I rarely write reviews, but my experience over the past year makes it necessary to share my perspective for anyone considering joining the Customer Success organization.
Until the new Director of Customer Success joined, the team was confident, motivated, and clear about growth paths. The culture was collaborative, managers had autonomy, and individual contributors felt valued. Unfortunately, everything shifted dramatically once new leadership took over.
In my personal experience, the work environment has grown increasingly toxic. Team morale has plummeted, and many of us no longer have clarity or confidence in our roles, our future, or the direction of the department. I’ve worked with multiple directors across different companies, many of whom were true visionaries. I have never encountered a leader who involved themselves so deeply in IC-level career paths while simultaneously being so disconnected from the actual work being done.
Managers no longer have meaningful input on how they rate or reward their own teams—decisions are frequently overridden with little explanation and no observable basis in merit or the KPIs we are supposedly evaluated on. Promotions that were in motion have been halted, people leading strategic initiatives have been removed without context, and recognition appears to fall primarily to a select few who stay in the director’s inner circle. It often feels less like a performance culture and more like a political one.
From what we’ve seen so far, the director has made no effort to build rapport with ICs, understand the challenges we face, or even remain approachable. Feedback channels have been used repeatedly, but nothing changes. The tone is often dismissive or unnecessarily harsh, and many team members now operate in a constant state of uncertainty. Several colleagues—including high performers—have openly begun exploring opportunities elsewhere simply for the sake of peace of mind, not money.
Seeing how internal feedback has been handled gives me little confidence that external reviews will drive any meaningful change. But if you’re evaluating whether to join this CS organization, I strongly suggest doing your homework, asking hard questions, and thinking twice. A once-thriving team has been struggling under leadership that, in my personal experience, prioritizes control over collaboration and optics over substance.
For your own sanity and career growth, proceed with caution.
