Builders

Mahmoud Khodor
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In-depth conversations with top product leaders and entrepreneurs uncovering practical insights, strategies, and real-world experiences to help you build better products and businesses.

  1. 1D AGO

    The Choice to Die Before Your Body Does | Dan Ariely

    In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with world-renowned behavioral scientist and bestselling author Dan Ariely. While Dan is famous for his work on rational (and irrational) decision-making, our conversation takes an unexpected and profound turn into the psychology of the end of life.Dan shares his unique perspective as both a scientist and an end-of-life doula, reflecting on how our final chapters color the entirety of our existence. We discuss the "unexamined life," why we are so risk-averse in our romantic relationships, and the powerful legacy left behind by his mother. Whether you are looking to live more intentionally or seeking comfort in the face of life’s biggest questions, this episode offers a freeing look at what it means to be human.Learn more about Dan: https://danariely.com/Chapters0:00 - Emotional Opening: The difficulty of the unexamined life0:18 - Redefining Quality of Life: Palliative care and the 5-year study9:30 - The End-of-Life Doula: The 5 pillars of a "good death"11:55 - The Marriage Metaphor: Why the end colors everything16:15 - Personal Stories: Choosing dignity and stopping treatment27:50 - Legacy and Parents: Lessons from Dan’s mother42:10 - The Psychology of Risk: Why we are afraid to change46:40 - The Romantic Gap: Why we underperform in love51:45 - 4 Tools for an Examined Life: Yearly audits and artistic outlets1:00:15 - Final Thoughts and Where to Find Dan

    1h 1m

  2. APR 23

    Why Explaining Your Position is the Fastest Way to Lose | Chris Voss

    "If you’re explaining, you’re losing." In this episode, we sit down with legendary FBI hostage negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss. He reveals why your "elevator pitch" is likely failing, how to use the power of "No" to get what you want, and the neuroscience-backed secrets to winning any business deal or fixing any relationship.Chris shares his "Accusations Audit" technique and explains why emotional intelligence—not logic—is the true key to human persuasion. If you've ever felt like you were "vomiting words" in a high-pressure meeting, this conversation is your antidote.Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.mahmoudkhodor.comConnect with Chris Voss:🌐 Website: blackswanltd.com📘 Book: Never Split the DifferenceIn this episode, you’ll learn:Why silence is your most powerful diagnostic tool.How to disarm an adversary by letting them "mentor" you.The "HALT" method for knowing exactly when to walk away from a deal.🕒 Episode Chapters00:00 – The 6-Second Rule: Why Explaining is Losing01:24 – The Sequencing Secret: Listening vs. Explaining02:41 – The Power of "That’s Right" and Being Corrected03:52 – Logic vs. Emotion: What Actually Drives Decisions?05:51 – The Academic Trap: Why Being "Eloquent" Fails06:30 – How to Fix Your Elevator Pitch (The Accusations Audit)07:43 – The Inoculation Effect: Warning People of "Harsh" News10:19 – How Chris Voss Disarmed Kevin O’Leary at a Staircase13:00 – Lessons from the Philippines: The "Team" on the Other Side16:34 – The Power of the Obvious Question18:52 – Why You Should Start with "No" (The Autonomy Principle)21:23 – Case Study: Using "No" to Save an FBI Career23:37 – What Emotions Are People Most Blind To?25:20 – 3 Steps to Becoming a Better Negotiator Tomorrow28:14 – Weaponizing Your Name: The "I'm Chris" Technique30:06 – Labeling: The Neuroscience of Diminishing Fear34:02 – Influence vs. Manipulation: What’s the Difference?35:20 – When to Walk Away: Identifying "H.A.L.F." Clients38:58 – How Negotiation Skills Can Take You to Private Jets

    41 min

  3. APR 14

    Is MENA VC Entering a Market Reset? | Philip Bahoshy

    In this episode, I sit down with Philip Bahoshy, founder & CEO of Magnitt, to break down what’s really happening to venture capital in MENA amid rising geopolitical tensions.We’re recording this at a critical moment, and the big question is:Are we on the verge of losing an entire generation of startups?Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.mahmoudkhodor.comGet reports from https://magnitt.com/Follow Philip for more insights on MENA VC https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipbahoshy/We go deep into:- Why late-stage funding gets hit first in every crisis- The hidden cracks in the MENA startup ecosystem- What founders should do in the next 30–90 days- Where the real opportunities are (AI, infrastructure, defense, and more)- Whether sovereign funds can replace international capitalIf you’re a founder, investor, or operator in MENA, this is essential listening.00:00 Are we entering a funding freeze?02:30 What actually breaks during a crisis06:10 Why late-stage funding collapses first07:20 What founders should do now09:20 The risk of losing a generation of startups21:20 Where the real opportunities are (AI & infrastructure)24:20 Why exits and liquidity will slow down30:20 Can sovereign capital save MENA VC?

