From SaaS to retention as a service: how AI is changing customer success

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4d9cvE4

Episode summary

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Gainsight SVP and UnChurned host Josh Schachter to explore how AI is transforming customer success—from scaling feedback collection to redefining retention as an outcome-driven discipline. Drawing on his journey from product leader to “relational founder,” Josh shares why building authentic relationships is still a competitive edge, even in an AI-first world, and how teams can combine human insight with agentic workflows to better understand, prove, and deliver customer value.

What you’ll learn

Why customer success is shifting from SaaS to “retention as a service”

How AI enables teams to capture and synthesize customer feedback at scale

What separates high-performing customer success teams from the rest

Why strong customer relationships still matter more than ever in an AI-driven world

How to build effective agentic workflows (and common pitfalls to avoid)

What the “retention apocalypse” means—and how to stay ahead of it

How product, UX, and marketing teams can directly impact retention

Why high-quality customer conversations are the foundation of effective AI

Resources & links

Josh Schachter on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/)

Gainsight ( https://www.gainsight.com/)

Gainsight’s Atlas ( https://www.gainsight.com/solutions/ai/)

UnChurned podcast and newsletter ( https://unchurned.gainsight.com/)

Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)