In this episode, Stino and Melanie dive into the complexities of leaving a job and what it means to protect your legacy. They explore the mental states that influence how individuals transition out of roles and the impact this has on their coworkers and customers.

Leaving a Legacy

As they transition into the topic of leaving jobs, Melanie shares insights on how individuals often check out mentally before they leave. "You can tell like especially being a bit newer to a role you can tell that there's already like checked out doing bare minimum," she observes. Stino adds that the state of mind during departure can greatly influence how one is remembered. "How do you want to be remembered?" he prompts.

The Handover Dilemma

The duo discusses the importance of handover notes and the often inadequate information they provide. Melanie remarks, "I’ve gotten handover notes and I’m just like, this is not helpful." Stino agrees, emphasizing that sometimes the effort to document processes falls short of the mark. "To what extent do you want to have a handover note?" he questions, suggesting that thorough onboarding processes can alleviate some of the burdens.

Reflections on Transitioning

Ultimately, the conversation encourages a thoughtful approach to leaving a job. Stino and Melanie advocate for protecting customers during transitions and recognize the need for genuine communication. As they wrap up, they remind listeners that while leaving a legacy can feel daunting, it’s about how you choose to navigate that final stretch.

This episode is a candid exploration of the intertwining of personal and professional legacies. If you're pondering your own transitions, consider what kind of legacy you want to leave behind.

Listen to the full episode for more insights on navigating the complexities of leaving a job.

2026: The Year That Smacked Us in the Face

We spent so much time talking about leaving 2025 behind — like 2026 was just some placeholder.

Turns out, it was just a bigger, more stubborn sibling. It hit us hard, no energy-saving mode, nothing. Honestly, I’m just ready to jump into 2027 and leave this chaos behind. But here’s the truth: the past few months showed us just how much we need to reflect — on our strategies, on our value, on how we connect with customers beyond just metrics. Scaled self-service?

Great, but it can only take you so far without those meaningful conversations.Our product metrics don’t tell the full story. The real value? The conversations that paint the picture of your customer’s experience and their journey to success — or failure. We’ve realized that automating everything makes us forget that real human connection is the key to understanding what’s really happening.

Maybe that's the point: in a world obsessed with automation and AI, the human touch still wins. It’s about asking, listening, and being willing to hold your customer accountable — even if it’s uncomfortable. Because if you don't, no data will save you when it’s time to renew. Worth thinking about, isn’t it?

🚨 New episode drop: We Fucked Up So You Don’t Have To (#WFUSYDHT)

With me 🤝 Melanie

This one came from a conversation we’ve both had way too many times.

You know that feeling when onboarding is “going well”? The calls are happening, the deck looks clean, timelines are being followed, everyone is nodding along… and yet something feels off.

I remember one customer specifically. We were ticking every box. Great kickoff, clear roadmap, solid follow ups. On paper, it was a perfect onboarding. But halfway through, I asked a simple question: “What’s been most useful so far?” And the answer was… vague. Polite. Safe.

That’s when it hit me.

We weren’t onboarding them. We were onboarding our process.

And Melanie had the exact same realization in her own way. Different customer, same pattern. Everything looked structured, controlled, “best practice”… but the customer wasn’t actually getting to value fast enough. They were just being guided through something that made sense to us.

That’s the trap.

We think onboarding success is about delivering a flawless journey. But customers don’t care about your journey. They care about their outcome. And if they can’t feel that progress early, the whole thing starts to fall apart quietly.

No complaints. No escalation. Just disengagement.

In this episode, we unpack the five shifts that completely changed how we approach onboarding. Not in a theoretical way, but in a “we learned this the hard way” kind of way.

We talk about why leading with your process is killing momentum, how personalization isn’t something you add later but something you start with, and why the best onboarding calls often feel less like a presentation and more like a conversation you didn’t over prepare for.

We also get into quick wins. Because nothing builds trust faster than showing value early, even if it’s small. And we challenge the obsession with metrics. Because a customer completing onboarding doesn’t mean they actually experienced success.

The biggest takeaway?

If your onboarding feels smooth for you but unclear for the customer, you’re optimizing the wrong thing.

This episode is basically us being honest about where we got it wrong, what we changed, and what actually started working once we stopped trying to be perfect and started trying to be useful.

If you’re in CS, onboarding, or honestly anywhere close to customers, this one will probably feel very familiar.

Curious to hear if you’ve had a similar moment where you realized things weren’t as “good” as they looked 👇