MoneyNeverSleeps

• 297: Grit, Mud & $400K | Jesse Phillips | Trustware Co-Founder & CEO

  This week, I caught up with Jesse Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Trustware, and one of the most quietly determined founders I’ve ever backed.I invested in Jesse and his co-founder Jonathan Frazier through the Techstars Web3 accelerator in 2023, and since then, Trustware⁠ have done what most early-stage startups only dream of—shipping a real product, signing real customers, and generating real revenue… all on just $400K in capital and a team of six.In this conversation, Jesse and I get into what it really takes to build through the mud - when you’ve got more vision than runway, and the only way out of the mud is through the mud. We talk about the early decisions that shaped Trustware’s roadmap, the week Jesse had to tell his team he couldn’t promise their next paycheck, and why raising less money actually made them a stronger company.Trustware is building what Jesse calls “a switchboard for crypto” - a way for wallets and apps to exchange any asset for any other asset(s) across chains and identity layers. It’s a big vision with a deeply pragmatic approach - and one that’s already helping crypto-native teams clean up the mess under the hood.This one’s a masterclass in staying focused, tuning out the hype, and building for the long game.The early decision to bootstrap and stay leanHow Trustware helps wallets and apps simplify cross-chain opsWhy team culture matters even more when the money’s tightWhat Jesse learned about founder storytelling while fundraisingThe value of persistence over polish in the early inningsLINKS:Trustware:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn |  DiscordJesse Phillips:   X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn In this episode:MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

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• 296: The Unstoppable Founder | Allard Luchsinger from Techstars

  This week, I sat down with my longtime Techstars colleague and friend Allard Luchsinger, Managing Director of the ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator in Amsterdam.Allard and I have been on each other’s investment committees for years, so this conversation hits a bit differently. We’ve traded notes across dozens of startups, and we’ve seen each other call the shots on what makes an unstoppable founder. That theme became the golden thread through this episode.We get into Allard’s journey from building startups during the dot-com era, to co-founding a zero-commission trading platform years before Robinhood, to leading one of Europe’s most respected fintech accelerators. We also dig into:His experience investing in African fintech and why mobile-first changed everythingThe early signals from AI and how they mirror fintech’s formative yearsThe conviction you need to invest at pre-seed when all you have is a deck, a founder, and a feelingThe power of mindfulness, presence, and early-morning meditationWhy stablecoins and tokenized assets are quietly rebuilding the financial rails from the inside outThis one’s full of hard-earned wisdom from someone who knows both sides of the founder–investor equation, and delivers it all with a calm clarity that hits home.LINKS:Connect with Allard Luchsinger on LinkedIn ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator:  Website  |  LinkedInLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

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• 295: VC For the Rest of Us | Shuttle | Scott Ashmore and Rob Halligan

  This week, I’m joined by Scott Ashmore and Rob Halligan, co-founders of Shuttle - a platform giving individuals access to venture capital deals that have traditionally been reserved for the ultra-wealthy.Scott and Rob are best friends of 25 years, first-time founders, and the type of guys who rolled up their sleeves, built something that didn’t scale, tore it all down, and came back with something far more powerful - and regulated - with Shuttle.We get into:Their early days of investing together that kicked it all offThat raw turning point moment at Web Summit 2022 when they knew the original plan wasn’t going to workWhat it took to get regulated and launch a platform built for the digitally-native, tech-savvy retail investorWhy retail investors should have a front-row seat to venture capital opportunities—and how Shuttle is making that happenThis is a story of friendship, frustration with the status quo, and the belief that access to financial upside shouldn’t be limited by your net worth.Learn more about Shuttle: Shuttle enables busy professionals to co-invest alongside well-known venture capital firms, regardless of their knowledge, network or net worth. Since launching in December last year, they've already enabled their customers to invest alongside 15 VC funds.LINKS:Shuttle:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn |  Unsophisticated Investor NewsletterScott Ashmore:  LinkedInRob Halligan:  LinkedInLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

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• 294: Superteams, Startups and Stablecoins - Solana’s Bet on Ireland

  This week, I’m joined once again by Alejandro Gutierrez, now officially leading Solana Superteam Ireland, a new initiative powered by the Solana Foundation to accelerate Web3 innovation across the entire island of Ireland.In this conversation, Alejandro and I go deep on how Solana Superteam Ireland came to life, why the momentum is building so quickly, and what this means for Ireland as a Web3 hub.Alejandro shares how he went from convincing Dogpatch Labs to give him a table and a few chairs to creating a thriving Talent Hub that’s now attracting builders every Friday. That energy evolved into the Dublin BuildStation, a collaborative space supporting 19 project submissions to the recent Solana Colosseum Hackathon.From stablecoin payments and agentic AI to health tech and startup funding, we talk about the intersection of talent, ecosystem development, and the future of digital finance on Solana in Ireland.In this episode:How Alejandro kicked off Solana Superteam Ireland from the ground upThe role of Dogpatch Labs and Solana Foundation in backing Irish buildersWhy Ireland is uniquely positioned for Web3 leadershipThe Dublin BuildStation and how it supports foundersEmerging verticals in Solana: payments, AI, and healthcareThe potential for a silent stablecoin revolution in the Irish payments landscapeThe importance of community, continuity, and open collaborationWhat’s next: Dublin Startup Village, university engagement, and moreEVENTS:Dublin Tech Week - May 23rd- 30th, 2025 - full event listingCryptoMondays Ireland with ETHDublin, Solana Superteam Ireland & Techstars - 26th May 2025Techstars Web3 2025 Demo Day at NYTechWeek (NYC) - 4th June 2025LINKS:Solana Superteam Ireland:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedInAlejandro Gutierrez: X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedInLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

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• 293: Building Bridges: Simon Brown on Ethereum’s Cultural Gravity and Consensys Network State

  Simon Brown joins me to share how his role at Consensys has evolved since his last appearance in January 2024 and why he’s now leading the charge on the Consensys Network State. It’s all about reconnecting the sprawl of the Ethereum ecosystem, reinforcing the cultural gravity that made Ethereum magical in the first place, and creating a more cohesive network of builders, founders, and ecosystem experts.In this episode, we dive into how the Consensys Network State initiative is setting the stage for Ethereum’s next decade, how it’s bridging gaps between projects and people, and what it means for the future of decentralized coordination. We also get into some big-picture thinking around the evolution of Ethereum, the rise of network states, stablecoin growth, and what it takes to keep that cultural gravity intact as Ethereum continues to grow.Resources Mentioned:Sobol Agreements ProtocolConsensys Network State Flashbots BuilderNetPectra UpgradeConnect with Simon Brown and Consensys:Simon Brown: X(Twitter) |  LinkedIn  |  MediumConsensys:  Website  |  X(Twitter) Leave a review and subscribe onApple PodcastsSpotifyMoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] with Pete Townsend and MoneyNeverSleeps:Pete Townsend: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

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