Everyone is talking about AI as the next growth engine in SaaS.

But AI is also exposing something much more uncomfortable: a growing trust problem between vendors and customers.

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth with The Jasons, we’re joined by Catherine Dowden-King, a community creator working with senior data, analytics, digital and AI leaders. Catherine helps leaders become more visible, credible and connected through honest conversation, community and clearer communication around data and AI.

We explore why trust is no longer a soft concept in SaaS. It now directly affects adoption, retention, renewal, expansion and growth.

Customers are being asked to trust more claims, more data, more automation and more AI-driven decisions they cannot always see or explain. That makes clarity, credibility and value proof more important than ever.

In this episode, we discuss:

• why AI is exposing trust gaps that already existed in SaaS
• how vague AI messaging damages customer confidence
• why buyers often trust people and peer communities more than brands
• where sales, product and customer success unintentionally erode trust
• why transparency around data and AI matters
• how trust affects adoption, renewal and expansion
• what SaaS leaders should do differently in an AI-first market

This is not a conversation about AI features.

It is about what happens when customers stop believing you.

Most SaaS companies say they understand the 80/20 principle.

Far fewer use it to make better decisions about Customer Success, retention and growth.

The result is predictable. Teams spread effort evenly across the customer base. High-value customers are often under-supported. Lower-value customers consume disproportionate time, attention and resource.

That might feel fair.

But it can quietly damage growth.

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth, we speak with Christine Day, growth strategist and founder of Results 2Day, about why treating every customer the same is a costly mistake.

We explore how SaaS leaders can use better customer segmentation, real customer data and sharper prioritisation to improve retention, expansion and post-sale growth.

We discuss:

• Why MRR and deal size alone can be misleading
• How to identify high-value customers using real data
• Why SaaS companies struggle to operationalise the 80/20 principle
• What leaders should stop doing immediately
• What to do with the "other 80%"
• How smarter prioritisation improves retention and expansion

This is a practical conversation for SaaS CEOs, CROs, CCOs and Customer Success leaders who want to focus resources where they create the greatest commercial value.

Connect with Christine on LinkedIn

Go to the Result2Day site for more details

Find out about Christine's book

Click here for more information on 80/20 Growth Strategy

Most SaaS platforms have spent the last few years adding payments. But payments alone are no longer the breakthrough.

They are the baseline.

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth, we speak with Patrick O’Donnell, Global Commercial Director for Payments and Embedded Finance at Phorest Salon Software, about what comes next for vertical SaaS platforms.

Pat has spent 25 years in payments across Citi, Mastercard and dLocal. He is now building payment and financial capabilities inside a vertical SaaS business, giving him a practical view of where embedded finance creates real customer value.

We explore why payments have become table stakes, what financial friction customers still face and how vertical SaaS companies can use data, trust and customer context to create better financial experiences.

We discuss:

• Why payments are now expected, not differentiating
• Where embedded finance creates value beyond monetisation
• How vertical SaaS platforms can reduce financial friction for customers
• Why customer trust matters when adding financial products
• How data can unlock better customer experiences
• What customers should be able to do tomorrow that they cannot do today

This is a practical conversation for SaaS CEOs, CROs, CCOs, product leaders and payments teams thinking about embedded finance, customer value and the next stage of SaaS growth.

Connect with Pat on LinkedIn

Is AI killing SaaS, or is it exposing products that were always more convenience than substance?

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth, The Jasons explore what AI really changes in SaaS and what it does not.

The market is nervous. Some SaaS categories look vulnerable. Many products are being challenged by AI agents, automation and lower switching costs.

But not every SaaS business is equally exposed.

Systems of record, process depth, workflow ownership, customer trust and embedded business value still matter. Possibly more than ever.

We discuss:

• Why AI is forcing SaaS leaders to rethink defensibility
• Which SaaS categories are most vulnerable
• Why convenience-led products may struggle
• Why systems of record still matter
• How CRM, adoption and agentic AI change the debate
• Where SaaS companies can still build durable value

This is a practical conversation for SaaS CEOs, founders, product leaders, CROs, CCOs and Customer Success leaders trying to understand where AI creates risk, where it creates opportunity and what stronger SaaS businesses need to prove next.

