Building Customer Success at an early-stage startup means making high-impact decisions before you have perfect information and leading tough conversations before you feel ready. These moments shape not just your relationships with customers, but the credibility and future of CS itself. In this keynote, Kourtney Thomas shares lessons from the trenches of building Customer Success at fast-moving, early-stage startups, where clarity is scarce, expectations are high, and tough conversations come early. From setting boundaries with customers to navigating internal tradeoffs and commercial realities, these moments aren’t edge cases—they’re foundational. Whether you’re a team of one or leading through Series A, this session offers a practical framework for turning ambiguity into impact. You’ll learn how to prioritize what truly matters, establish credibility quickly, and use even the hardest conversations to build trust, alignment, and momentum—without overengineering or burning out. Key Takeaways: - How to prioritize tools, processes, and metrics when resources are limited - Practical approaches to navigating tough customer and internal conversations early, and using them to strengthen relationships - Tactics to gain internal buy-in, prove the value of CS, and earn a seat at the leadership table - Real examples of what worked (and what didn’t) when building for scale from day one