Waiting doesn’t make it safer. Sometimes the loss is bigger when you decide later.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down with Maggie Zhou, Managing Director and COO at Alpha Square Group, a family office investing in global innovation across public and private markets.

Maggie breaks down the fatal flaws that keep founders from getting funded, why execution is the hardest part, and how the best operators stay close to customers so their pipeline doesn’t run dry.

In this episode, we cover:

•⁠ ⁠Why “if no one wanted to pay a dollar, it’s not worth it” is the real test

•⁠ ⁠The biggest red flags investors see in early-stage founders

•⁠ ⁠Solo founder vs paired founders, and what actually works

•⁠ ⁠Why waiting rarely makes the decision better

•⁠ ⁠How to make decisions with incomplete information

•⁠ ⁠Why speed and clarity beat perfection in today’s market

•⁠ ⁠How to stay close to users so your pipeline doesn’t go dry

This isn’t theory. It’s the investor view founders need to hear.

📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/

LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite

📲Connect with Maggie Zhou:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-zhou-75484022/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venezia_fire?igsh=MTgxMmpkOGwwcWJpZw==

📌 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors.

English is now the programming language for AI.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down with Mek Stittri, CTO at Stuut, to break down what’s changing in engineering right now, and why AI is pushing companies toward leaner teams and faster execution.

Mek shares the leadership lesson he learned the hard way: trust is earned, not assumed. He explains how AI agents are changing how teams ship, why some supporting roles won’t be hired the same way anymore, and why discipline matters more than headcount.

We cover:

• Why English is becoming the interface for building with AI
• The leadership mistake behind “trust and verify”
• How AI agents are replacing bloated team structures
• Why companies must stay lean and invest capital into product
• Why quality, security, and scalability matter even more in AI-first engineering
• How to find your craft, build great teams, and keep momentum through uncertainty

This isn’t theory. It’s what modern engineering is becoming.

📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/

LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite

📲Connect with Mek Stittri:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srunyu/

📌 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors.

Build too long without revenue and something breaks.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down withShihab Khalil, Founder and CEO of Zag Trader, a nearly 20-year-old fintech company that started before the word “fintech” even existed.

Shihab breaks down what it really takes to bootstrap anenterprise-grade trading platform, sell into an “absolute conservative industry,” and survive the long cycles of banks and financial institutions.

He also shares the founder lesson that changed everything:

‘Go after revenue very quickly… if you build, build, buildand don’t have revenue at an early stage, something will break… break even quick, quick, quick. And then once you break even, it’s like the time stops.’

We cover:

• ⁠Why emerging markets reward broad platforms over narrow niches
• The reality of selling enterprise software into conservative banks
• Why cashflow becomes the primary concern with noinstitutional investors
• The hidden cost of not hiring senior talent early (technical debt)
• The shift into SaaS / managed services and what it unlocked for growth
• How AI is changing software building for both startups andbig banks
• The advice Shihab would give founders trying to compete in fintech

This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the real founder playbook for surviving long enough to win.

📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/

LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite  

📲Connect with Full Name of Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shihab/

📌 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors.

Most people never see what it really takes to build a startup.In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Murtaza shares how he left a high-paying engineering role in the UAE to build a fintech company from scratch, and the reality that followed.He reveals what the journey actually looked like:• Pitching more than 100 investors before getting a yes• Almost running out of money and struggling to pay the team• Walking away from a 30K+ salary without backing or certainty• Why building for people is the only thing that truly mattersMurtaza also reflects on the mental pressure, the rejection, and the conviction required to keep going when everything is telling you to stop.This is what building really looks like behind the scenes.📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite 📲Connect with Murtaza Khursheed Hussain:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murtazakhussain/📌 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors.

Booms are loud. Crashes are honest.In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Halid breaks down how crypto fundamentally changed after industry-shaking events like FTX, Luna, and 3AC , and why regulation is no longer optional.

He shares how crypto moved from a regulatory grey zone to one of the most scrutinised financial sectors in the world, and what that shift means for founders, builders, and users going forward.

We cover:

• Why early crypto rewarded speed over safety

• How major crashes reshaped trust in the industry

• Why regulation is now defining the next generation of exchanges

• What founders must do differently to survive the next cycle

This isn’t about hype or price action.It’s about what crypto actually became.

📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/

LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite

📲Connect with Halid Musa:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halidmusa/📌 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors.

