She went from ops analyst to COO — without an MBA, without a safety net, and while her mom was going through cancer treatment.

Maria Camila Ramirez is the Chief Operating Officer of OnTop — a YC-backed global payroll and fintech platform that helps companies hire and pay people anywhere in the world. In just a few years, she grew from founding team member to leading the company's financial infrastructure, AI transformation, and new product launches.

In this episode, we go deep on what it actually takes to lead from the inside — and what most people never see.

What we cover:

→ How Camila went from Accenture consultant to COO of a $17M+ ARR startup

→ The real role of a COO — why it's the hardest job in the company

→ How OnTop built a company-wide AI culture without laying off a single person

→ Managing stress, cancer in the family, and high pressure — all at once

→ The startup growth arc: family → village → city and what breaks at each stage

→ Imposter syndrome as the youngest leader in the room

→ Why she turned down Stanford MBA — and what she learned instead

→ The therapy, psychedelics, and coaching that changed how she leads

→ How to find mentors and take career leaps with nothing to lose

"We are building the global bank for the future of work." — Maria Camila Ramirez

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction & Welcome 

01:04 – What is OnTop? Building the financial infrastructure for remote work 

04:35 – The reality of the COO role vs. the CEO role 

08:39 – How to make every employee an AI operator (without layoffs) 

12:28 – The 3 non-negotiable qualities of a successful startup executive 

15:10 – "Organized Chaos": Managing extreme stress and personal hardships 

22:54 – Independence, family dynamics, and the drive to be self-made 

29:51 – Why "Work-Life Balance" is a myth (Adopt Work-Life Integration instead) 

33:27 – The exact stages of a startup: From "Family" to "Village" and beyond 

44:29 – Executive coaching, psychedelics, & separating your identity from your job 

51:29 – Why Camila abandoned her Stanford MBA application to stay at OnTop 

54:41 – Final advice for young professionals: Know yourself & find a mentor 

👇  CONNECT  WITH MARIA CAMILA RAMIREZ

Maria Camila Ramirez ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariacamilaramirezr/ 

Ontop ► https://www.getontop.com/ 

👇  CONNECT  WITH  SHAMIL

Shamil Malachiyev ► [www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev](http://www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev)

FluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.com/

🎙  LISTEN to The Founder’s Code on

Spotify -  https://open.spotify.com/show/7v6YOQ77R1xzbOiiHsDawd

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-s-code/id1797768317

🔔 Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE for more unfiltered conversations with the founders and engineers building the future of tech.

#founders #startup #COO #ycombinator #fintech #AI #leadership #entrepreneurship #remotework #founderstory

How does a family's total financial loss inspire a multi-million dollar crypto ecosystem? In this episode, Shamil Malachiyev sits down with Cyrus Fazel, founder and CEO of SwissBorg.

Cyrus shares his incredible journey from growing up in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution to spending eight years in hedge funds , and eventually raising $52 million through one of the biggest community-driven ICOs in crypto history.

We dive deep into the psychology of successful founders, why Cyrus believes solo founders are destined to fail , and how he and his co-founder lived together for years just to keep their company alive.

Plus, Cyrus breaks down the major blockchains using a fascinating "religion" analogy and reveals how AI is shaping the future of decentralized wealth management.If you want to understand the grit it takes to survive crypto winters and build products that last, this episode is for you.

Chapters

00:00 - Intro & What is SwissBorg?

02:07 - Cyrus's Origin Story: Losing Everything in the Iranian Revolution

04:46 - Street Smarts vs. Harvard Smarts

10:26 - Leaving Hedge Funds to Change the World

15:19 - The "Revenge on Life" That Fuels Entrepreneurs

23:15 - Why Solo Founders Fail (The Ninja Turtles Rule)

27:48 - Living with Your Co-Founder After Raising $52 Million

35:27 - Navigating Crypto Cycles & The Rise of Solana

40:06 - The "Religions" of Crypto: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana Explained

45:13 - Surviving Bear Markets & Maintaining Company Culture

48:37 - How AI is Transforming SwissBorg (The Cyborg Advisor)

59:49 - Final Advice: Invest in Your Identity

👇 CONNECT WITH CYRUS FAZEL

Cyrus Fazel ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusfazelmrfintech/

SwissBorg ► https://swissborg.com/

👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMIL

Shamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev FluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.com/

#FoundersCode #TechStartups #Bootstrapping #OpenSource #RemoteWork #AI #APIs #Entrepreneurship

Software development as we know it is evolving. In this episode of The Founder's Code, Shamil Malachiyev sits down with Albert Santalo — a computer scientist, serial internet entrepreneur, and CEO of Archie Labs.

Albert breaks down why simply adding AI to old coding processes is like putting an electric battery in a combustion engine, and why we need a complete reimagining of how software is built. We dive deep into the rise of the "AI Architect," the death of low-code models, and why "Agentic AI" (AI-to-AI communication) will be more disruptive to business than the Industrial Revolution.

