Ep16: Maximizing impact with Customer Success in AI product companies

Ep17: Why Great Software Still Fails to Be Adopted

In this episode of Ctrl + Shifter, we sit down with Aleksandra Shamanina, Customer Success Manager in IT, to explore one of the most common challenges in modern businesses: why software adoption fails - and how to get it right. Aleksandra shares her hands-on experience working with global enterprise clients, breaking down the real reasons behind failed implementations. From misaligned expectations to lack of organizational readiness, she explains why adoption is less about technology and more about people, processes, and change management. This episode offers practical insights into how customer success teams can guide clients from onboarding to expansion and turn software into real business impact. ------ 🎧 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:35 - The biggest misconceptions about software adoption 03:56 - Why adoption fails 10:11 - How Customer Success drives real business impact 14:05 - Early warning signs your customers aren't getting value 20:27 - A practical adoption framework for Customer Success 29:01 - How AI is transforming Customer Success workflows 36:09 - Final thoughts & Advice for Customer Success Manager ► Watch video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/xDe3vkTaInI ► Listen in audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-shifter-podcast/id1824162919 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-shifter-podcast/id1824162919] ------ A special thank you to Aleksandra Shamanina for sharing valuable insights and real-world experience in customer success and software adoption. Connect with Aleksandra: ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-shamanina-3623b6118 ► Instagram: Instagram.com/aleksandra_shamanina ABOUT CTRL + SHIFTER PODCAST Voices that take control. Stories that drive the shift. Ctrl + Shifter is a podcast featuring founders, tech leaders, and innovators who are taking control and driving meaningful change in business and technology. Powered by SmartDev and Verysell AI, we share real stories and actionable insights on how leaders build with intention, shape strategy, and stay ahead of the curve. Disclaimer: The content shared reflects personal perspectives and does not represent the official stance of any company. ABOUT SMARTDEV SmartDev is a Vietnam-based software powerhouse delivering agile, high-quality, and cost-effective engineering for global brands. 🌐 https://smartdev.com ✉️ contact@smartdev.com Follow us on social media: ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartdev-llc-/?viewAsMember=true ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmartDevLLC © Copyright by SmartDev Channel © Do not Reup #CtrlShifterPodcast #CustomerSuccess #SoftwareAdoption #DigitalTransformation #CustomerExperience #TechLeadership #ChangeManagement #B2B #SmartDev #VerysellAI #Xsolla 👍 Enjoyed this episode? - Like, share, and subscribe for more insights! - Drop your thoughts on software adoption and customer success in the comments below

Ep16: Maximizing impact with Customer Success in AI product companies

In this episode of Ctrl + Shifter, we sit down with Petko Kashinski, Customer Success Leader at Jiminny, to dive into optimizing customer success strategies and leveraging AI to build long-lasting customer relationships. Petko shares his extensive experience in customer success, offering insights on how to reduce churn, improve customer satisfaction, and empower teams with data-driven strategies. From AI-powered automation to conversation intelligence, this episode explores the tools and techniques that help businesses engage with customers more effectively and efficiently at scale. ------ 🎧 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Intro 3:07 - Understanding Conversation Intelligence7:33 - Strategies for Customer Success10:11 - The Role of AI in Customer Success14:58 - Success Stories and Impact of Jiminny 17:36 - Challenges in Managing Customer Success Teams20:14 - Final thoughts & Advice for Businesses------ A special thank you to Petko Kashinski and Jiminny for sharing their valuable expertise and real-world success stories. About Jiminny Jiminny is an AI-powered conversation and revenue intelligence platform designed to help revenue teams unlock more value from customer interactions. By turning conversations into actionable insights, Jiminny empowers teams to coach and develop their people at scale, reduce manual work, and make smarter decisions that drive revenue. Learn more at: ► Website: www.jiminny.com ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jiminny/------ ABOUT CTRL + SHIFTER PODCAST Voices that take control. Stories that drive the shift. Ctrl + Shifter is a podcast featuring founders, tech leaders, and innovators who are taking control and driving meaningful change in business and technology. Powered by SmartDev and Verysell AI, we share real stories and actionable insights on how leaders build with intention, shape strategy, and stay ahead of the curve. Disclaimer: The content shared reflects personal perspectives and does not represent the official stance of any company. ------ ABOUT SMARTDEV SmartDev is a Vietnam-based software powerhouse delivering agile, high-quality, and cost-effective engineering for global brands. 🌐 https://smartdev.com ✉️ contact@smartdev.com Follow us on social media: ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartdev-llc-/► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmartDevLLC © Copyright by SmartDev Channel © Do not Reup #CtrlShifterPodcast #CustomerSuccess #AIInBusiness #TechLeadership #CustomerExperience #RevenueIntelligence #ConversationIntelligence #SmartDev #VerysellAI #Jiminny 👍 Enjoyed this episode? Like, share, and subscribe for more insights! Drop your thoughts on building customer success strategies in the comments below

