Startups Decoded

Attorney, entrepreneur, and policy leader Ashley D. Bell is building Redemption Bank, a modern Minority Depository Institution designed to give founders something Silicon Valley rarely does: non-dilutive capital that preserves ownership.

With experience spanning the SBA, the White House, and co-founding the National Black Bank Foundation with Dr. Bernice A. King (daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), Ashley is fusing community banking, MDI syndication, and fintech infrastructure into a new model of founder finance.

In this episode, we break down how to use banks—not just VCs—to extend runway, stabilize cash cycles, and raise without giving up equity.

What We Cover

• Why Redemption Bank: the market gaps MDIs can uniquely fill—credit where venture dollars don’t reach
• Debt > Dilution (sometimes): picking the right facility (LOC, equipment, AR, revenue-based) for your stage
• Underwriting that sees your business: when ARR, AR aging, and cohorts matter more than FICO
• Syndication & Scale: how MDIs partner to increase check sizes without predatory terms
• Treasury as RevOps: banking tools that speed collections, reduce working-capital drag
• Signals & Stakeholders: why banking with a mission brand opens doors (enterprise, municipal, talent)
• Playbook: the 30-day path to “bank-ready” for early-stage companies

Chapters 

1. 00:00 Introduction to Modern Banking and Treasury
2. 05:42 Ashley Bell's Journey to Redemption Bank
3. 11:08 The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
4. 16:11 Redemption Bank's Unique Approach to Banking
5. 20:15 The Importance of Role Models in Entrepreneurship
6. 26:36 Reimagining Banking for Modern Founders
7. 34:25 Building Community and Trust in Banking

Ashley D. Bell

Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO of Redemption Bank. A former SBA Regional Administrator and White House policy advisor, he co-founded the National Black Bank Foundation with Dr. Bernice A. King to channel capital into underserved communities. As an attorney and entrepreneur, he’s focused on building a scalable, tech-forward MDI that expands access to responsible credit for founders and small businesses.

Who Should Listen

• Founders exploring non-dilutive options (SaaS, e-comm, services)
• Operators/finance leads responsible for cash conversion cycles
• Angels/seed investors advising portco’s on runway without dilution
• Ecosystem builders interested in MDIs, community finance, and equitable growth

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

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94 percent of sports-science research excludes female physiology.

The result? A $10 billion fitness industry that burns women out, leads to injury, and disrupts hormonal health.

Lizzy Palmer, Founder and CEO of SyncN, is changing that. SyncN is the first cycle-aware fitness and nutrition platform that personalizes training and nourishment around women’s hormonal rhythms — used by athletes, creators, and founders who want performance without burnout.

Sponsored by Cherub

In this conversation, Lizzy unpacks:

• How SyncN helps founders align health with high performance — designing systems for consistency, not guilt.
• The hidden toll of fundraising — what chronic stress does to founders’ energy, hormones, and focus, and how to lead without self-erasure.
• Scaling through partnerships — how SyncN’s growth strategy ties mission to distribution through gyms, coaches, and women’s health platforms.

What a free 6-month trial on SyncN?*

Visit the SyncN Linktree and use the word Decoded” to unlock a Startups Decoded exclusive trial today. (Conditions apply)

Disclosure: Andy Walsh serves as an advisor to SyncN. The views expressed here are my own and not influenced by my advisory role.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Health and Wellness for Founders

01:21 Lizzy’s Journey: From Dance to FemTech

04:37 The Gap in Female Health Research

09:10 Understanding Female Physiology and Hormones

13:16 Training Female Athletes: The Importance of Cycle Awareness

17:57 Self-Compassion and Acceptance in Fitness

22:15 Normalizing Conversations Around Menstruation

25:53 Partnerships and Collaboration in FemTech

28:15 Building Partnerships for Growth

31:20 The Importance of Action in Partnerships

32:52 Leveraging Professional Relationships

36:10 Storytelling and Education in Fitness

39:34 Mental Health and Founder Life

43:50 Navigating Fundraising Challenges

49:45 Introducing Sync In: A New Approach to Women’s Health

Guest Bio

Lizzy Palmer is the Founder and CEO of SyncN, a cycle-aware fitness and nutrition platform helping women train and fuel in sync with their physiology. A former UX researcher at Meta and Roblox and a professional dancer and fitness coach, Lizzy founded SyncN to close the research gap in women’s health and empower female founders to optimize performance without burnout.