    45 min

  4. APR 5

    Why Most Leaders Become the Bottleneck - Alain Bejjani

    In this episode, I sit down with Alain Bejjani, former Group CEO of Majid Al Futtaim, one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East operating multi-billion dollar businesses across retail, real estate, and entertainment.We break down what actually happens when companies scale — and why most leaders unknowingly become the biggest bottleneck in their own organization.This is not theory. This is how leadership, decision-making, culture, and power really work inside a $10B+ company.We cover: Why founders and executives become bottlenecksThe real role of leadership vs governanceCentralization vs decentralization (and when each fails)Why office politics are unavoidableHow great CEOs think about talent, performance, and potentialWhat actually destroys large companiesIf you're a founder, product leader, or operator — this will change how you think about leadership.⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Intro: Leading at $10B scale01:00 – Startups vs conglomerates: what really changes04:30 – The leadership bottleneck problem07:30 – “Your business is not your baby”10:30 – Incentives: salary vs equity13:15 – The reality of office politics15:10 – Centralization vs empowerment20:20 – How CEOs allocate capital29:20 – Hiring, promotion & CEO judgment32:45 – What destroys companies

    44 min

  5. APR 1

    From Family Legacy to Fintech Leader - Gaurav Dhar

    Join me on this episode of Future Money as I sit down with Gaurav Dhar, Group CEO of Marshall Fintech Partners and early backer of Tabby—MENA’s first fintech unicorn. We dive into how he transformed a 40-year family payments business into a regional tech powerhouse across 18 countries, why Dubai’s rise to global fintech hub has also made it a target for fraud, and his bold predictions on AI “cannibalizing” entire industries. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, you’ll walk away with actionable insights on building unfair advantages, spotting emerging trends 6-12 months early, and navigating the next wave of disruption.🔑 Key Takeaways & SEO Keywords:- Fintech ecosystem in MENA- Family business transformation- AI disruption in finance- Angel investing & Tabby insights- Dubai as a global tech hub👍 Enjoyed this deep dive?• Smash that Like button• Subscribe for weekly expert interviews• Drop your questions in the Comments• Connect with Gaurav on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaurav-dhar00:00 Intro & Welcome 01:05 Who Is Gaurav Dhar & His Fintech Journey 04:20 Origins: Marshall Fintech Partners in the ’80s 08:15 Transforming a Legacy Family Business 12:30 Scaling Across 18 Countries 16:10 Dubai’s Evolution into a Global Fintech Hub 19:45 Why Fraud Is Now a Major Threat 23:20 Angel Investing 600+ Startups 27:50 Early Lessons from Tabby’s Unicorn Path 32:10 How to Spot 6-Month Market Leads 35:30 Predictions: M&A Trends Next 3–5 Years 38:45 The Future of Fintech Layers by Industry 42:10 AI Cannibalizing Entire Industries 45:50 Building an Unfair Advantage in Fintech 49:05 How to Get Involved with Angel Spark & Mina Fintech 52:15 Closing Thoughts & Next Steps

    53 min

  6. APR 1

    Why Growth Suddenly Dies And How to Fix It | Samer ElSahn

    In this episode, I sit down with Samer ElSahn, a product and scaling leader who has worked inside some of the region’s most influential companies: Souq, Careem, Nana, and Floward.Samer shares hard-earned lessons from scaling startups across the Middle East — and why many companies don’t fail… they simply stall.Subscribe my newsletter: https://www.mahmoudkhodor.comSamer ElSahn's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samerelsahn/We discuss:• Why scaling startups in MENA is harder than it looks• The hidden difference between product-market fit and scale• Why growth suddenly disappears after early traction• The one core problem behind most startup struggles• Why founders often solve symptoms instead of root causes• How companies like Careem and Souq scaled operationally• Why most teams that build a startup can’t scale itIf you're a founder, product leader, or operator, this conversation will change how you think about growth, teams, and scaling companies.Chapters0:00 Intro1:00 Why Most Startups Never Truly Scale3:00 Early Adopters vs Mass Market6:00 The Real Reason Startup Growth Disappears10:30 Lessons from Scaling Careem16:30 How Souq Built the E-commerce Playbook25:00 The Theory of Constraints for Startups33:30 Builder vs Scaler Mindset41:40 Why Process Makes Teams Faster52:30 Why MENA Startups Struggle to Scale57:30 The One Thing Founders Must Fix Before Scaling