Ep15: The Foundations of Building a Social App

In this episode of Ctrl + Shifter Podcast, we sit down with Raed Zein, Co-Founder of imin, to unpack one deceptively simple question: How do you build a social app that actually brings real-life connections? With over a decade of experience across mobile development, backend systems, and hardware integration, Raed shares a deeply practical perspective on building consumer products in today’s attention economy. From defining the right MVP to navigating real-time architecture, AI-driven onboarding, and trust in social platforms, this conversation goes beyond hype and focuses on what truly works. 💡 What’s inside Episode 15:  * Designing social products around human behavior  * Building lean MVPs that validate real user needs  * Where AI adds value in social apps  * Go-to-market lessons from launching in Paris & Berlin

EP14: How AI Is Changing Customer Success in Financial Crime Compliance

In this episode 15 of Ctrl + Shifter, we sit down with Matti Junila, Head of Customer Success at ComplyAdvantage, to explore how AI is transforming customer success and financial crime prevention.  With years of experience in AI, machine learning, and customer service, Matti shares his expertise on how AI is improving fraud detection, reducing manual work, and helping businesses navigate compliance challenges. He dives into the rise of agentic AI, automating tasks traditionally handled by humans, and offers advice on adopting AI responsibly. Tune in to hear how AI is reshaping customer support in high-stakes industries. TIMESTAMPS: 01:57 - Matti's Background & Early career 04:45 - About ComplyAdvantage 07:47 - Leadership Challenges in AI-Driven Financial Crime Prevention 10:24 - AI Trends in Customer Support 19:26 - Decision-Making Principles for Responsible AI Adoption 22:28 - Strategic AI Adoption: From Evaluation to Scaled Impact 32:23 - Future of AI in Customer Support 35:08 - Advices on AI Adoption ► Listen to audio on Youtube:  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblhLREUxb0lia2R2cFZZNU1hSWszZlk3MEVDUXxBQ3Jtc0tsV2VQd0hiQnJnMWdrRDl2eWNjSGxDaTdoTE9oZFhtUjA4Z2F0QmhyTW1EQU0tSmQ1UXpCZ0dvazJIX2JKcThwZGhHc0ZuaFotSFNVUnRqWUVDYi1waEVDLVN6MWpBSGdoalFQT2tSQmZJSXQtNkFYdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fepisode%2F5QSRr0v28117gn1AWKLYVJ%3Fsi%3DZHHcy3kES_aTW6lN_unCDg&v=ajNzcz-5P9Y]How AI Is Changing Customer Success in Financial Crime Compliance | Ctrl + Shifter Podcast EP 14 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkB1h32ixl8] ► Listen in audio on Apple Podcasts: Ctrl + Shifter Podcast - Podcast - Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-shifter-podcast/id1824162919] -------- A special thanks to Matti Junila and ComplyAdvantage for joining us and sharing their valuable insights. About Matti Junila: He started out in computer science and have always been focused on AI and machine learning. Over the last 10+ years, he has helped build and scale tech startups, leading customer success teams and working closely across product, engineering, and commercial teams. About ComplyAdvantage: ComplyAdvantage’s mission is to empower every business to eliminate financial crime. By harnessing AI, a unified platform, and an extensive partner ecosystem, we help customers turn compliance into a catalyst for growth, operational resilience, and enduring regulatory trust. More than 3,000 enterprises across 75 countries rely on our end-to-end platform and the world’s most comprehensive financial crime risk intelligence. With full-stack agentic automation, we help organizations automate up to 95% of KYC, AML, and sanctions reviews, cut onboarding times by 50%, reduce false positives by 70%, and handle 7x more work with the same staff. Learn more at: ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/complyadvantage/ ► Website: https://complyadvantage.com/ Connect with Matti Junila on LinkedIn: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblZkWDJRVDZfbzU5R1Q0cDFXM3R5YkVqWDhJUXxBQ3Jtc0ttU2VkQmcwUVUxSFdtcDZUOWx0UjhZRHl1MEY3Vi1WNzlZZU9ZdThxVTVZTGkwTzNSMWFRMTlxcGhNeU5lVHJmREVLZFhuZEhTVXV2Y0x6QzYyOG10ZEtINVU1c1RSRHN4ZkR5bk0xZG5HX3dnSDgwYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fjan-lorenc-00404731%2F&v=ajNzcz-5P9Yhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mattijunila/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattijunila/] -------- ABOUT CTRL + SHIFTER PODCAST Voices that take control. Stories that drive the shift A series featuring founders, tech leaders, and innovators who are taking control and driving the shift in business and technology. Powered by SmartDev and Verysell AI, we deliver actionable insights and real stories on how they build with intention, shape strategy, and stay ahead of the curve.  Disclaimer: The content shared reflects personal perspectives and does not represent the views or official stance of the company. -------- ABOUT SMARTDEV SmartDev is a Vietnam-based software powerhouse delivering agile, high-quality, and cost-effective engineering for global brands. Learn more about our solutions and hiring smart developers at: 🌐 https://smartdev.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa29PX3NYY0JfVUh2WUdyWTFxbWIwWUdUcmZaZ3xBQ3Jtc0trTHNRNW83dlZuNHlXeHR5REFXUEZESVV4azljaHdkX0l5SDdZMWJtem8yb3kwT2NjUHhRam1GOTRlMG1vT0tmN09vS1d6M3pjTE1aaURsMlJxemFEQ1ZDeEF1ZGpTa216cU92QUwxVS1BTjBoN2hjNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fsmartdev.com%2F&v=ajNzcz-5P9Y] ✉️ contact@smartdev.com And don’t forget to follow us on other social networks: ► LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smartdev-llc-/ ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmartDevLLC/ © Copyright by SmartDev Channel © Do not Reup #CtrlShifterPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/ctrlshifterpodcast] #SmartDev [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/smartdev] #VerysellAI [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/verysellai] #crossborderpayments [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/crossborderpayments] #fintechinnovation [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/fintechinnovation]  #digitalfinance [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/digitalfinance]  #futureofpayments [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/futureofpayments] #TechLeadership [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/techleadership] 👍 Enjoyed this episode? • Like, share, and subscribe for more insights! • Drop your thoughts on scaling AI responsibly in the comments below 👇

