Scaling From Zero with Dan Hoffkins
In this episode, we dive deep into the process of building a support organization from scratch, exploring key insights with our guest, Daniel Hoffkins, Head of Operations and Business Development at Certainly CX. Together, we discuss the differences between a greenfield approach and working with existing structures, sharing real-world experiences, industry expertise, and actionable takeaways for new support builders.
Key Topics Discussed:
Defining "Starting from Zero"
Starting from zero means focusing on the customer experience and journey to identify problems to solve and desired outcomes. It's about being outcome-oriented rather than pre-setting a tech stack.
"It's always about the customer experience, the customer journey. Like what is the problems that we're trying to solve for the customer? What are they currently focusing on? What are they currently experiencing? And what do we want that outcome to be?"
Insights from Daniel on a lean, dynamic approach to building support.
The Importance of Foundational Metrics
Even in the early stages, it's crucial to prioritize core components like documentation, self-service, and metrics. Daniel emphasizes that even rudimentary FAQs in a Google Doc are valuable for consistent responses. Tracking data on volume, customer satisfaction, and top issues provides essential information for future decisions.
"Having good quality data helps you do so many good things. So, you know, don't be shy of tagging, tracking, assigning urgencies, and putting some of the structure around that because that data will help drive the next steps in your processes."
Real-world examples shared by Dan, including tackling phone support issues and building a tagging system in Gmail.
Adopting a Flexible Mindset
When transitioning from a larger company to a nimble startup, the mindset needs to shift. Daniel advises against getting overwhelmed by perceived problems and encourages taking small, incremental steps that build on each other. It's important to not get "too married to a certain process" and to be willing to evolve as needs change, especially with rapid technological shifts like AI.
"You will probably build, break, build, reshuffle, change all the processes that you built a year ago. . . Being comfortable with ripping out old processes that you recently built. It's an important one."
How this impacts industry trends and future growth.
Takeaways:
Start with the customer: Focus on the customer journey and desired outcomes before investing in a complex tech stack.
Don't overbuild too soon: Begin with simple, high-impact improvements and allow processes to evolve organically to avoid creating complex, intertwined systems.
Prioritize early data collection: Start tagging and tracking data immediately, even with simple methods, as this foundational data will inform future decisions on staffing, tools, and processes.
