In this episode of the East Coast Elite series, we sit down with Brian Trowbridge, VP of Sales at FireHydrant, to explore the brutal truths of startup life. From making high-stakes decisions with limited runway to navigating board dynamics and founder alignment, Brian unpacks what it really takes to succeed in an early-stage company. We dive deep into how he evaluated FireHydrant before joining, what he looks for in founders and boards, and how sales leaders should think about burn rate, valuations, and growth expectations. If you're in sales and considering a startup role, this episode is a must-watch.   🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai   🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Startup chaos 05:00 From Startup Grind to Scalable Sales 09:17 The Hardest Hiring Lessons 13:46 Selling Without a Playbook 18:24 Coaching Reps to Think Critically 22:40 Building Repeatable Pipeline 29:03 Staying Grounded as a Sales Leader 35:17 Career Advice for Aspiring CROs 42:00 The Power of Humility in Leadership 50:30 The Role of Curiosity and Grit   💥 3 Biggest Lessons: Chaos is a Feature, Not a Bug: Embrace early-stage ambiguity—true sales leadership is forged in unpredictability. Hiring is Everything: The reps you bring on will define your success. Make every hire count. Ask the Bigger Questions: Scaling isn’t just tactics—it’s teaching your team how to think.   🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro 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 “If you have a mediocre RD, avoid it. I would even avoid a good company if I didn’t have a good RD.” “You’re not just asking ‘did I make my number?’ You’re asking: does this company even exist in 12 months?” “There’s no bigger mistake than hiring the wrong person—it costs you a year.” “Some founders just burn through VPs. You need to know that before you join.” “You’re wearing a hundred hats and trying to hit growth targets with minimal runway. It’s not for everyone.”   Tags #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse