What does it really take to evolve from COO to CEO? Or from startup founder to strategic enterprise leader?

In this episode of Startup Scaleup People, we sit down with Simon Stibbs, an executive coach who has advised 1,000+ CEOs and coached over 30 leaders into top roles across Australia and beyond.

From working with first-time founders to enterprise CEOs managing thousands, Simon reveals the real inner work required to shift mindsets, lead boards, navigate politics, and position yourself for the next big leap.Hosted by Mario Rivas and Tiffany Chown.

📢 About Startup Scaleup PeopleReal stories from startup, scaleup & enterprise leaders. From boardrooms to founder garages — we bring you insights on growth, leadership, funding, exits, and everything in between.New episodes every Sunday at 4PM UK time.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Intro

01:50 Why Simon coaches COOs into CEOs

06:00 Top barriers that block CEO transitions

09:20 Coaching women to reframe their strategic value

13:10 What young CEOs need to focus on

16:30 Managing boards and internal politics

24:30 Leading teams across 14 countries

30:00 Building the right network for CEO transitions

💬 Key Highlights▸

Why COO-to-CEO is one of the hardest transitions

▸ The key blind spots even high-performing leaders face

▸ How language, perception & framing shape career growth

▸ What separates a strategist from a "troubleshooter"

▸ Why board relationships can make or break your influence

▸ Lessons from working with CEOs managing 15,000+ people ▸ The importance of developing a board portfolio early

👥 Who Should ListenAspiring CEOs • COOs & C-suite leaders • First-time founders • Board advisors • Leadership coaches • Investors & executive recruiters

🔗 Follow & SubscribeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupscaleuppeople/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@square.circle.podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3804Om0XrGG1gNRsev6DlUApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/startup-scaleup-people/id1847157416LinkedIn (Page): https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarecirclecommunity/LinkedIn (Mario): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariorivassanchez/Community Website: https://www.squarecircle.me

🧠 Keywords

startup, scaleup, entrepreneurship, business podcast, leadership, business growth, founder mindset, startup stories, scaleup journey, entrepreneur advice, business strategy, innovation, venture capital, startup founders, startup funding, executive leadership, enterprise leadership, enterprise strategy, business transformation, board of directors, fractional leadership, NEDs, startup scaleup people, coaching, board politics, COO to CEO, career growth, high-performance leadership

#startupleadership #businessgrowth #scaleups #enterprise #boardleadership #venturecapital #startup #founderstories #innovation #businesspodcast #careergrowth #operationalexcellence #leadershipdevelopment #startupstrategy #funding #exitstrategies #teambuilding #corporategovernance #techfounders #startupscaleuppeople #startupfunding #vc #podcast #shorts #leadership #entrepreneurship #investing #governance #peoplestories #experience #leadershipskills #leadershiplessons #businessleadership #businessstrategy #businessideas #businesssuccessstories #businesssuccess #biotech #saas #failure #fail #entrepreneur #howtoinvest #hiring #digitaltransformation #expansion #businessexpansion #technology #successmindset #motivation #mindset #perseverance #resilience #Emprendimiento #Empreendedorismo #Entrepreneuriat #Unternehmertum #Imprenditorialità #Ondernemerschap #उद्यमिता #ريادة_الأعمال #Girişimcilik #Kewirausahaan #Pagnenegosyo #创业 #起業家精神 #기업가정심

From scaling SaaS to multiple private equity exits and now building AI-powered cybersecurity, David Rajakovich shares what it takes to lead, exit, and build again.This episode features his journey from the US Army to leading Acuity Risk Management and Skill Dynamics, scaling ARR past $10M and navigating two major exits before launching a new AI platform tackling enterprise threat intelligence.

🎧 Hosted by Mario Rivas and Tiffany Chown

📢 About Startup Scaleup PeopleReal stories from startup, scaleup & enterprise leaders. From boardrooms to founder garages — we bring you insights on growth, leadership, funding, exits, and everything in between.New episodes every Sunday at 4PM UK time.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Intro & Army to SaaS

04:12 Scaling Skill Dynamics

09:03 Private Equity Exit Lessons

13:20 Building Acuity Risk Management

17:55 Identifying Big Cyber Threats

22:10 Launching New AI Venture

26:30 Founders vs. Risk Tolerance

30:00 Advice on Exits & Leadership

💬 Key Highlights▸ Led ARR from $1M to $10M+▸ Built and sold two companies to PE firms▸ New startup using AI to predict cyber threats▸ Lessons on board governance and risk▸ Balancing resilience and fast decision-making

