The Buildooor

The Buildooor
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Telling the stories of the buildooors in crypto

  1. FEB 9

    I Raised My Seed Round During the FTX Collapse: Hard Truths with Aya Kantorovich

    "I read the news and just slid onto the floor under my desk." What happens when you’re closing your first funding round the exact week the industry’s biggest exchange implodes? Aya Kantorovich (Co-Founder & Co-CEO of August Digital and UpShift) joins Catherine Ross-Mychka to share the "unfiltered" reality of building in the trenches. From surviving the FTX contagion to managing two companies simultaneously with a 9-month-old, Aya breaks down the "vaultification" of crypto, why she admits to being a micromanager, and how she uses AI to remove human bias from her management stack. In this episode, we discuss: The "Trench" Reality: Surviving the week term sheets were pulled. Operational Excellence: Why 9-to-5s are dying and how to set real SLAs. The AI Manager: Using Claude to reclaim 30% of your efficiency. Founder Balance: Managing two startups and motherhood through "pockets of focus." Vaultification: Why the future of on-chain asset management is in vaults. Aya is a relentless buildooor who proves that stress is a privilege - as long as you aren’t bored. Timestamps: 1:54 VC Perspective vs. Founder Reality 4:33 Why 9-to-5s are dying in crypto 9:10 Running two companies at once 11:50 Making the wrong priority decisions 12:55 The "Micromanager" Hard Truth 17:04 Using AI to remove management bias 20:20 How we use Claude in our startups 22:30 Founder's daily schedule 25:40 Is "Stress" a privilege? 29:39 How a baby made me more efficient 32:20 Raising a Seed round during FTX week 36:15 Hard Truth: It won't get easier 43:30 The "unwind" ritual 48:33 A book every founder should read

    52 min

  2. JAN 21

    The Banking Cartel & The "Crypto" Stigma | Panos Mekras (Anodos Finance)

    "The banking system isn't just outdated, it’s a cartel." Panos Mekras (CEO, Anodos Finance) joins Catherine Ross-Mychka to discuss why the "crypto" label is a marketing liability in 2026. From surviving the Greek financial crisis to building "invisible" tech on the XRP Ledger, this is a masterclass in building utility that legacy systems can't ignore. Chapters: (00:00) Intro(01:20) Anodos Finance: Crypto or Fintech?(05:40) Overcoming the 2026 Crypto Stigma(11:13) Good vs. Bad Crypto Marketing(15:49) The Global Banking Cartel Exposed(21:11) Why Banks Are So Controlling(25:12) Can Crypto Replace the System?(28:27) Founding a Fintech in Greece(31:30) Hardest Part of Being a Founder(33:33) The Reality of the XRP World(37:13) Building in "Cult-like" Communities(45:16) Advice for XRP Buildooors Get the Signal:𝕏: https://x.com/The_Buildooor

    49 min

  3. JAN 14

    Scaling to $1B: The Grit Behind Dune With Fredrik Haga

    "You can’t build the product without the team." In this episode, Catherine sits down with Fredrik Haga, the mind behind Dune. We dive into the "Hard Truths" of being a founder: the regret of scaling too fast, the friction of government policy, and the personal habits that keep a unicorn CEO sane. What we cover: 01:32 - Spotify, Bach & Rap for deep work13:48 - Why AI isn't the real existential threat15:42 - The "Norway Exit": Why Fredrik left home to build Dune30:15 - Why building a startup is like surfing the wave 38:40 - The Biggest Regret: Scaling 4x in a year Follow The Buildooor: → Twitter (X): https://x.com/The_Buildooor → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-buildooor → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_buildooor → TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@the_buildooor

