Being early can be just as damaging as being wrong.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down with Phil Fogel, co-founder of Cork Protocol, to discuss more than a decade of building in crypto, the challenge of timing a market correctly, and what it really takes to keep going through the highs and lows of startup life.

Phil began his career in traditional finance, trading options on the floor of the American Stock Exchange before discovering Bitcoin in 2013. Since then, he has built several blockchain companies, explored staking infrastructure and onchain carbon markets, and is now building Cork Protocol, infrastructure designed to help financial risk be priced and managed onchain.

Phil shares why seeing the future is not enough if the market is not ready, how founders learn to handle setbacks differently over time, and why the team around you becomes even more important as businesses move faster.

In this episode, we cover:

• Phil’s journey from traditional finance into Bitcoin and Web3

• Why being early can be just as costly as being wrong

• Building infrastructure for onchain risk and liquidity

• The emotional highs and lows of startup life

• How AI is changing software development and team structures

• Why smaller teams can now build and test much faster

• The challenge of developing future engineers when AI writes more of the code

• How agentic finance could reshape insurance and financial services

• Why critical thinking becomes more important as AI improves

• Why trust and fast feedback are essential when building a team

• The security risks of building financial infrastructure in an AI-driven world

In fast-moving markets, being right is only part of the challenge. Timing, execution and the people around you matter just as much.

📲 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 Phil Fogel:

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

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

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and building a successful business is rarely a straightforward journey.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down with Alex Cordover, CEO of Tradeable, to discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, making decisions with incomplete information, and building a fintech platform for private assets.

Alex began his career working with artificial intelligence and machine learning before AI became a global conversation. He went on to work inside a Fortune 500 company, launch his own startup, and help incubate Tradeable inside Victory Park Capital before spinning it out as an independent business.

Today, Tradeable is building financial infrastructure for private credit and alternative assets. Alex shares how the business moved from an internal idea to a growing marketplace, why adoption follows economics, and how founders can recognise when to stay the course and when the market is telling them to pivot.

In this episode, we cover:

• Building Tradeable from an internal idea into a private asset marketplace

• Why solving a genuine market problem matters more than starting with the technology

• How to know when to stay the course and when to pivot

• Why good decisions do not always produce perfect outcomes

• The realities of entrepreneurship that social media rarely shows

• What founders should look for when making their first hires

• Why early employees must think like operators and owners

• How AI is lowering the barriers to starting a business

• Why making yourself uncomfortable is essential for growth

Building a company means learning to make sound decisions, adapt to the market and keep moving through uncertainty.

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📲 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 Alex Cordover:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-cordover-72a0a276/

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

Building software used to take months. Now, a prototype can be ready in three days.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down with Gregor Siwinski, CEO/CTO at Payability, to explore how AI is changing software development, fintech and the way modern engineering teams operate.

Gregor has helped build the technology behind more than $6 billion in financing for e-commerce businesses. He shares how Payability supports Amazon and Walmart sellers, why managing risk remains one of fintech’s hardest challenges, and how a team of fewer than 50 people can operate at significant scale.

He also explains why faster development does not automatically create successful businesses. When almost anyone can build a product, the real advantage is understanding what should be built, who needs it and what happens after the prototype.

We cover:

•⁠ ⁠How Payability gives e-commerce sellers faster access to capital

•⁠ ⁠Building the financial infrastructure behind $6 billion in financing

•⁠ ⁠Why one poor risk decision can outweigh thousands of successful transactions

•⁠ ⁠How AI has reduced software development from months to days

•⁠ ⁠Why smaller teams can now build more with less capital

•⁠ ⁠What the next generation of engineers needs to succeed

•⁠ ⁠Why CTOs must remain hands-on with technology

•⁠ ⁠The difference between building quickly and building something valuable

When anyone can build, knowing what deserves to be built becomes the real advantage.

📲 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 Gregor Siwinski:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregor-siwinski/

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

In the AI era, building is cheaper. Distribution is everything.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down with David Attermann, former Head of Web3 and AI investments at M31 Capital, to unpack the brutal truth about what actually getsfunded, what kills Web3 projects, and why timing and go-to-market matter more than most founders admit.

David also shares why he’s moving from investing into operating, joining Twism as Chief Strategy Officer, and how Twism is building a merchant and consumer rewards layer using programmable digital currencies, loyalty data, and personalization.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why execution beats ideas in an AI world

• The fatal flaws that stall Web3 startups

• Timing: the right tech, too early, and how companies die waiting

• Why distribution has to be a day-one plan

• Why AI is only as valuable as the context you give it

• How Twism uses programmable rewards to unlock retention and spend

•Why you don’t learn from winning, you learn from losing

The realities of execution, distribution, and surviving the timing game.

📲 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 David Attermann:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-attermann-70397915/

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

Self-employed people don’t get paid monthly, but every bill still is.

In this episode of From Code to C-Suite, Liam sits down with Brandon Wright, co-founder and CEO of Tongo, to break down the hidden financial traps of irregular income, why credit scores misread millions of people, and what it takes to build a venture-backed fintech in a system that wasn’t designed for this audience.Brandon explains why the financial system is built for salaried workers, how real estate agents live through “five income events, 12 expense cycles,” and why the real solution is cash flow alignment, not budgeting apps.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the financial system is built for people on salary

• How irregular income breaks credit scores and monthly billing

• Why “five income events, 12 expense cycles” makes budgeting unrealistic

• How aligning repayment to income events changes outcomes

• Why self-employed people often “get into debt or go without”

• Why saving and retirement are also salaried constructs

• The reality of building a venture-backed fintech and finding distribution

This is the cash flow problem hiding in plain sight.

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

Instagram: www.instagram.com/liammoirholland/

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

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

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

📲Connect with Brandon Wright:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tongofinancial?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brandontw/

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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:

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

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

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

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.