Beyond the tech, Albert shares brutal truths about the reality of startup life, how to avoid toxic Venture Capitalists, and the mindset shift required to force the universe to open massive doors for you.

Chapters

00:00 The Evolution of Software Development06:01 AI's Impact on Business Models11:48 Understanding AI: Conversational vs. Agentic17:14 Navigating Career Paths in the Age of AI23:08 The Journey of an Entrepreneur27:33 Lessons from Early Life Experiences30:24 Navigating the Venture Landscape34:09 Identifying Good and Bad VCs39:57 Staying Motivated Through Challenges43:36 The Role of Physical Fitness in Entrepreneurship46:45 Building a Strong Company Culture50:51 The Importance of Intellectual Curiosity56:58 Finding Purpose Beyond Financial Security01:01:07 Advice for New Graduates in a Changing World01:04:25 Faith in the Journey of Entrepreneurship

👇 CONNECT WITH ALBERT SANTALOAlbert Santalo ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertsantalo/Archie Labs ► https://www.archielabs.com/

👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMILShamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyevFluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.com/

In this episode of Founder’s Code, James Hirst — the co-founder and COO of tyke.io. James shares his unconventional journey of being a university dropout with no technical background who went on to help build a global API management platform used by some of the world's biggest institutions.We discuss why chasing VC funding headlines often leads to catastrophic business decisions , why corporate "hybrid" work turns remote employees into excluded freelancers , and how giving your core product away for free is actually the ultimate enterprise growth hack. James also explains why the rise of AI and LLMs means traditional coding skills are becoming far less important than creative problem-solving.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Tyk and Its Role in API Management02:52 James Hearst's Background and Growing Up in the UK05:49 Cultural Differences in Business Practices: UK vs. US08:39 Bootstrapping vs. VC Funding: A Founder's Perspective11:59 The Importance of Attention and Decision-Making in Business14:48 The Open Source Model: Benefits and Business Strategies17:34 Navigating the Open Source Landscape and Licensing20:45 Building Trust with Enterprise Clients through Open Source23:40 The Future of Open Source in Business29:44 Co-Founding Relationships: The Dynamics of Partnership30:47 The Journey Begins: From Consultancy to Co-Founding33:54 Navigating Tough Conversations: The Co-Founder Dynamic38:57 Building a Remote-First Culture: Challenges and Strategies44:13 The Evolution of James: Lessons from Founding Tyke51:23 Understanding Team Dynamics: Communication and Profiling52:45 The Future of Technology: APIs and LLMs01:00:05 Advice for Aspiring Technologists: Embrace Problem Solving👇 CONNECT WITH JAMES HIRSTJames Hirst ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/hirstys/Tyk ► https://tyk.io/ 👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMILShamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyevFluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.tech/🔔 Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE for more unfiltered conversations with the founders and engineers building the future of tech.#FoundersCode #TechStartups #Bootstrapping #OpenSource #RemoteWork #AI #APIs #Entrepreneurship

Everyone is waiting for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) to arrive, but what if the entire narrative is a massive delusion?

In this episode of Founder’s Code, we sit down with Luke Hinds, creator of Sigstore (the cybersecurity tech used by Google and GitHub) and CEO of Always Further. Luke drops some hard truths that shatter the mainstream AI hype, explaining why AGI is fundamentally misunderstood and why fully autonomous AI agents will never actually work without a "human in the loop."

But there is a very real danger happening right now: cognitive atrophy. We discuss how AI coding tools are destroying the intuition of junior developers, why human trust cannot be automated by machines, and why the gritty "inflatable boxer" mindset is the only way to survive the tech startup world.

Chapters

00:00 The Rise of AI and Its Challenges

04:55 Understanding AGI and Its Implications

09:38 The Role of Humans in an AI-Driven World

14:43 Automation: Opportunities and Limitations

19:13 Lessons from Childhood and Entrepreneurship

24:31 The Importance of Resilience and Self-Development

29:19 Influences Beyond Family: Mentors and Life Lessons

31:36 Influential Figures in Life

36:52 The Importance of Perseverance

44:35 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

48:07 Support Systems and Their Impact

51:21 Qualities of True Friends

53:22 The Transactional Nature of Relationships

54:53 AI's Role in Personal Development

01:01:24 Navigating the Future with AI

👇 CONNECT WITH LUKE

Luke Hinds ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukehinds/

Always Further ► https://alwaysfurther.ai/

👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMIL

Shamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev

FluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.tech/

In this episode of Founder's Code, Mike Piccolo — founder of Motia Dev, talks about the uncomfortable shift most founders are ignoring.

He went from sweeping construction sites to orchestrating AI for enterprise. He lived through the framework wars. He knows that "learning to code" isn't the safety net it used to be.

This conversation isn’t about AI hype or the latest tools.

It’s about what happens when the cost of building software drops to zero, and the only leverage left is your ability to endure pain.