    47 min

  4. 12/17/2025

    3-Year Runways & $1M Gas Bills: Survival Lessons with Ready CEO Itamar Lesuisse

    "If you're a solo founder, one day you will give up." Itamar Lesuisse (CEO of Ready) doesn't build for the bull market; he builds for the decade. From accidentally running up a $1M monthly gas bill to surviving multiple bear cycles with a mandatory 3-year runway , Itamar has seen the "broken dreams" of the 2017 era and lived to tell the tale. In this episode of The Buildooor, we strip away the hype and get into the technical and emotional constraints of building a self-custodial neobank that doesn't suck to use. Inside the trenches: The $1,000,000 Mistake: How misjudging scalability can bankrupt you in 30 days. The 3-Year Rule: Why 18 months of runway is a trap in a volatile market. Managing Mood Swings: Keeping a team motivated when personal bags are down 90%. Conflict without Ego: Why you need to be able to "shout and fight" and then grab lunch 2 minutes later. Crypto Singularity: The point where self-custodial UX finally beats Web2. Timestamps: 00:00 Trailer  1:52 Intro  2:22 From tech to volatility  4:23 The web’s original sin 5:30 Ready: an app, a wallet, and a neobank 8:57 The vision: then vs now 11:45 Leading a remote company efficiently  14:15 A founder’s life   16:58 UX/UI in web3 vs web2 20:12 Being a great leader 24:04 Supporting your team throughout bear cycles 26:25 Planning your company’s financials as a pro 29:28 Fundraising in 2025-2026 32:47 From [crypto] trauma to sanity  34:10 Staying friends with your co-founders, really  39:16 Tweeting as a crypto founder: ups and downs Follow The Buildooor: → Twitter (X): https://x.com/The_Buildooor → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-buildooor → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_buildooor → TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@the_buildooor

    43 min

  5. 12/10/2025

    Yoga, Coffee, Sacrifices: How to Build A Crypto Empire With Philipp Zentner

    Catherine sat down with Philipp Zentner, CEO of LI.FI Protocol, to reveal the side of building that rarely gets told. What started as an idea now powers $50B+ in swaps for Meta Mask, Phantom, Robinhood Wallet, and 650+ teams. In this episode, Philipp shares his journey, the immense pressure of scaling, and the most crucial lessons worth learning for any founder or builder in the space. Learn about the unexpected role yoga plays in leadership, the two traits that matter most when hiring, and how to successfully build through any market cycle. In this powerful conversation, Philipp shares: The leadership rule that helped them scale LI.FI to $50B+. The 2 traits that matter most when hiring. Why yoga is his secret weapon for staying sane under founder pressure. The tough trade-offs and sacrifices behind every major decision. How to build through any market cycle and what it takes to raise capital today. Guest: Philipp Zentner, CEO of LI.FI Protocol Host: Catherine Ross-Mychka

    57 min

  6. 01/02/2025

    Into the Trenches: Ryan Gladwin on Meme Coins, Solana, and Crypto Degeneracy

    Ryan is the resident memecoin degen reporter at Decrypt, and how of What's The Meta? podcast.  In this episode of Beyond the Beat, host Pedro Solimano speaks with Ryan about the bizarre and often disturbing trends in internet culture, particularly in the realm of live streaming and meme coins.  They discuss the extremes people go to for money, the emergence of AI in the crypto space, and the divide between speculative and meaningful projects in the crypto community. Episode chapters: 0:00 intro 1:48 People did anything for money on Pump.Fun 6:49 The cool side of Pump.Fun 8:26 Ai Agents - buzzwords or an actual trend? 15:21 How i got into bitcoin and crypto journalism 22:18 bitcoin ATHs are boring but important 25:55 Media outlets are businesses 31:41 The freedom to talk about everything 36:15 I love writing about Solana, the degen chain 38:33 Crypto media trends 40:32 Murad's super memecoin cycle 42:41 What we're missing in crypto media 51:08 Book recommendations Follow us on: → Twitter: https://x.com/beyondthebeat__ → YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheBeatPodcast → Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/BeyondTheBeat → Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beyond-the-beat-podcast → Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-beat/id1784770748 → Fountain: https://fountain.fm/show/lXIc2Erm2DzsF821aOSi → Substack: https://substack.com/@beyondthebeat → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-beat-podcast → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_beat_podcast → TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebeat_podcast → Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondTheBeatPodcast → Linktree: https://linktr.ee/BeyondTheBeatPod

    55 min

  7. 12/28/2024

    Veronica Irwin: Stablecoins and CBDCs will turn the internet into a panopticon!

