Larval stage support engineering: great at what doesn't scale
2 days ago
- #engineering
- #customer-support
- #startup
- The author shares their experience with customer support engineering in early-stage startups, emphasizing the importance of direct customer interaction.
- Key mantras for successful early support engineering include replying to the customer promptly, getting on calls with customers, and following up quickly.
- Using Slack for internal and customer communication is highlighted, along with common pitfalls like not updating the customer during prolonged issue resolution.
- The value of customer calls is stressed, despite them being non-default behavior for many engineers, as they are high-value interactions that show customers they are cared for.
- Fast follow-ups delight customers by making them feel valued and demonstrating the product's active development and the team's competence.
- The post draws parallels to Paul Graham's 'Do Things That Don't Scale' essay, applying its principles to customer support engineering.
- Customer obsession is presented as a key to startup success, with early employees benefiting from proximity to founders who prioritize exceptional customer service.