We talk about:

🔹 why the "AI Engineer" title is often meaningless

🔹 why the traditional SaaS business model is breaking

🔹 how a "chip on your shoulder" fuels more success than passion

🔹 why OpenAI downtime is now a national security threat

🔹 why physical labor taught him more about startups than college

This episode isn’t about how to use AI. It’s about how to survive the paradigm shift it’s creating.

In this episode, we sit down with Clara Bernardes, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Biorce. Clara and her team are on a mission to implode the pharmaceutical industry from the inside out by cutting the time it takes to bring life-saving drugs to market in half.We dive deep into the Founder’s Code: from the heartbreaking personal tragedy that served as the company’s "Patient Zero" to the controversial ethics of co-founding with a spouse and why you must be willing to fire the people you love to save the mission. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Biorce and the Pharmaceutical Industry01:55 The Lengthy Drug Development Process06:09 Clara's Journey as a Founder08:27 Personal Experiences Shaping Professional Goals11:30 The Impact of Personal Loss on Business Motivation18:31 Finding Purpose in Adversity21:00 The Challenges of Founding a Startup23:58 Working with a Spouse: Pros and Cons27:49 Navigating Relationships in a Startup34:00 Friendship vs. Business: A Controversial Topic34:26 Building a Company Culture43:34 Navigating Fundraising Challenges54:16 Choosing the Right Investors01:00:22 Vision for the Future of Healthcare👇 CONNECT WITH CLARAClara Bernardes ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/claramjbernardes/Biorce ► https://www.biorce.com/ 👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMILShamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyevFluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.tech/🎙 LISTEN to The Founder’s Code onSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7v6YOQ77R1xzbOiiHsDawdApple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-s-code/id1797768317🔔 Subscribe to The Founder’s Code for more deep dives into the minds of world-class builders.

In this episode of The Founder’s Code, Shamil Malachiyev sits down with Patrick Smith, a serial entrepreneur who faced 11 failed ventures before the age of 25. Today, Patrick is the founder of Zally, an applied AI research lab that is revolutionizing digital security by turning human behavior into "digital body language" for continuous authentication.

Patrick shares his incredible journey from scaling a DJ business to 1,000 jobs a year and exiting at age 18, to the brutal lessons learned from losing everything. We also dive deep into his "founder-athlete" lifestyle, including his 3:45 AM wake-up routine, carnivore diet, and the stoic mindset required to "dance in the rain" when things go wrong.

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Patrick Smith

02:22 Understanding Behavior and AI in Authentication

05:14 The Ideation Process Behind Zali08:28 Lessons from Early Entrepreneurship

11:28 The DJ Business and Scaling Success

14:29 Motivations and Influences in Entrepreneurship

17:30 Reflections on Personal Growth and Goals

19:58 The Importance of Self-Care and Routine

34:20 Embracing Challenges and Growth

35:46 The Power of Reflection and Creativity

37:24 Finding Focus Amidst Noise

40:52 Time Management and Productivity Techniques

42:45 Building Self-Confidence and Persistence

45:29 Navigating Loneliness as a Founder

50:31 The Importance of Community and Support

51:57 Controlling What You Can Control

53:54 Understanding Your Superpower

👇 CONNECT WITH PATRICK

Patrick Smith ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmoesmith/

Zally ► https://www.zally.com/

👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMIL

Shamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev

FluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.tech/

🔔 Subscribe to The Founder’s Code for more deep dives into the minds of world-class builders.

#Entrepreneurship #Zally #Cybersecurity #FounderMindset #AI #SuccessFactors #StartupLife #Biohacking #Resilience

In this episode of Founder's Code, Janus Klack-Matysen, Co-Founder & CDO of Pixelz, breaks down what actually happens when AI enters the core of your business — not as a tool, but as a direct competitor. Pixelz operates in a category many believed AI would wipe out first.Instead of fighting it, they rebuilt their model so AI became a multiplier, not a replacement.In this conversation, we cover:– Why some AI campaigns cost more than traditional production — and why brands still choose them– What AI really breaks inside a business (and what it doesn’t)– How Pixelz shifted from manual work to a human + AI operating system– Why “AI will make everything cheaper” is a misleading narrative– How to think about AI as infrastructure, not a shortcutThis is not an AI hype episode. It’s a real story about business pressure, structural change, and scaling through disruption.🎧 Watch the full episode to understand what AI actually changes — and how to build on top of it, instead of being replaced.

👇 CONNECT WITH JANUSJanus Klok Matthesen ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/janusklok/Pixelz ► https://www.pixelz.com/👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMILShamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyevFluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.tech/ 🎙 LISTEN to The Founder’s Code on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7v6YOQ77R1xzbOiiHsDawdApple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-s-code/id1797768317 🔔 Subscribe & hit the bell so you don’t miss the next episode.

In this episode of Founder’s Code, Laura Loughran — CEO & Founder of Factor Form and former product manager at IBM — talks about the real transition from corporate to CEO.We discuss leadership, solo founding, pressure that comes with ownership, people decisions, and why corporate experience doesn’t fully prepare you for building and running a company.This episode is for founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, product managers, and professionals thinking about leaving corporate to start a business.