Between Builds

Tiffany Haynes
  • 5.0 (6)
  • TECHNOLOGY

Between Builds is about the murky middle, that charged space between two bright moments when everything is in motion. For some, it's a quiet season to regroup; for others, it's a bold leap into something new or a complete reimagining. The 'next' looks different for everyone, but it's always an intentional build. In Season 1, we focus on fintech founders. Through candid, layered conversations with remarkable people, we explore what's taking shape, what's evolving, what's becoming the foundation for what comes next, and how they navigate it all.

Episodes

  1. 3D AGO

    When a Newsletter Becomes Infrastructure: Nick Milanovic on Building the Fintech Nervous System

    Most media stories skip what happens when a “side project” becomes the backbone of an entire industry. This one lives there. Nik Milanović didn’t set out to build fintech’s connective tissue. This Week in Fintech started as a simple weekly write-up - habit, a curiosity, a way to make sense of what was happening in the market. But somewhere between the late-night drafts, the exploding inbox, and the growing community, it turned into infrastructure: 10 newsletters, multiple podcasts, a global team, and now a 1,000-person conference shaping the future of stablecoins. But when your project becomes a platform, what does it demand from you? And who do you have to become to sustain it? In this Between Builds episode, Tiffany and Nik step into the in-between years when your public persona grows faster than your comfort zone, when parasocial expectations collide with introversion, and when the “mess in the kitchen” forces you to build a team that can do things you no longer have time to touch. Nick shares the discipline of saying no when everything looks like an opportunity, and why pressure is still a privilege. Tiffany brings her operator lens, exploring the chaos, identity shifts, and internal recalibration that define every founder’s quiet evolution. This is a story about building something bigger than yourself, unlearning the instinct to do everything alone, and trusting the next chapter long before you can see where it leads.

    44 min

  2. 12/24/2025

    Building While Becoming: Motherhood, Leadership, and the Work We Don’t Talk About

    In this episode of Between Builds, Tiffany sits down with Liang Zhao, CEO of Vansary and one of fintech’s most sought-after strategic communicators, for a candid look at what it really takes to lead, build, and show up in an industry that never slows down. They explore the professional realities behind the personal ones: how postpartum reshapes leadership style, how founders and operators navigate visibility while juggling childcare, why authenticity has become a competitive advantage in PR, and what it means to build a career with both ambition and boundaries. Liang shares how becoming a mother intensified her clarity as a CEO, how community support translates into better decision-making at work, and why transparency has become central to how she leads teams and clients. At its core, this episode is about working smarter, leading with intention, and recognizing that the “messy middle” isn’t a setback but the real operating environment for modern builders. What You’ll HearHow postpartum experiences influence leadership, communication, and executive presenceWhy authenticity is now a strategic asset in PR and fintechThe hidden decision-making load working moms carry — and how it impacts performanceHow founders balance visibility, client demands, and real-life constraintsWhy community support systems matter professionally, not just personallyThe surprising link between creativity (yes, even cooking) and better leadership clarityThe mindset shift from perfectionism to progress — and why it accelerates careers

    39 min

  3. 12/05/2025

    The Way Back to Fintech: Solar Lamps, Stablecoins, and Starting Over

    Most founder stories skip what happens after the exit. This one lives there.  Pete Glyman sold his first startup, Geezeo, after turning it into a platform used by over 10 million consumers and 500+ banks. But instead of jumping straight into his next fintech venture, he went somewhere nobody expected: hardware. Floating, solar-powered lamps. Prototypes. Manufacturing. Real-world constraints. After scaling a fintech company to millions of users, why build a lamp? In this Between Builds episode, Tiffany and Pete unpack the season between exits and new beginnings, when identity resets, experimentation begins, and the best ideas come from strange places. Pete shares how the physical world changed how he thinks about products, what pulled him back into fintech, and how he eventually founded Coinbax when the signal finally got loud enough. This is a story about resisting the pressure to “build fast,” learning to listen to instinct, and why sometimes the weird idea is exactly the one you need to find your way home.

    24 min

  4. 11/13/2025

    Money20/20 Edition: How Jordan (Atomic) and Darin (Chisel) Stay Human in the Chaos

    Tiffany Haynes sits down with Jordan Wright and Darin Petty to explore how you actually stay human while building something that’s never existed before. Recorded live at MoneyPot, this episode is pure kinetic energy — founders mid-build, mid-pivot, mid-life. They swap founder frameworks in real time: how to spot pain that’s worth solving, how to trust defiance over consensus, how to pivot without losing belief. Jordan breaks down how Atomic bet on a credential-free future when it made no sense—and how timing and persistence turned that “wrong” call into a defining moment. Darin shares how Chisel turned long-term certainty into short, high-impact sprints that teach, de-risk, and convert. In a rare vulnerable turn, the group gets into the emotional work of building: how to forgive, rebuild, and choose people over ego; how to live an integrated life where family, ambition, and community actually coexist. It’s not a play-by-play of what to build—but a raw conversation about how to keep building when the noise, fear, and fatigue hit hardest.

    36 min

  5. 10/17/2025

    From Newsrooms to New Rules: Nicole Casperson on Building Fintech Is Femme

    In this episode of Between Builds, Tiffany sits down with Nicole Casperson — journalist, founder of Fintech Is Femme, and author of Fintech Feminists to talk about what it really takes to carve your own lane in an industry that doesn’t always make room for new voices. From newsroom shifts to building a media platform and writing her first book, Nicole shares how she’s navigated the in-betweens: the uncertain seasons, the quiet coffee moments with her partner Anton, and the internal dialogue that shapes both identity and ambition. They unpack the lessons learned in balancing career pivots, creative freedom, and staying grounded while building something bigger than yourself. Along the way, Nicole reminds us that joy isn’t a byproduct of success — it’s the foundation for it. ☕ “Sometimes carving your own lane means letting go of the title — and holding tighter to your truth.”

    33 min

  6. TRAILER

    Between Builds Intro

    Hi, I’m Tiffany Haynes, and today I’m joined by my dear friend Liang to introduce Between Builds. This podcast is about the messy middle — the stretches between milestones where reflection, growth, and change happen. In this trailer, I share what inspired the show and what I hope it becomes for anyone navigating their own transition.

    7 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Between Builds is about the murky middle, that charged space between two bright moments when everything is in motion. For some, it's a quiet season to regroup; for others, it's a bold leap into something new or a complete reimagining. The 'next' looks different for everyone, but it's always an intentional build. In Season 1, we focus on fintech founders. Through candid, layered conversations with remarkable people, we explore what's taking shape, what's evolving, what's becoming the foundation for what comes next, and how they navigate it all.

Information

  • Creator
    Tiffany Haynes
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Tiffany Haynes
  • Show Website
    Between Builds