There’s something that happens when you sit in a post-sale leadership seat long enough. You start thinking in functions. In roadmaps. In metrics.
But here’s the mindset shift we’re inviting you to make today: Your customers don’t experience your company through departments, job titles, or tech stacks.
They experience your company as…well, your company (and product)—as one journey.
That customer journey includes onboarding emails, help center articles, Academy courses, support tickets, in-app tooltips, CSM check-ins, community threads, and product updates. It’s a blur of touchpoints. But to them, it should feel like one thing: learning when they need it.
And that’s why Gainsight acquiring Skilljar was the perfect fit—it allows learners to have a cohesive experience with the suite of Gainsight products.
What Post-Sale Teams See Behind the Scenes (and Customers Shouldn’t)
With Gainsight and Skilljar, we know what it actually takes to deliver that kind of “learning everywhere” experience—when it matters. That’s what we tapped into in our recent fireside chat with Sandi Lin and Nick Mehta around the recent acquisition and expanding the need for training.
It’s not one product. It’s not one team. It’s not a single feature set.
It’s coordination. Alignment. Shared context. And yes—a whole lot of connective tech.
Here’s the truth: enabling your customer isn’t owned by just one team. It’s powered by many:
- Support provides reactive solutions.
- Customer Education creates proactive guidance.
- Product enables in-app nudges and learning.
- Customer Success adds the strategic layer.
- Community offers peer reinforcement.
- Operations ensure the data flows behind the scenes.
And to no one’s surprise, these teams often overlap or re-organize year-by-year—showing the tangled web that is the customer experience. And we’re here to untangle it.
When this works, it doesn’t just feel helpful—it feels effortless. That’s what customers remember.
Time to Flip the Lens: From Your Internal Process to Learner Perspective
Too often, we start with what we need—platforms, permissions, processes—and retrofit that to the customer journey. But what if we started from their point of view?
- They don’t care where your knowledge lives as long as it’s fit to where they’re at in the journey. They just want the answer or the lesson.
- They don’t want just a “learning portal.” They want a nudge, a guide, a win back to that portal or embedded in their current workflow.
- They don’t want to open three tabs to complete one task (and that’s generous to think anyone would only have 3 tabs open at once).
If the learner’s goal is frictionless success, how can we work backward from that?
Here’s the big picture—with our acquisition of Skilljar, we’re hoping to build a future that will:
- Unify customer touchpoints into one intelligent hub (think: Academy + Community + In-App).
- Use AI to personalize learning paths based on role, behavior, and journey stage.
- Orchestrate journeys, not just sending customers to one portal or another—so every nudge is timely, contextual, and learner-first—all in their flow of work.
Now, for the Facts—What’s Actually Changing (and What’s Not)
Let’s get the big stuff out of the way. Here’s what Nick and Sandi share with the community off the bat.
Skilljar remains Skilljar.
The platform you know and trust isn’t going anywhere. It’s staying focused, supported, and funded to keep moving faster and smarter—with Gainsight resources now in the mix.
Gainsight CE (formerly Northpass) will continue to be supported.
If you’re a Gainsight CE customer, you’re covered. You’ll continue to receive full support, and you’ll have guided paths to explore Skilljar if or when you’re ready. But nothing’s being forced.
More investment, more integration, and more orchestration are on the horizon.
That includes deeper alignment with:
- Product Experience (PX)—in-app guidance and adoption analytics
- Community (formerly inSided)
- Journey Orchestrator
- Customer Success (CS) dashboards and data sources
Sneak Peek at the Fireside Chat Q&A
On our recent webinar, the Q&A and chat filled up fast—and honestly, we loved every minute of it. Here are just a few of the top questions we heard during the live session.
Of course, if you really want the full picture—the nuance, the story behind the strategy—you’ve got to check out the full webinar. Take it on a walk. Listen over lunch. Whatever works for you (and your Fitbit).
Do I have to migrate platforms?
No. This isn’t a “rip and replace” situation. Both Skilljar and Gainsight CE will be supported, and customers can choose their path.
Will Skilljar work better with other Gainsight tools now?
Yes. That’s a big part of the plan. Expect more embedded learning options, tighter data flows, and connected journeys between training, support, and success.
How will this improve onboarding, support, and renewals?
With better orchestration and contextual education, customers can move faster, get value sooner, and build confidence in your product from day one.
What’s next for the roadmap?
AI-powered personalization, real-time learning recommendations, and role-based learning paths—plus smarter surfacing of content in the tools people already use. And of course, we’re working to integrate Gainsight and Skilljar right away—giving you access to the best of both worlds in a unified experience.
What We’re Hearing Outside of the Fireside Chat Zoom Walls
Bonus? The conversation has continued (and will continue) to grow outside the Zoom walls of our fireside chat. It sparked real conversation across the CE and CS community—with veteran voices weighing in on why this move matters. Here’s a quick look at what we’re hearing:
“This move underscores the growing importance of integrated learning solutions in driving customer success.”
— Samantha Murray, RedThread Research (formerly Docebo)
“Combining forces like this sets a new standard for how we approach customer education at scale.”
— Adam Avramescu, Personio
“This acquisition highlights the critical role of education in the customer journey.”
— Omid Razavi, SuccessLab
“It has been amazing watching them category create to turn Customer Success and Customer Education into a profit center for businesses. This combination is 1+1 = 3!”
—Jacob Mullins, Venture Capital Investor
After all, this move was made not just for Skilljar and Gainsight customers—but for the industry at large, enabling post-sale teams to bridge the gap of the entire customer journey. Here’s to what’s in store!
The Bottom Line (Alas, What We All Need to Care About)
You don’t need to tear down your org chart to build better learning. But you do need to align it around what matters most: Helping customers become confident, capable, and successful—wherever they are in their journey.
Because the truth is, they’re already judging your company on the experience you provide. Let’s make sure that experience feels as smart, connected, and helpful as the teams behind it. Plus, that means you’re in the driver’s seat for generating real customer revenue—exactly what your company needs.
Want to Get Your Hands on More Gainsight CE Stories? Head to Pulse!
We’re dedicating a full Customer Education track to this vision, with sessions from Skilljar customers, Gainsight leaders, and teams building these connected experiences in real time.