Check out SyncN

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

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Forget Ivy League. Build Your Own Startup Empire.

From Peter Thiel’s Fellowship revolution to building the 1517 Fund, Michael Gibson has made a career out of betting on outsiders. 

In this episode, he reveals how Thiel’s philosophy, back people, not pedigrees, shaped his mission to fund dropouts, renegades, and deep-tech builders rewriting the future.

We unpack how to spot unconventional talent before the world does, why early bets on unproven founders can outperform safe money, and how the next wave of transformative startups won’t emerge from Ivy League halls, but from the edges of the system.

Chapters

• 00:00 From Journalism to Venture Capital: A Unique Journey
• 07:05 The Dynamics of Founders and VCs
• 12:50 The Role of Experience in Venture Capital
• 17:32 Investing in Young Founders: The 1517 Fund
• 22:56 Backing Renegades: A New Approach to Investment
• 24:36 The Democratization of Innovation
• 25:36 Identifying the Renegade Mindset
• 28:10 The Impact of Educational Systems on Creativity
• 32:25 Curiosity as a Key Trait
• 36:20 The Role of Unorthodox Thinking
• 38:40 Challenging the 10,000 Hour Rule
• 42:16 The Importance of Unique Perspectives
• 45:48 Managing Investor Expectations

Guest Bio

Michael Gibson is the co-founder and general partner of 1517 Fund, a venture firm dedicated to backing dropouts, renegade students, and deep tech scientists who challenge the traditional path. 

Before starting 1517, he was Vice President of Grants at the Thiel Foundation, where he helped launch and run the Thiel Fellowship, and worked at Thiel Capital. With an academic background in philosophy from Oxford and early editorial roles at places like MIT Technology Review, Michael brings both intellectual depth and contrarian edge to venture capital. 

At 1517, he’s leading a reformation of how innovation is funded, betting on people with the courage to break from convention.

Michael Gibson Links

• LinkedIn
• X
• Book: "Paper Belt on Fire"

Who Should Listen

• Founders who’ve taken the unconventional path — dropouts, outsiders, or builders challenging industry norms.
• Aspiring entrepreneurs looking for insight into how Peter Thiel’s philosophy still shapes venture investing today.
• VCs and angel investors who want to understand how to spot raw, uncredentialed talent before it becomes obvious.
• Operators and innovators curious about how deep-tech and frontier thinkers are funded at the idea stage.

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

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Jaclyn Johnson is a powerhouse entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for women in business.

By 35, she had already launched and sold two multimillion-dollar companies, including Create & Cultivate, a first-of-its-kind platform for female entrepreneurs that scaled to eight-figure revenue and partnered with Fortune 500 brands like Amazon, Mastercard, and Microsoft.

Now, she’s back with Cherub, a double-sided marketplace designed to bridge the gap between underrepresented founders and democratizing access to category-defining companies. As both an angel investor and advisor, Jaclyn has backed businesses like Away, Live Tinted, and Chillhouse, bringing hard-won experience from her own journey into the founder–funding relationship.

Subscribe now

In this conversation, we break down:

• Jaclyn’s origin story: why she built Cherub
• How she approaches angel investing and the lessons she’s learned
• What makes a great angel pitch (and what doesn’t)
• The realities of being an accredited investor
• Why representation in funding isn’t just moral, it’s market-changing

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Angel Investments

02:49 Jaclyn’s Journey as a Founder and Investor

05:41 Understanding Angel Investors vs. Venture Capitalists

08:28 The Role of Angel Advisors

11:23 Building Relationships with Angels

14:15 The Power of Brand Fame

17:25 Cherub’s Mission and Deal Flow

20:07 Educating Angels and Standardizing Investments

23:13 Creating Effective Fundraising Pages

26:12 The Role of Analytics in Fundraising

29:04 Onboarding Founders to Cherub

32:01 Connecting with Angels: Best Practices

35:03 Diversifying the Investment Landscape

37:58 The Future of Angel Investing

40:35 Special Offers for Founders on Cherub

Guest Bio

Jaclyn Johnson is the founder of Cherub and creator of Create & Cultivate, which she scaled to an eight-figure exit while reshaping how brands and communities support female entrepreneurs. Named a Forbes 30 Under 30 and an Adweek Disruptor, Jaclyn is an angel investor and advisor to companies including Away, Live Tinted, and Chillhouse. She’s dedicated to making capital and community more accessible for underrepresented founders while equipping the next generation of women entrepreneurs to scale.

