In this episode of East Coast Elite, Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne sit down with Martin Mao, co-founder and CEO of Chronosphere. From his early days at Uber to founding one of the most disruptive startups in observability, Martin shares what it takes to navigate uncertainty, build conviction, and win at scale. We dive into the mindset shifts behind leaving a tech giant to build something bold, how Martin sees the future of observability, and what it means to lead with clarity in a rapidly evolving market. If you're a founder, engineer, or operator seeking real insights from a builder at the top, this one’s for you. Key Topics Covered 00:00 Intro 02:10 What Makes a Strong Founder 04:48 Why Martin Left Uber 09:22 Founding Chronosphere 13:41 Competing with Industry Giants 19:05 The Startup Learning Curve 26:38 Early GTM Decisions 33:20 Scaling with Intent 39:40 Balancing Vision and Feedback 46:14 Leadership Lessons in Hypergrowth 50:12 What’s Next for Chronosphere 52:49 Closing Reflections   3 Biggest Lessons Leaving comfort for conviction: Martin’s leap from Uber shows that bold moves start with internal clarity, not external certainty. Product-market fit is just the beginning: Real traction comes from execution, team culture, and continuous iteration. Disruption requires ruthless focus: Be crystal clear on who you serve and why your product matters—then say no to everything else. Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter:   / huntersun1corns   Instagram:   / huntersandunicorns   Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   Notable Quotes “You don’t need to have all the answers before you start.” “It’s not about being better—it’s about being different in a meaningful way.” “Startups work when you're solving real pain, not just building cool tech.” This episode is sponsored by SELR & PG:ai   #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse