As part of our March series, CX Under Pressure, we’re exploring what’s really shaping customer experience in 2026, from rising CAC to fragmented journeys and the human side of loyalty.

In this episode, I sit down with Tyler Stambaugh to unpack why acquisition is easy to test, but retention is personal. We talk about discount dependency, vanity metrics, and the uncomfortable truth that many brands are training customers to expect incentives instead of value.

In this episode:

👉Why retention feels “emotionally distressing” for founders

👉How discounting creates transactional behavior

👉The “Pavlov’s dog” trap in e-commerce

👉The 80/20 rule in customer revenue

If CX is under pressure right now, retention is where that pressure shows up first.

Mentioned:

1. Magnetiq
2. Tyler Stambaugh on LinkedIn