Who Should Listen

• Founders raising their first angel round
• Entrepreneurs seeking representation and resources
• People curious about Angel Investing and how to get started
• Operators looking to understand the angel landscape

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

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What if founders could get the right advisor, investor, or board talent exactly when they need it, before they even ask?

In this episode, Breen Sullivan (Founder & CEO, The Fourth Effect; longtime startup GC and board leader) lays out how AI is changing founder access: surfacing who you need and when, structuring “fit-for-purpose” advisory and board relationships, and turning connections into outcomes.

We unpack why traditional networks leave too many founders behind, how to make boards growth drivers (not just governance), and how smarter, dynamic advisory models can lift retention, capital access, and founder resilience.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Boards and Advisories

02:49 The Role of Community in Startups

05:33 Understanding Advisory Boards

08:12 The Impact of AI on Advisory Boards

11:05 Fit for Purpose: Dynamic Advisory Relationships

14:03 Navigating Advisor Roles and Responsibilities

16:27 The Importance of Early Advisory Engagement

19:32 Leveraging Advisors for Fundraising

22:15 The Fourth Effect Platform Overview

24:58 Connecting Founders with Advisors

27:42 The Future of Advisory Boards and Capital Raising

Breen Sullivan

Breen Sullivan is Founder & CEO of The Fourth Effect and a seasoned startup executive, board member, and former General Counsel across high-growth companies. She focuses on building inclusive, ROI-driven boards and advisory networks that strengthen execution, fundraising, and leadership. She’s a leading voice on board diversity, founder access, and equitable innovation.

The Fourth Effect

Who Should Listen

• Founders building advisory benches and early boards
• Operators/execs considering advisor or independent director roles
• Angels and VCs exploring advisor-investor models
• Builders designing AI-assisted founder support workflows

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

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How integrative care, AI, and behavior design are reshaping health: prevention-first, data you own, and systems busy founders can stick to.

Founders are optimizing everything, except their health. Quick fixes don’t scale, and siloed care leaves people guessing.

In this episode, Dr. Erik Reis, Co-Founder & Director of Health & Wellness at Nobody Studios and founder of The Neural Connection, maps a practical path to holistic, evidence-based wellness. We cover prevention vs. reaction, integrating Eastern + Western approaches, what data you should actually track, and how startups can build credible wellness products without the hype. If you’re building or buying health tech, or just trying to perform at a high level, this is your playbook.

If you’re a founder, operator, or investor in health, performance, or longevity, this one’s for you.

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chapter titles

00:00 Introduction to Holistic Health and Medicine

01:20 Dr. Erik’s Journey into Healthcare

03:43 The Role of Technology in Healthcare

09:29 The Importance of Preventative Care

12:39 Integrating Eastern and Western Medicine

16:51 Empowering Patients through Technology

20:59 Behavioral Change in Health Management

23:51 The Influence of Genetics and Lifestyle on Health

25:36 Harnessing Technology for Health Management

27:54 The Role of Data in Healthcare

29:37 Collaboration and Innovation in Healthcare

31:29 The Basics of Longevity and Health

33:42 The Future of Startups in Health and Wellness

Dr. Erik Reis

Co-Founder & Director of Health & Wellness, Nobody Studios; Founder, The Neural Connection (integrative neuro clinic). Erik specializes in complex neuro cases and scalable wellness systems that blend traditional therapies, modern neuroscience, and practical behavior design. His through-line: teach people to own their data, build prevention into daily life, and use tech to amplify, not replace, human care.