Fintech looks glamorous from the outside.The reality is very different.In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Prashant Kumar Shrivastava (PK) cuts through the hype to talk about what it actually takes to build and survive a fintech business, especially in regions where nothing works the way the Silicon Valley playbook says it should.He breaks down:• Why building startups is “like eating glass”• Why falling in love with the problem matters more than the idea• How products that work in the US or Europe fail in emerging markets• The importance of humility, learnability, and adaptability in leadership• Why experience alone doesn’t give you all the answersThis conversation isn’t about headlines or hype cycles.It’s about sacrifice, execution, and learning from the people around you.This is fintech without the filter.📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite 📲Connect with Prashant Kumar Shrivastava (PK):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pk-shrivastava/📌 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors.

Most Muslims want to invest.

Very few have the tools to do it properly.

In this episode, Liam sits down with Samy Mohamad, founder of Tabadilat, the world’s first global Sharia compliant trading platform, to break down the realities of halal investing in today’s financial system.

From professional trading desks and futures markets to riba, derivatives, and the hidden costs Muslim investors face just to stay compliant, Sami explains why the current system is broken and how Tabadilat aims to fix it.

This conversation goes deep into Islamic finance, modern capital markets, and the structural challenges no one talks about.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• What Sharia compliance actually means in investing

• Why halal investment products are significantly more expensive

• How derivatives and leverage distort global markets

• The hidden labour Muslim investors are expected to do

• Why access to GCC and global markets matters

• How Tabadilat plans to change Islamic finance globally

📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/

LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite

📲Connect with Samy Mohamad:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/samy-mohamad-985a263b/

📌 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors.

Same situation. Different outcome. Leadership makes the difference.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Anton Chislov shares what it really takes to build and lead as a CTO across multiple continents, and why success comes down to how individuals respond to pressure, responsibility, and pain.

He breaks down:

• Why the first five people you hire determine whether you survive

• How leadership style is shaped by personality, not just experience

• What it really means to take ownership and say, “If not me, then who?”

• Why the CTO role is far harder than most people expectAnton also reflects on the realities of leadership across AI, fintech, and startups, and the skills some leaders are born with, while others must deliberately develop.

This is the truth behind the role everybody thinks they want.

📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/

LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite📲

Connect with Anton Chislov:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anton-chislov/

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss future episodes exploring the journeys of tech leaders moving from code to the C-suite.

Shobit’s story starts with a credit-card swipe, and a moment where he realized something had to change.From failed startups and personal debt to hiring a CEO for his own company so he could stay true to being a CTO, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, focus, and execution.

In this conversation, Shobit breaks down:

• Why junior engineers should work like seniors

• How “fail fast” actually works in real life

• Why obsessing over the next role accelerates your entire career• The difference between chasing symbols of success vs. building long-term impact

• How singularity of focus can reshape your trajectory

If you're growing in tech, building a startup, or trying to break through to the next level, this episode is your blueprint.

📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/

LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite

📲 Connect with Shobit:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobitkohli/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shobit.kohli?igsh=MXd5dTlqOGNxcXRu

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss future episodes exploring the journeys of tech leaders moving from code to the C-suite.

In this episode, Ellis the disgruntled FX broker who walked away from the industry breaks down exactly how hidden margins work, why SMEs are the easiest targets, and how he walked out of a legacy brokerage under legal threat to build Glide a transparent FX platform that lets small businesses set their own rates and keep their own money.We go deep into his story going from law school to FX sales, witnessing some of the worst practices in the industry, getting served with an angry legal letter, bootstrapping from his parents spare room on the Kent coast, fundraising with no idea how to spell VC, and landing a place on the J P Morgan FinTech accelerator while staying obsessed with one thing protecting SMEs.In this episode, we cover:-How manufactured spreads and margin creeping actually work in practice.-The real story of an elderly woman charged fifty thousand pounds in hidden FX margin.-Why SMEs doing one to two million a year in FX can be paying sixty thousand without knowing.-The exact pain points small businesses face on FX unfair pricing, payment delays, reconciliation.-How Glide lets SMEs set their own FX rate and automatically trigger payments when the market hits it.📲 Connect with Liam Moir-Holland and From Code to C-Suite:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-moir-holland-a194b3158/LinkedIn (Podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/company/from-code-to-c-suite/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@code.to.csuite📲 Connect with Ellis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellis-taylor-llm-law-596686166/Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss future episodes exploring the journeys of tech leaders moving from code to the C-suite.