#008: In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, host Alan Carson sits down with Dave McConville, a customer success powerhouse at Cloudsmith, to explore what it truly takes to build lasting customer relationships in a complex, fast-growing tech company. 

Dave shares his candid journey from aspiring software engineer to technical writer, scrum master, and ultimately, the go-to guy for making customers successful.

With humour and deep insight, Dave unpacks the realities of artifact management, navigating curveballs post-sale, and the critical role of empathy, transparency, and trust in building partner-like relationships with customers. 

He discusses the early days of Cloudsmith, what it's like to move from Belfast to New Jersey as part of a remote-first company, and how he balances technical knowledge with human connection.

Tune in for practical wisdom, real stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Cloudsmith’s approach to customer engagement truly special.

• (00:00) - Finding the Path to Cloudsmith: From Code to Customers
• (03:15) - Life as a Technical Writer: Writing for Readers Who Don’t Read
• (06:05) - Early Days at Cloudsmith: Chaos, Buckets, and Building
• (09:54) - The Handoff: How Sales Transitions into Customer Success
• (13:59) - Artifact Management Is Never Boring
• (15:26) - Building Trust: How to Win Customers Without Knowing Everything
• (20:23) - Dealing With Curveballs and Growing With Customers
• (25:11) - What Success Really Looks Like in Customer Success
• (26:35) - Moving to the U.S, Time Zones, Slack, and Coffee Overload
• (32:33) - Defining Customer Success From the Ground Up
• (38:09) - The Intercom War Room: Support, Sausage Making, and Real-Time Fixes
• (44:17) - Why Customers Love Dave: Relationships Over Transactions