Customers don’t wake up thinking:

“I’d love to block two hours today to complete a certification course.”

 

They wake up thinking:

• How do I get my work done?
• Where’s that report for the board meeting?
• How can I pull the right data to make a decision now?

But most Learning Management Systems still treat education like a classroom.

 

Static. Sequential. Siloed from the real workflow.

 

That model isn’t just outdated. In a world of AI, it’s obsolete.

  

Customers Don't Want To Become a Master in [insert your product]

 

For years, we’ve guided customers through a linear path to “mastery”:

• Complete modules
• Pass quizzes
• Get certified
• Leverage the knowledge in-product

The promise? Become a master of the product, and the value will follow.

 

But in practice, value rarely mirrors course completion.

Certifications don’t equal application.

 

And most users?

They don’t want to be experts in your tool. They want to be effective with your tool.

 

What they really want is:

➡️ To learn in the moment
➡️ In the context of their work
➡️ With just enough to solve the problem at hand

 

Learning Shouldn’t Feel Like a Detour. It Should Feel Like Flow.

 

Traditional LMSs ask users to leave their flow to learn.

Most companies still deliver training in a separate portal, disconnected from the product experience.

 

At best, there’s a button directing people to help content. But that’s still friction.

And friction kills momentum.

 

The customer hits a roadblock → gets redirected → gets distracted → moves on.

Your moment to drive value? Gone.

 

Now imagine this:

Your customer is mid-workflow and gets stuck.

Instead of searching the help center or digging through the academy, an AI-powered guide surfaces. A 2-minute walkthrough tailored to their exact context.

 

No searching.
No guessing.

 

Just the perfect solution for what they need.

 

And the good news?
That future is closer than you think.

 

Just over a month ago, Gainsight acquired Skilljar.

 

Their CEO, Sandi Lin, said it best:

“We are accelerating our vision for a world where training shows up exactly when and where it is needed, helping learners succeed and businesses thrive.”

 

That’s the vision.
And I hope they deliver.

 

Because we need a new model.

 

One where learning is real-time, contextual, and baked into the product experience. Especially in the fast-moving world of AI.

 

Is The Academy Dead?

 

Not at all.

 

Structured learning still has a place especially for folks who need to become ninjas like for admins and power users, new hires who need to get the basics in place (this article has a great set of 10 best practices to follow), or partners who you're onboarding into your CS programme.

In fact, a recent case study showed how Egnyte was able to double the speed to value through their university-style courses (read it in full here).

 

But the keyword here is relevance.

 

If the training isn’t tied directly to the user’s job-to-be-done, it becomes noise.

 

Relying on one-size-fits-all certifications to drive adoption is like handing someone a 50-page manual and calling it onboarding.

 

 

Scaling Content Creation With AI

 

Let’s be honest: The pace of product change has already outgrown the pace of content teams.

 

We’ve all followed a how-to guide only to realise the UI changed, the button moved, or the steps no longer apply.

 

AI is accelerating this gap.

 

To keep up, you don’t need more headcount. You need an AI Content Assist.

 

Let AI handle:

• Updating learning objectives
• Rewriting outdated quiz content
• Localising material on the fly

Your team’s time is better spent on strategy, not formatting.

 

Even better? Plug into your CRM or usage data, and build content around real customer behaviours and show the impact of training directly to the customer to drive more adoption.

 

Skilljar does that for academies.
HubSpot does it for knowledge base articles.

Every company should have this data integrated.

 

Consolidate, Simplify, and Connect

 

We don’t need more content.

 

We need smarter, more embedded, more actionable content.

 

Let’s raise the bar:

 

🧠 Micro-learning > Macro-certifications
⚙️ Contextual lessons > Portal logins
🧭 AI copilots > LMS catalogs

 

The best kind of training doesn’t feel like training. It feels like progress.

 

And that’s what our customers came for.

 

In this new era, the companies who win are the ones who teach seamlessly.

 

P.s.: If you're wondering how to choose the best training software for your organisation, here's something you should read.

Daphne Costa Lopes

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If you're ready for more, there are 3 ways I can help you:

 

• The CSM Skills and Drills Guide: This simple guide has helped over 300 CSMs develop the skills to ace retention and growth targets. You'll find 8 core CSM skills with tools and frameworks to support them and 24 exercises to help you and your team develop these skills.  

• The 2025 CS Trends Report: With over 450 participants across companies of every size, this free report shines a light on what are the top challenges and opportunities for Customer Success for next year.

• Book a 1:1 Consultation: Sometimes content isn't enough. You need to talk through the nuances of the challenges to devise a good strategy. Get 1:1 access to Daphne’s 10+ years of experience building and scaling Customer Success teams starting at €300.