Customer Success was built for a different phase of SaaS.

It helped companies improve adoption, protect renewals and support customers after the sale.

But the market has changed.

Budgets are tighter. CFO scrutiny is higher. Buyers expect clearer ROI. SaaS companies can no longer rely on adoption activity and relationship management as proof of value.

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth, Jason Whitehead and Jason Noble explore whether Customer Success is evolving into something bigger: Customer Growth.

We discuss what this shift really means for SaaS companies, including how teams move from activity-based customer relationships to outcome-driven value creation, from defending renewals to driving expansion and from support-style engagement to a commercially confident growth engine.

We cover:

• Why the original Customer Success model is under pressure
• How the SaaS subscription model changed vendor accountability
• Why adoption alone is no longer enough
• How Customer Success can drive retention, expansion and NRR
• Why metrics, incentives and ownership need to evolve
• How Sales, CS, Product and Finance need to align around customer value

The breakthrough challenge:

If your sales team stopped selling tomorrow, would your existing customers grow your business, or would revenue slowly decline?

This is a practical episode for SaaS CEOs, CROs, CCOs and Customer Success leaders who want to turn post-sale execution into a real growth engine.

Revenue is a team sport.

So why do so many SaaS companies still run Sales Kickoff as if revenue belongs to Sales alone?

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth, Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead are joined by Kristi Faltorusso to explore the shift from Sales Kickoff to Revenue Kickoff.

This is not about changing the name of an event.

It is about changing how SaaS companies align teams around revenue, retention, expansion and customer value.

We discuss what real revenue alignment looks like across Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Services and Support, and why too many companies invite CS into the room without truly integrating them into the strategy.

We cover:

• Why Sales Kickoff can reinforce the wrong behaviours
• What Revenue Kickoff should mean in a SaaS business
• How to align Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Services and Support
• Why retention and expansion need to be part of revenue planning
• How shared metrics, incentives and enablement change the conversation
• What leadership teams need to do differently

This is a practical conversation for SaaS CEOs, CROs, CCOs, Revenue leaders and Customer Success leaders who want to build a genuinely revenue-aligned business.

Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn

Is AI making SaaS churn worse, or is it exposing weak customer value that was already there?

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth, Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead are joined by Josh Schachter, SVP of AI Strategy & Market Development at Gainsight and host of the Unchurned podcast, to explore what is really putting SaaS retention under pressure.

The conversation covers why AI is changing customer expectations, how build versus buy is becoming a bigger threat and why tighter financial scrutiny is changing renewal conversations.

We also discuss what Customer Success needs to do differently if it wants to protect GRR, improve retention and remain commercially relevant in the AI era.

We cover:

• Whether AI is increasing churn risk or exposing weak value
• Why build versus buy is becoming a bigger issue for SaaS vendors
• How CFO scrutiny is changing renewal conversations
• Why GRR is under pressure
• What Customer Success must do differently to protect retention
• How SaaS leaders can prove value more clearly in the AI era

This is a practical conversation for SaaS CEOs, CROs, CCOs, Customer Success leaders and revenue teams trying to understand what really threatens retention and what to do about it.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn:

AI is changing Customer Success.

As automation takes on more admin, reporting and repetitive work, the CSM role is shifting. Staying busy is no longer enough.

In this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth, Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead are joined by Chad Horenfeldt, one of the most recognised voices in Customer Success, to explore what strategic Customer Success really looks like in the AI era.

We discuss how CSMs can move beyond product usage, adoption metrics and reactive account management, and become more focused on business outcomes, executive conversations and measurable customer value.

We cover:

• How AI is changing the role of the CSM
• What separates a strategic CSM from a busy CSM
• Why product usage is not the same as customer value
• How to move customer conversations towards business outcomes
• Why executive engagement matters more in the AI era
• What Customer Success leaders need to change now

This is a practical conversation for CSMs, Customer Success leaders, CCOs and SaaS executives who want CS to stay relevant, commercial and valuable as AI changes the work.

Connect with Chad on LinkedIn