From Lead to Head of Support: A Blueprint for Your First Three Projects | Live Chat Episode 11

It’s day one as Head of Support, and those first 90 days are your chance to shift the narrative and become indispensable.

This week on Live Chat with Jen Weaver, I’m talking with Idit Matas—the powerhouse who’s scaled global teams at Datadog and Firebolt, built a 24/7 on-call program, and led strategic projects that tied directly to product, engineering, and revenue growth.

She walks us through the three projects that helped her shift from tactical execution to strategic leadership.

Whether you’re stepping into your first head-of-role or trying to level up your influence, this episode offers the kind of practical strategy most people learn the hard way.

To skip the summary and go straight to the source:  

The Problem:  

You step into a “Head of” role, and suddenly the job isn’t just about solving tickets or mentoring agents. You’re responsible for systems that span time zones, tools that actually help people, and priorities that align with the business, not just the inbox. Sound overwhelming? It can be—unless you’ve got a roadmap.  

The Answer:  

Here’s the framework Idit used to scale sustainably and prove her strategic value in the first 90 days:  

1️⃣ Create global coverage without burnout 

Instead of rotating your whole team through awkward shifts, Idit aligned scheduling with SLA expectations. She even hired in Israel to get natural weekend coverage, no overtime or burnout required.  

2️⃣ Build escalation playbooks that engineers actually respect  

Escalations don’t have to be chaos. Idit built a system with clear triggers, response expectations, and shared ownership across support and product. Fewer pings, more progress.   

3️⃣ Use AI as a first responder, with a human safety net  

She launched a GenAI documentation tool that helped reduce response times by two-thirds without compromising CSAT. The secret? AI handled the common issues, while humans stepped in for nuance.  

4️⃣ Lead a project that moves the business (and your career)  

At Firebolt, Idit funneled support insights straight into product planning, directly influencing their 2.0 launch. That’s the kind of impact that makes execs take notice.  

The Impact:  

With systems like these, Idit didn’t just keep her team running. She helped move the company forward. The results? Faster replies, happier customers, and support insights that directly influenced product decisions.

If you’re stepping into strategic leadership—or just want to scale support without the chaos—this episode’s packed with ideas you can use right away!

🎙 Catch the full conversation on Live Chat with Jen Weaver →  

See you next time!

Jen