    In this episode of Beyond the Beat, Pedro Solimano and Veronica Irwin discuss the recent turmoil at CoinDesk, the evolving landscape of stablecoins, CBDCs, and the implications of regulation in the cryptocurrency space. The two articles: - "Billionaire Justin Sun allegedly pushed CoinDesk’s new owners to remove banana article, editorial chair Matt Murray resigns," by Leo Schwartz. - "U.S. Stablecoin Bill Would Rein In Tether, Boost Coinbase And Circle, Outlaw Algorithmics," by Jason Brett. Veronica is the regulatory reporter at Unchained Crypto.  Episode chapters: 0:00 intro 3:28 Nobody's talking about the CoinDesk x Justin Sun controversy 10:03 The future of crypto journalism  15:57 A deep dive 20:05 Conflicts of interest in crypto media 23:54 Tether - A different POV on stablecoins 31:08 Are CBDCs just the next step for stablecoins? 35:54 A private or government-owned panopticon called CBDC 40:32 Banning algorithmic stablecoins 43:07 Is Cricle manipulating regulation to push USDC? 50:15 Book recommendations Follow us on: → Twitter: https://x.com/beyondthebeat__ → YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheBeatPodcast → Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/BeyondTheBeat → Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beyond-the-beat-podcast → Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-beat/id1784770748 → Fountain: https://fountain.fm/show/lXIc2Erm2DzsF821aOSi → Substack: https://substack.com/@beyondthebeat → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-beat-podcast → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_beat_podcast → TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebeat_podcast → Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondTheBeatPodcast → Linktree: https://linktr.ee/BeyondTheBeatPod

    55 min

  8. 12/21/2024

    Crypto's final legacy is here and you're not going to like it!

    Beyond the Beat THE EXPERIMENT! In episode 26, I and I alone dive into two fascinating topics that tore through the Bitcoin and crypto ecosystem last week.  A reminder that from now on, myself and my guests will review two stories that made the headlines in crypto. We look for clues in the writing, storytelling, and diving into what's shaping the narratives in crypto.  This week I talk about a controversial Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) and Crypto's allegedly final legacy.  Today's articles: Kyle Baird's "‘One Bitcoin = one Satoshi’ proposal looks to ditch the crypto’s decimal points" https://www.dlnews.com/articles/people-culture/one-bitcoin-equal-satoshi-proposal-ditches-decimal-points/ Charlie Warzel's "Crypto’s Legacy Is Finally Clear" https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/12/cryptos-legacy-finally-clear/680956/ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:28 Important announcement  3:33 One Bitcoin = One Satoshi? 5:12 It's hard to say how Bitcoin is divided 7:03 Human-imposed abstraction 9:06 The bits debate 11:45 Second article! 14:41 Crypto's legacy is finally clear 15:46 The Atlantic's cynicism  19:35 The bliss of being an American 22:47 RIPCORD (cheers Andreas M. Antonopoulos) 25:36 I get annoyed 31:24 Molly White appears! 37:40 Crypto gets everything it wants 40:25 You trust the government!? 45:12 A reminder Follow us on: → Twitter:  → YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcJLn9NGSwbOZ8UbpTgMXqw → Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/BeyondTheBeat → Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/beyond-the-beat-podcast → Fountain: https://fountain.fm/show/lXIc2Erm2DzsF821aOSi → Substack: https://substack.com/@beyondthebeat → LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-beat-podcast → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_beat_podcast/ → TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCcJLn9NGSwbOZ8UbpTgMXqw  → Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondTheBeatPodcast → Linktree: https://linktr.ee/BeyondTheBeatPod

    46 min
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About

Telling the stories of the buildooors in crypto

Information

  • Creator
    The Buildooor
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Buildooor
  • Show Website
    The Buildooor