A publication for senior CS operators.
CSM Redefined exists because most Customer Success writing is written for an audience that does not have to deliver an NRR number. It is motivational, observational, or aspirational — three modes that do not help when you are 60 days out from a board review and a $500K renewal is sliding.
The work here is built for the people who own the renewal, present the forecast, run the QBR, and have to call the number. Frameworks, teardowns, operating playbooks. The kind of writing that respects the reader's time and assumes they have done the job before.
What you'll find here
Four pillars, each with frameworks ranging from new-CSM-useful to director-and-VP useful:
- Renewal Engine — forecasting, multithreading, procurement plays
- QBRs & Executive Motion — exec sponsor strategy, CFO-grade reviews
- CS Operations — health scores, segmentation, capacity math
- Expansion & Multithreading — pipeline from CS, champion networks
Paired with each framework, a downloadable template on the Tools page. The frameworks tell you how to think about a problem. The tools let you run the work on your own portfolio Monday morning.
Who writes it
Anthony Rios. 12+ years in Customer Success, primarily in enterprise and technical software. Portfolios in the $15M–$30M ARR range. Background in network security before moving into CS, which means the technical buyer side of an enterprise sale is familiar territory.
MBA, CCNA, Gainsight certifications. Roles across Forcepoint, Raytheon, and McAfee. The writing here is grounded in the actual work of those portfolios — what got results, what did not, and what the patterns look like once you have run enough renewal cycles to see them.
Cadence
New frameworks every two weeks. Tools shipped alongside. A weekly newsletter, The NRR Playbook, distills the sharpest tactical idea of each week into a three-minute read.
Working together
Currently open to senior CSM and CS leadership conversations at companies operating in complex, high-ACV markets. The best way to start a conversation is to read a few frameworks first, then reach out via LinkedIn with what resonated and what did not.
Honest feedback on the work, particularly when it is wrong, is always welcome.