In this episode, Tash Evans, VP of Customer Growth at Hook, sits down with Steven Ramirez, Customer Ops Person of the Year (US) and GTM Strategic Program Lead at Airtable.

They unpack how Steven built Airtable’s now-famous Risk Rally Program, which united every go-to-market function around a single, shared language for risk, transforming how teams collaborate on retention and renewal.

Steven shares insights from his unique journey — from management consulting at Deloitte to CSM to Ops leader — and the philosophy that drives his work: “Technology only works if humans come along for the ride.”

You’ll also hear:

  • Why Airtable, Matik, and Common Room are the secret weapons in his tech stack.

  • How AI is reshaping the way ops teams think – and why consistent outputs start with consistent experimentation.

  • What “business technologist who puts humans first” really means in practice.


Whether you’re in Customer Success, Revenue Ops, or just obsessed with building scalable, human-centered programs, this conversation is packed with playbooks, lessons, and real talk.


Key Takeaways:

  • Risk is a Team Sport:

    Steven’s “Risk Rally” program turned customer churn prevention into a cross-functional movement, embedding proactive risk management into Airtable’s culture.

  • CS Meets Strategy:

    With roots in customer success and a background in consulting, Steven proves that operations and empathy can co-exist. His work shows how CSMs can transition into strategy roles without losing sight of the human element.

  • Human-First Tech Philosophy:

    “It’s not about the technology — it’s about adoption.” Steven’s mantra reminds us that digital transformation succeeds only when people understand the WIIFM (“What’s In It For Me?”).

  • AI as a Sandbox, Not a Silver Bullet:

    From Common Room to Airtable’s AI capabilities, Steven encourages ops leaders to experiment and tinker to find the right model-problem fit.

  • Ops as the Hidden Growth Engine:

    Sitting under Revenue Operations, Steven acts as a bridge between CS, Sales, and the broader GTM motion, proving that strong ops drive alignment and measurable growth.