working on AI adoption or retention strategy — this episode is your blueprint. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:40 - Meet Eleanora White 1:10 - AI as a Team Member 3:39 - Supermetrics’ 3-Phase AI Strategy 5:38 - Removing Friction with Internal AI 6:49 - The Future CSM Profile 9:00 - Hitting GRR Targets in Q4 11:03 - The “Stay-Alive” Retention Strategy 13:15 - Win-Back Metrics & LTV 14:27 - What’s Next for 2026 --- What You’ll Learn * Why the best CSMs will become AI-powered generalists * How to structure CS teams in the agentic era * How Agentic AI can serve CSMs internally before customers * The “stay-alive contract” retention strategy to increase long-term LTV * How to win customers back without hurting GRR * Why discovery is the most underrated CSM skill --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find the Guests Eleanora's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanora-white/ --- Where to Find Jenny: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycalvert/ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    16 min
  4. B2B Communities Aren't Dead, Your Outdated Metrics Are ft.Jon Wishart & Brian Oblinger

    FEB 25

    B2B Communities Aren't Dead, Your Outdated Metrics Are ft.Jon Wishart & Brian Oblinger

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Is community in B2B SaaS a cost center — or a growth engine hiding in plain sight? In this episode of Unchurned, Josh Schachter sits down with Jon Wishart and community strategist Brian Oblinger to break down what community really means beyond vanity metrics and buzzwords. They explore how community drives retention (GRR), expansion, and customer success — and why most companies are measuring it wrong. Plus, they unpack how AI is reshaping search, traffic, and discoverability, and why declining pageviews don’t mean declining value. If you’re building, scaling, or rethinking your community strategy, this episode will change how you think about impact — and the future of customer connection. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 1:45 - Meet Jon Wishart & Brian Oblinger 7:56 - What community in B2B SaaS actually is 9:00 - The “eras” of community ownership (Support → CS → Marketing → Product) 12:30 - Is community a cost center? And measuring impact 18:15 - The CFO conversation: investment vs expense 19:35 - AI, traffic declines, and community panic 21:30 - Why AI isn’t killing community 26:42 - The shift from “How do I?” to “How do we?” 30:40 - How community impacts feature development strategy 33:13 - Starting from zero: advice for new community builders --- What You’ll Learn * The core definition of community in B2B SaaS (without the fluff) * How community drives retention, expansion, and lower support costs * Why operational metrics (posts, members, pageviews) are outdated * How to measure community’s business impact using cohort analysis * What AI is really doing to search traffic and discoverability * Why declining traffic doesn’t mean declining value * How to future-proof your community strategy * The fundamentals every new community leader must get right --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find the Guests Brian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-wishart/ Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-wishart/ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    38 min
  5. 75% of SaaS Companies Will Disappear ft. Brett Queener (Bonfire Ventures)

    FEB 20

    75% of SaaS Companies Will Disappear ft. Brett Queener (Bonfire Ventures)

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned 18 months ago, venture capitalist Brett Queener made a bold prediction: 75% of customer-facing software companies would disappear. Now he’s back—with receipts. On this episode of Unchurned, Brett explains why traditional SaaS moats have collapsed, why “system of record” is no longer defensible, and why we’ve entered a new era of agentic software—where you don’t buy tools anymore… You hire them. Brett introduces what he calls the Judgment Layer—the only remaining defensible advantage in AI-powered products. In a world where agents can build, code, write, and self-organize, your job shifts from operator to manager. And your product’s job shifts from workflow engine to embedded judgment engine. If you build, invest in, or buy software, this episode is required listening. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 2:15 - From GPT moment to Agents 4:02 - Survival in the AI era 6:50 - Meet Brett 8:00 - Why SaaS moats disappeared 10:40 - The Judgment Layer explained & Feedback loops 13:58 - Hiring software vs. buying software --- What You’ll Learn * Why most SaaS companies are now replaceable * Why embedded judgment is more valuable than workflow automation * The new decision framework for buy vs. build * Why the humanities may outperform pure STEM in the AI era * What founders must build to remain defensible --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find Brett Queener LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/ Substack Article: https://queener.substack.com/p/in-the-end-it-may-just-be-judgement Bonfire Ventures: https://www.bonfirevc.com/ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    16 min
  6. What Consumption-Based CS Looks Like Inside a $100B Company ft. Jared Collins (Dell)

    FEB 18

    What Consumption-Based CS Looks Like Inside a $100B Company ft. Jared Collins (Dell)

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned What happens when you bring consumption-based customer success into a company? In this episode of Unchurned, Jared Collins, Senior Director of Customer Success at Dell Technologies, shares how the Apex team is building a modern CS engine inside a $100B infrastructure giant. Unlike SaaS companies that can deploy value instantly, Dell Apex operates in a world of physical logistics, supply chain constraints, and long hardware lead times. That means customer success isn’t just about adoption — it’s about anticipation. Jared breaks down how his team connects data sources across the enterprise, builds trigger-based playbooks, partners deeply with sales, and prepares for an AI-driven future where customer signals surface before customers even recognize the need. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 1:25 - Meet Jared Collins & Overview of Dell Apex 3:55 - The operational reality of shipping infrastructure 5:52 - Why CS must anticipate months ahead (lead times + forecasting) 8:20 - Working inside a $100B company: complexity vs opportunity 9:53 - Enabling CSMs for success to build strategic relationships 11:20 - Becoming data strategists: Building health scores across multiple business units 13:15 - Data → Triggers → Playbooks: the operational CS framework 16:46 - AI in CS: why foundations matter more than hype 19:20 - What success looks like for Apex CS in the next 1–2 years 21:55 - What Jared loves about Dell --- What You’ll Learn * Why hardware logistics fundamentally changes how CS operates * How to build proactive CS using data triggers and standardized playbooks * How to integrate CS inside a massive enterprise organization * The difference between CapEx and consumption-based thinking * Why AI only works if your data foundations are clean * How to free CSMs to focus on strategic relationship-building * What “good” looks like for CS inside infrastructure businesses --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find Jared Collins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredrcollins/ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    25 min
  7. A Masterclass in Category Creation from the Leaders at Gong and Gainsight ft. Udi Ledergor (Gong) & Lauren Olerich (Gainsight)

