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 lean
• How Trustware helps wallets and apps simplify cross-chain ops
• Why team culture matters even more when the money’s tight
• What Jesse learned about founder storytelling while fundraising
• The value of persistence over polish in the early innings
  

LINKS:

Trustware: Website | X/(Twitter) | LinkedIn | Discord

Jesse Phillips: X/(Twitter) | LinkedIn

Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoneyNeverSleeps (website)

Email us: info@norioventures.com

Pete Townsend: X/Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode:MoneyNeverSleeps: X/Twitter | LinkedIn | Newsletter

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 everything

• The early signals from AI and how they mirror fintech’s formative years

• The conviction you need to invest at pre-seed when all you have is a deck, a founder, and a feeling

• The power of mindfulness, presence, and early-morning meditation

• Why stablecoins and tokenized assets are quietly rebuilding the financial rails from the inside out

This 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 | LinkedIn

Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoneyNeverSleeps (website)

Email us: info@norioventures.com

Pete Townsend: X/Twitter | LinkedIn

MoneyNeverSleeps: X/Twitter | LinkedIn | Newsletter

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 off
• That raw turning point moment at Web Summit 2022 when they knew the original plan wasn’t going to work
• What it took to get regulated and launch a platform built for the digitally-native, tech-savvy retail investor
• Why retail investors should have a front-row seat to venture capital opportunities—and how Shuttle is making that happen
  

This 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 Newsletter

Scott Ashmore: LinkedIn

Rob Halligan: LinkedIn

Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoneyNeverSleeps (website)

Email us: info@norioventures.com

Pete Townsend: X/Twitter | LinkedIn

MoneyNeverSleeps: X/Twitter | LinkedIn | Newsletter