Connect with Dr. Erik Reis:

Nobody Studios

The Neural Connection Clinic

Dr. Erik Reis - LinkedIn

Who should listen

• Seed–Series B founders optimizing health/performance
• Healthtech builders aiming for evidence-based products
• Operators/investors evaluating prevention and longevity plays

Music Credit: 

“Neptuno” - Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

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OpenAI’s latest “Zapier-killer” headlines were sobering, but Adam Robinson already did the unthinkable: he removed every human from RB2B, a $6M ARR SaaS, for seven days and let AI agents run sales, support, and onboarding, zero intervention.

The outcome?

Revenue growth held (+4%/mo), 96.6% answer accuracy in sales chats, and 89% support resolution with no customer meltdowns.

In this conversation, Adam unpacks:

• The real playbook behind the stunt
• Why he designs his business to fit AI tools (not the other way around)
• How great documentation and Intercom Fin “guidance” drive resolution,
• Where agent workflows replace repetitive tickets,
• Why he’s doubling down on PLG, freemium, and simplicity, even in a high-churn category.

We get into transparency, customer expectations, and why a profitable, small team can now beat over-tooled incumbents.

Also: Yes, the week he “disappeared,” Adam was off-grid at Burning Man.

Subscribe now

Chapters

00:00 Why agents now (and the OpenAI “Zapier-killer” moment)
02:06 From Lehman Brothers to bootstrapped SaaS operator
04:56 The 7-day no-humans experiment: scope & safeguards
09:07 Build-to-AI: shaping product so agents can handle the work
12:50 Lean, profitable, small: the appeal of a high-margin micro-org
17:35 Adapting process to tools (not tools to process)
23:06 Intercom Fin “guidance,” escalations, and transparency
25:44 Churn reality: category dynamics and buyer persona
30:10 Agent workflows: auto-diagnosing email invites (SendGrid)
34:05 Feedback loops: weekly founder calls and customer insights
39:19 Human connection vs. agent efficiency in 2025
42:33 Embracing imperfection—and why “simple wins”

Guest Bio

Adam Robinson is Founder & CEO of Retention.com and RB2B. He bootstrapped Retention.com from $0 to $22M ARR in four years and previously built Robly to an eight-figure exit. A former CDS trader at Lehman Brothers/Barclays, he now builds lean, profitable SaaS—and publishes the receipts.

Who Should Listen

• SaaS founders optimizing for profitability over headcount
• Operators implementing AI in sales, support, and onboarding
• Investors tracking agentic automation and PLG at scale
• Builders designing “self-running” products and processes

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

Access All Areas.

• Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTube
• Subscribe: Substack
• Community & Events: Founders Circle
• Connect: LinkedIn
• Socials: TikTok || Instagram || X
• Web: startupsdecoded.com

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How LLMs are rewriting application security: less false positives, faster triage, and real-world founder playbooks.

Founders are sprinting on AI—attackers are too. Traditional security tools drown teams in alerts and miss the real threats. 

In this episode, Almanax founder & CEO Francesco Piccoli breaks down AI-native application security: how LLMs detect logic bugs legacy scanners miss, cut up to 90% of noise, and triage vulnerabilities at the pace you ship. We cover where “shift-left” falls short, how to operationalize low-friction code scanning in GitHub, and what legal/compliance leaders expect before they’ll sign your deal.

If you’re building or buying AI-accelerated software as a founder, CTO, or security lead, this is the playbook.

Chapters

00:00 AI-Native Security: Why It Matters Now
01:19 Francesco’s Path to AppSec
05:26 Why Legacy Tools Miss Real Bugs
10:48 The Cat-and-Mouse Reality of Cyber
15:46 Legal & Compliance: What Founders Owe
20:34 Founder Best Practices (Week-1 Checklist)
28:46 Cutting 90% of Alert Noise
36:32 Making Security Usable for Devs
39:45 When Breaches Happen: First Calls
41:53 Wrap-Up + Next Steps

Francesco Piccoli

Founder and CEO of Almanax, joins us to unpack how his team is building AI-native systems to catch 5x more bugs while cutting 90% of the noise. We talk about the future of application security, why shift-left isn’t enough anymore, and how triaging vulnerabilities at scale requires a new kind of intelligence.

