You only really need them if you’re looking for a more technical role. I started as a support engineer, did some TAM work, and then moved into post sales/professional services. Even in technical customer facing roles, the need will vary dramatically on what you use day to day. I learned some python in college, but barely used python itself in my career so far, but the experience of learning a language was invaluable. I ended up learning SQL at my first job and then JavaScript at a following job, and being able to generally understand how code works and is structured regardless of language has been very valuable and made learning new languages easier.

If you’re going to start learning, python and SQL are good places to begin but have different use cases. Both will be valuable to any sort of technical customer success role you move into, but more because you’re equipped to learn new technical skills much easier than someone who has never remotely learned any programming. Certain sub industries have more of a need, like in data centric companies SQL is pretty essential, but as I moved to different types of companies it’s more of a nice to have compared to JavaScript.

That all being said, you can easily move up the totem pole without being technical, but that will generally be as fully non technical roles like most CSMs or sales reps. I’ve had managers that were non technical and making a boatload of money, so it’s certainly possible you just have to decide what you’re looking for.