    FEB 11

    A Masterclass in Category Creation from the Leaders at Gong and Gainsight ft. Udi Ledergor (Gong) & Lauren Olerich (Gainsight)

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Udi Ledergor joined Gong as employee #13 and marketer #1, helping build it from a 12-person startup to a category-defining revenue intelligence leader. As Chief Evangelist and author of "Courageous Marketing," he's learned one hard truth: if you don't have product-market-fit, no amount of marketing genius will save you. In this conversation with Josh Schachter and Lauren Olerich, Udi shares the real indicators of product-market-fit, when companies should actually hire their first marketer, and how Gong evolved through multiple category iterations—from conversation intelligence to their current positioning as an AI operating system for revenue teams. The discussion digs into Gong's "brand as person" exercise that created consistency across everything from content voice to event experiences, why data-driven content about salespeople cursing went viral, and the value of leaving raving fans everywhere you go. Udi's 27-year working relationship with Gong's CEO proves that burning bridges is career suicide in a small industry. For anyone building brands, creating categories, or wondering if their startup is ready for marketing investment, this episode cuts through the fluff with practical frameworks and hard-won lessons. --- Do you love great TV? Lauren co-hosts a podcast about popular TV show finales called The Finale Pod. Take a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:54 - Meet Udi Ledergor and Lauren Olerich 4:00 - Udi's early journey at Gong 7:00 - When should you hire your first marketer? 10:55 - Lauren's early journey at Gainsight 14:00 - How Gong created the revenue intelligence category in 2019 22:58 - Diamond is forever 28:10 - Pulse predates Gainsight 32:17 - Early struggle at Gainsight 33:40 - The importance of domain expertise 41:52 - Brand as human: The exercise that creates consistency across everything --- What You’ll Learn * Evaluating product-market-fit for marketing to succeed * How to create consistent tone across content, events, and category positioning * Real tactics behind building and evolving categories across 10 years * Why leaving raving fans at every company matters more than titles * How a 27-year working relationship led to employee #13 becoming Chief Evangelist * How data-driven content can go viral while staying perfectly on-brand * When to publish the controversial insights your competitors are too afraid to share --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find Udi Ledergor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/ Book "Courageous Marketing": https://www.udiledergor.com/book Where to Find Lauren Olereich LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenolerich/ The Finale Pod: Apple Podcasts⁠ | Spotify⁠ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    49 min

  8. FEB 6

    How Do You Measure AI Proficiency in Your CS Team? ft. Guy Galon (Obrela)

    Ready to churn less and win more? 🏆 Subscribe for a simple, once-a-month rundown of the episodes at gainsight.com/unchurned Guy Galon, CCO at Obrela, joins Jenny Calvert at Pulse Europe in Dublin to discuss how he's transforming CS hiring and operations for the AI era. In this conversation, Guy explains how he measures AI capability in his team, why he's building some AI tools internally at a cybersecurity company, and his three big bets for AI in 2026. Guy tackles the generalist vs. specialist debate, explains why his technical background as a software engineer helped him earn credibility as a CS leader, and explores the emerging question: What does it mean to manage AI agents? From performance reviews for bots to getting CS leaders a real seat at the revenue forecasting table, this conversation covers the practical and philosophical challenges of leading customer success in 2026. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:54 - Meet Guy Galon, CCO at Obrela 2:27 - The Generalist vs. Specialist Debate in the Age of AI 3:35 - The Multifaceted CSM Framework: Origins and Evolution 4:47 - How to Measure AI Proficiency 6:05 - 2026 AI Strategy 8:03 - What Changes When AI Delivers on These Three Promises 9:41 - Q4 Advice: Think in 8-10 Weeks, Not 12 11:30 - Getting CS a Seat at the Revenue Forecasting Table 13:00 - The Human Element AI Can't Replace: Trust and Influence 14:14 - The Future of Managing AI Agents --- What You’ll Learn * How the Multifaceted CSM Framework helps identify talent across five key capability areas * How to balance AI innovation with data compliance in highly regulated industries like cybersecurity * How to move CS from execution-focused roles to strategic contributors in revenue forecasting * The difference between building internal AI capabilities vs. using external tools in customer success * What it might look like to manage AI agents in the future (priorities, objectives, performance reviews) --- Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com. --- Where to Find Guy Galon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-galon-b1a80/ --- Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/ Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

    16 min
See All (187)

5
out of 5
96 Ratings

About

If you're experimenting with automation, questioning the traditional post-sales model, or trying to drive more value with less headcount, you're in the right place. AI won’t fix churn, but these conversations might. Retention is the new growth & AI is rewriting the rules. Hosted by Josh Schachter, SVP of Atlas at Gainsight, [Un]Churned—the No. 1 podcast for retention and Customer Success leaders—features real talk with the sharpest minds in the Customer Success space. We dig into how teams are scaling smarter, activating AI agents, and redesigning the customer journey for lasting impact.

Information

You Might Also Like