[Topline #46] A New Era in CS: Catalyst CEO Edward Chiu on their Merger with Totango

Edward Chiu, CEO of Catalyst, breaks the news of their merger with Totango, another leading Customer Success platform. Edward sheds light on what led to this decision and the broader implications this merger will have on the Customer Success landscape. Get an in-depth look at Catalyst's approach to nurturing innovation and driving customer value.

In this episode, our hosts and guest discuss:

• • 2:11 - Edward shares the news of Catayst’s merger with Totango, including the genesis of the merger and the larger impact the Catalyst and Totango marriage has on the future of Customer Success
  • 7:32 - Our hosts and Edward discuss the state of Customer Success as well as optionality and strategic choices when considering M&A 
  • 12:40 - The mechanics and organizational structure of the Catalyst x Totango merger and how they kept it a secret
  • 20:09 - Edward's insights on the future of Customer Success when considering transformations from last year, such as Snowflake's decision to part ways with all CS personnel.
  • 26:53 - A continued conversation on M&A optionality and strategic choices focusing on positioning and the time/forethought required to execute a merger
  • 35:54 - The impact M&A has on sales cycles and buying habits, as well as challenges with Customer Success
  • 49:56 - A discussion on Sam’s recent controversial LinkedIn posts regarding how CAC increases as you scale your business and convincing your CEO that revenue targets are unrealistic

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