    59 min

  7. FEB 22

    Lessons from a 2-Time Unicorn Founder with 2 Billion Users | Uri Levine

    Very few people on the planet have built products used by 2+ billion people. Today’s guest is Uri Levine — co-founder of Waze (acquired by Google) and early founder of Moovit (acquired for $1B+), and the author of “Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution.”In this episode, Uri breaks down the real mechanics behind breakout products—starting with the problem, not the tech. We go deep on:- The real “Eureka moment” that led to Waze (and why traffic was only the trigger)-Why certainty (ETA accuracy) beat “saving time” as the true value prop- How to validate a problem properly (including the “talk to 100 people” rule)- Why retention is the only real metric of product-market fit- The leadership decisions that separate companies that scale from those that stall- - Why simplicity wins—and how great products become “embarrassingly simple”Quick note: you may notice my voice is a bit hoarse in this episode—I was losing my voice that day, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to sit down with Uri. Thank you for bearing with me.If you’re a founder, product manager, or builder, this conversation is a masterclass.Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.mahmoudkhodor.comUri's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine/Uri's book: https://urilevine.com/book/Concise Chapters / Timeline00:00 – The traffic moment that sparked Waze01:25 – Why founders start: emotional problems, not ideas03:00 – From idea to company: how Waze really began05:00 – Crowdsourcing as a moat (and how trust was built)07:30 – The real value of Waze: certainty over speed09:00 – How to validate a problem before building12:00 – “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution”18:00 – Startups are a journey of failure (and iteration)23:30 – Leadership lessons: hiring, firing, and hard decisions31:45 – Product-market fit explained: retention is the metric44:00 – Simplicity wins: why fewer features beat better tech58:45 – When startups die: scaling before the product is ready01:09:20 – Acquisition lessons: what success actually feels like01:12:10 – Final principles: good enough, problem-first, simplicity

    1h 13m

  8. FEB 14

    The Collapse of Builder.ai: $1.5B, AI, and What Really Happened - Sachin Dev Duggal

    Builder.ai hit a $1.5B valuation—then collapsed into insolvency. In this first long-form interview after the downfall, founder Sachin Dev Duggal joins Mahmoud Khodor to go beyond the headlines.We unpack what Builder.ai was actually building (feature “Lego blocks,” an end-to-end SDLC redesign, and the “Natasha” AI product manager), what was genuinely automated vs. human-led, and why the viral “700 engineers” narrative doesn’t match his account. Sachin also addresses the toughest questions: alleged AI-washing, revenue recognition shifts, reseller performance, lender actions, board dynamics, and what happened in the final weeks before insolvency.If you care about startups, venture-backed scale-ups, AI product truth vs. hype, and how companies break under pressure—this is the full story, with nuance.Keywords: Builder.ai, Sachin Dev Duggal, Builder AI insolvency, startup collapse, AI washing, fraud allegations, revenue recognition, venture capital, SaaS, software development automation, Natasha AI product manager, no-code vs low-code, SDLC, code generation, expert network.Chapters 0:00 Insolvency announcement: finding out via email/Bloomberg0:33 What this interview covers (beyond “fraud” headlines) + disclaimer1:17 Origin story: from photo-sharing idea to “software as features”3:31 The big insight: most apps share the same core features5:18 How Builder.ai redesigned the SDLC (feature as the atomic unit)8:36 Automation vs humans: what AI did, what people still had to do12:29 “Natasha” explained: AI PM, scoping, specs, storyboards18:30 Codegen reality: what worked, what stayed “lab-only”21:13 “700 engineers” narrative + “human-assisted AI” positioning25:49 What drove the biggest cost/time reduction (Lego + AI + run engine)32:17 Why Builder.ai didn’t fit neatly into no-code, agencies, or vibe coding41:58 What changed in 2023–2025: media narratives, board/leadership tension54:12 Inflated sales & revenue recognition: how the numbers shifted1:10:07 Lending $300K to make payroll + the pre-pack plan shock1:17:01 “What’s next?” The new thesis: a neurosymbolic “Second Brain”

    1h 24m
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About

In-depth conversations with top product leaders and entrepreneurs uncovering practical insights, strategies, and real-world experiences to help you build better products and businesses.

Information

  • Creator
    Mahmoud Khodor
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mahmoud Khodor
  • Show Website
    Builders