EP13: Tech Strategy in Cross-Border Payments

In this episode of Ctrl + Shifter, we sit down with Jan Lorenc, CEO of CurrencyFair, to explore the world of cross-border payments and foreign exchange. With over 15 years of experience spanning banking, treasury, and fintech, Jan leads CurrencyFair in simplifying international money transfers and providing cost-effective solutions for SMEs and individuals alike. Jan shares his journey from traditional finance to fintech innovation, offering deep insights into the evolving landscape of global payments. From the power of blockchain and AI to the challenges of scaling a multinational business, this episode dives into how technology is transforming the way money moves across borders. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:28 - Behind the Shift: Jan's Career Journey 05:27 - How to Bridge Traditional Finance & Technology 07:37 - CurrencyFair's Mission 11:54 - How to Balance Customer Trust & Regulatory Compliance 15:48 - Challenges When Scaling a Regulated Cross-Border Payments Business 19:13 - How to Maintain Consistency Across Diverse Markets 22:55 - Technology Trends Reshaping Cross-Border Payments 38:01 - Future Trends in Fintech & Payments 42:26 - Advice for Newcomers in Fintech & Digital Payments 44:00 - Outro ► Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ajNzcz-5P9Y ► Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-shifter-podcast/id1824162919 -------- A special thanks to Jan Lorenc and CurrencyFair for joining us and sharing their valuable insights. About CurrencyFair: CurrencyFair was launched in Ireland in 2010 and offers an online cross-border payment and foreign exchange service to customers worldwide. Over the past 15 years, the company has onboarded more than 180,000 customers. It currently supports over 20 currencies in well-established currency corridors for international payments. CurrencyFair is boldly transforming the future of financial services and empowering its customers by making innovative financial solutions accessible to all. Learn more at: ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/currencyfair/ ► Website: www.currencyfair.com Connect with Jan Lorenc on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-lorenc-00404731/ -------- ABOUT CTRL + SHIFTER PODCAST Voices that take control. Stories that drive the shift A series featuring founders, tech leaders, and innovators who are taking control and driving the shift in business and technology. Powered by SmartDev and Verysell AI, we deliver actionable insights and real stories on how they build with intention, shape strategy and stay ahead of the curve. Disclaimer: The content shared reflects personal perspectives and does not represent the views or official stance of the company. -------- ABOUT SMARTDEV SmartDev is a Vietnam-based software powerhouse delivering agile, high-quality, and cost-effective engineering for global brands. Learn more about our solutions and hiring smart developers at: 🌐 https://smartdev.com ✉️ contact@smartdev.com And don’t forget to follow us on other social networks: ► LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smartdev-llc-► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmartDevLLC/ © Copyright by SmartDev Channel © Do not Reup #SmartDev #VerysellAI #CtrlShifterPodcast #ResponsibleAI #TechLeadership #Innovation #AI #Governance #DigitalStrategy 👍 Enjoyed this episode? • Like, share, and subscribe for more insights! • Drop your thoughts on scaling AI responsibly in the comments below 👇