Who Should Listen

• Seed–Series B founders shipping fast on AI-native stacks
• Eng leaders drowning in SAST/DAST false positives
• Security & compliance owners prepping for SOC 2 / ISO 27001

Music Credit: 

"Neptuno" - Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

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• Community & Events: Founders Circle
• Connect: 

Need clarity on fundraising, strategy, or scaling? 

You can book me, Andy Walsh, directly on Hubble for focused 1:1 advice. 15, 30, or 45 minutes no fluff, just solutions.

Head to hubble.social/AndyWalsh

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In this episode of Startups Decoded, Andy Walsh talks with Charlie Hills, a global leader in LinkedIn growth strategy.

AI is rewriting LinkedIn, and Charlie Hills has the receipts. In 466 days, he went from zero to 100k+ followers and ranked #1 worldwide for LinkedIn Growth. We break down the exact AI-led playbook: repeatable content systems, scroll-stopping visuals, audience targeting, repurposing loops, and lead-magnet funnels that turn attention into revenue.

If you want your LinkedIn to stand out and convert in 2025, this is the blueprint.

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• Community & Events: Founders Circle
• Connect: LinkedIn
• Socials: TikTok || Instagram || X
• Web: startupsdecoded.com

Charlie Hills

Charlie Hills is the Founder of Linked Agency and a global leader in LinkedIn growth strategy. 

In 2024, he scaled his following to 50k+ in under one year, and by early 2025, he surpassed 100k+ followers in just 466 days. Ranked #1 worldwide for LinkedIn Growth, Charlie blends AI tools with proven content frameworks to help brands and individuals grow faster, engage deeper, and convert more effectively.

Linked Agency

Linked Agency helps founders, executives, and creators dominate LinkedIn using AI-powered content strategies. Through bespoke content plans, engagement systems, and visual optimisation, Linked Agency enables clients to scale their reach, build authority, and drive inbound opportunities without spending countless hours on content creation.

Music Credit: “Neptuno” - Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to LinkedIn and Personal Bran

Need clarity on fundraising, strategy, or scaling? 

You can book me, Andy Walsh, directly on Hubble for focused 1:1 advice. 15, 30, or 45 minutes no fluff, just solutions.

Head to hubble.social/AndyWalsh

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Algorithms are wringing creators dry. In this inspiring S2 episode, Linktree co-founder & CCO Nick Humphreys ($167M raised; 70M+ users) lays out the new playbook: AI that amplifies your voice, owning your audience over chasing vanity metrics, and revenue that holds when the feed goes quiet. 

If you’re rebuilding your 2025 content stack, start here.

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Nick Humphreys is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Linktree, one of the world’s fastest-growing tech platforms enabling creators, brands, and businesses to connect their audiences to everything they offer, on one simple, customizable page. With a background in digital strategy and design, Nick has been instrumental in shaping Linktree’s distinctive brand and product experience, used by over 50 million users globally.

Launched in 2016, Linktree pioneered the “link in bio” category, transforming how people share content and monetize their presence online. From musicians and creators to global enterprises, Linktree empowers users to unify their digital ecosystem with clarity, creativity, and control. Linktree has raised approximately $167 million USD in total across its funding rounds.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Linktree and Its Impact

01:52 The Early Days of Linktree

06:19 Navigating the Startup Landscape

11:03 Product Evolution and User Insights

17:12 Understanding User Needs and Prioritization

21:05 Monetization Strategies and Future Directions

25:24 Navigating Audience Ownership and Monetization

26:50 Adapting to Rapid Changes in Content Creation

29:12 Integrating New Tools for Growth

31:12 Balancing Functionality and User Experience

34:18 The Future of Content Management Systems

38:21 Insights for Founders on Using Linktree

Music Credit:

"Neptuno" - Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

Takeaways

Linktree started as a solution to a problem for musicians.

The evolution of Linktree's product has been driven by user feedback.

Understanding the user base is crucial for product development.

Linktree serves a diverse range of users, from celebrities to local businesses.

Prioritizing features for a broad audience is a constant challenge.

Monetization and audience ownership are key focuses for Linktree.

The f

Need clarity on fundraising, strategy, or scaling? 

You can book me, Andy Walsh, directly on Hubble for focused 1:1 advice. 15, 30, or 45 minutes no fluff, just solutions.

Head to hubble.social/AndyWalsh