How OnTop made every employee an AI operator — without a single layoff | Maria Camila Ramirez, COO

The Mental Filter Every Founder Needs in 2026 | Sebastian Haas - Talon.One

Most founders are drowning in noise. New AI tools every week. New frameworks every month. New "must-do" advice every scroll. Sebastian Haas built a filter that ignores almost all of it - and it's how he scaled Talon.One to 300 people across 55 nationalities, powering loyalty for Adidas, Sephora, KFC, Nordstrom and Joe & The Juice. In this episode, Shamil sits down with Sebastian to unpack the way he actually thinks. Not the founder myth. The real operating system behind 10 years of building without burning out, without selling out, and without chasing a single hype cycle. What you'll take from this conversation: - The exact questions Sebastian asks before Talon.One adopts any new tool, trend, or AI feature - and why most founders skip them - Why he killed AI features his own team wanted to ship, and what he replaced them with instead - How "we'll be a 20-person company" became a 300-person global business - and why that mindset is the reason it worked - The "no silos" principle that keeps a 55-nationality team from collapsing into politics - Why building for an exit corrupts the product, and what to optimize for instead - The founder transition nobody talks about: going from doing-it-all to alignment-first, and why most founders break here - Why loyalty - not customer acquisition - is the real marketing battle of the next decade If you're a founder who's tired of the hype cycle and just wants to build something that actually lasts, this one is for you. 👇  CONNECT  SEBASTIAN HAAS Sebastian Haas ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/haas-sebastian/ Talon.One ► https://www.talon.one/ 👇  CONNECT  WITH  SHAMIL Shamil Malachiyev ►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. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:24 - Scaling TalonOne to 300 people across 55 nationalities 03:07 - Holding culture together when half the team is remote 11:42 - Why loyalty is replacing acquisition as the marketing battleground 14:46 - The future of personalization (and why "happy birthday coupons" don't count) 18:08 - Data privacy, consent, and the trust contract with customers 20:36 - How Sebastian followed his girlfriend to Berlin and ended up in startups 23:41 - Watching his first agency get acquired - and what he learned 27:14 - The "no silos" principle that runs TalonOne 32:52 - RapidApe: the TV analytics company that got acquired by ProSiebenSat.1 37:11 - Why building for an exit ruins the product 42:23 - From control-freak founder to alignment-first CEO 46:46 - Would AI tools have changed everything 10 years ago? 48:33 - The anti-hype framework: how Sebastian decides what AI to ignore 54:26 - Final advice for founders drowning in tech news #FoundersCode #DataGovernance #PrivacyTech #StartupStories #Founder #Entrepreneurship #Bootstrap

The Perfect Exit, Founder Stress & Why "Nice Guys" Fail | Bart Vandekerckhove - Collibra

He quit his job at a multi-billion dollar company with nothing but a half-formed idea, zero technical knowledge, and a conviction that privacy would matter. For almost a year, Bart Vandekerckhove tried to sell a product that didn't exist - without a CTO, without a prototype, and without anyone taking him seriously. Then he built Raito into a real company and sold it back to the very place he left. In this episode: - Why Bart resigned during COVID with a mortgage, wife, and two kids - Selling enterprise software for a year with no CTO and no product - The chair-throwing moment that taught him everything about leadership - How corporate politics secretly control your entire sales cycle - His mother's advice about giving his wife equity (and why he regrets ignoring it) - The motorcycle cliff metaphor that explains how founders self-sabotage - Why "Plan B" relationships with competitors saved his exit - Three pieces of advice for experienced professionals starting their first company Chapters: 00:00 - Meet Bart: Data Governance Explained Simply 03:07 - What Data Governance Actually Means 07:19 - The Idea That Became Raito 10:51 - Starting a Company With Zero Technical Knowledge 14:22 - Almost a Year Without a CTO 17:40 - From Daydreamer to Founder 19:30 - Finding a Co-Founder Who's Your Opposite 21:12 - The Values That Kept Them Together 23:40 - Kind vs. Nice: A Founder's Distinction 25:29 - The Chair-Throwing Moment 28:54 - How Corporate Experience Helps (and Doesn't) 30:18 - Political Capital: The Hidden Sales Variable 36:19 - First Customers and the Drug of Closing Deals 37:21 - Fundraising: When to Raise and What to Know First 40:46 - The Three Mentors Who Shaped Everything 46:25 - Building to Exit vs. Selling Back to Collibra 49:32 - Networking as an Introvert 51:35 - Relationships, Family, and the Spillover 53:31 - Operating Under Uncertainty 56:33 - The Motorcycle Cliff: Where You Look Is Where You Go 1:01:23 - Advice for Experienced Professionals Starting a Company 1:04:16 - What the Next Five Years Hold 👇  CONNECT  WITH BART VANDEKERCKHOVE Bart Vandekerckhove ►https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartvandekerckhove/ Colibra ► https://www.collibra.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. #FoundersCode #DataGovernance #PrivacyTech #StartupStories #Founder #Entrepreneurship #Bootstrap

How OnTop made every employee an AI operator — without a single layoff | Maria Camila Ramirez, COO

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

Why I Built an AI Wealth Advisor in 2016 (And What's Next) | Cyrus Fazel of SwissBorg

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

Building Better Software: The Role of the AI Architect | Albert Santalo | Archie Lab

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/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertsantalo/]Archie Labs ► https://www.archielabs.com/ [https://www.archielabs.com/] 👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMILShamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev [http://www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev]FluidLabs ► https://fluidlabs.com/ [https://fluidlabs.com/]