👥 Who Should ListenCybersecurity leaders • SaaS founders • PE-backed execs • Risk & compliance professionals • Tech investors🔗 Follow & SubscribeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupscaleuppeople/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@square.circle.podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3804Om0XrGG1gNRsev6DlUApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/startup-scaleup-people/id1847157416LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarecirclecommunity/Mario Rivas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariorivassanchez/Community: https://www.squarecircle.me

🧠 Keywords

startup, scaleup, entrepreneurship, business podcast, leadership, business growth, founder mindset, startup stories, scaleup journey, entrepreneur advice, business strategy, innovation, venture capital, startup founders, startup funding, executive leadership, enterprise leadership, enterprise strategy, business transformation, board of directors, fractional leadership, NEDs, startup scaleup people, cybersecurity, SaaS, private equity, ARR, exits, threat intelligence, AI platform

#startupleadership #businessgrowth #scaleups #enterprise #boardleadership #venturecapital #startup #founderstories #innovation #businesspodcast #careergrowth #operationalexcellence #leadershipdevelopment #startupstrategy #funding #exitstrategies #teambuilding #corporategovernance #techfounders #startupscaleuppeople #startupfunding #vc #podcast #shorts #leadership #fintech #entrepreneurship #investing #governance #peoplestories #experience #leadershipskills #leadershiplessons #businessleadership #businessstrategy #businessideas #businesssuccessstories #businesssuccess #biotech #saas #failure #fail #entrepreneur #howtoinvest #hiring #digitaltransformation #expansion #businessexpansion #energy #technology #techstartup #techfounders #successmindset #motivation #mindset #perseverance #resilience #Emprendimiento #Empreendedorismo #Entrepreneuriat #Unternehmertum #Imprenditorialità #Ondernemerschap #उद्यमिता #ريادة_الأعمال #Girişimcilik #Kewirausahaan #Pagnenegosyo #创业 #起業家精神 #기업가정신

Can idle savings be reimagined as a global growth engine?

In this episode of Startup Scaleup People, we speak with Mike Saraswat, co-founder and CEO of Stoa, a fintech platform unlocking trillions in idle cash and turning it into lifestyle perks, SaaS credits, and value for consumers and businesses.

🎧 Hosted by Mario Rivas and Tiffany Shown, this episode explores saving behavior, global cash inertia, regulatory pivots, the US vs UK fundraising mindsets, and Mike’s journey from ad agency founder to mission-driven fintech disruptor.

📢 About Startup Scaleup PeopleReal stories from startup, scaleup & enterprise leaders. From boardrooms to founder garages — we bring you insights on growth, leadership, funding, exits, and everything in between.

New episodes every Sunday at 4PM UK time.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Intro to Mike Saraswat and the Idle Cash Problem

03:00 From Blockchain to Fintech: Pivoting Beyond Regulation

07:00 The $600B+ Opportunity in UK Idle Cash Alone

10:00 Building Stoa Pots: Get Netflix, SaaS & Perks Instead of Interest

14:00 Going Global: Expansion in the US and B2B Strategy

18:00 Fundraising Realities: UK vs US Investors

23:00 Lessons in Setbacks, Startups & Human Behavior

27:00 What Makes an Idea “Big Enough” to Scare You (and Investors)

💬 Key Highlights

▸ $600B+ in UK household idle cash, $50T+ globally

▸ Pivoted from blockchain + stablecoins to regulated savings

▸ Users “park” up to £1M and get lifestyle perks like Netflix, Strava, Coachella

▸ New B2B features for SMBs to optimize unused cash

▸ 5-7 minute full KYC/onboarding using Griffin + Yappily

👥 Who Should ListenFintech founders • Wealth managers • Banking execs • Investors • SaaS product teams • Consumer behavior researchers

🔗 Follow & Subscribe

📌 https://www.instagram.com/startupscaleuppeople/

📌 https://www.tiktok.com/@square.circle.podcast

📌 https://open.spotify.com/show/3804Om0XrGG1gNRsev6DlU

📌 https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/startup-scaleup-people/id1847157416

📌 https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarecirclecommunity/📌 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariorivassanchez/

📌 https://www.squarecircle.me

🧠 Keywords

startup, scaleup, entrepreneurship, business podcast, leadership, business growth, founder mindset, startup stories, scaleup journey, entrepreneur advice, business strategy, innovation, venture capital, startup founders, startup funding, executive leadership, enterprise leadership, enterprise strategy, business transformation, board of directors, fractional leadership, NEDs, startup scaleup people, fintech, savings, deposits, perks, idle cash, SMB finance

#startupleadership #businessgrowth #scaleups #enterprise #boardleadership #venturecapital #startup #founderstories #innovation #businesspodcast #careergrowth #operationalexcellence #leadershipdevelopment #startupstrategy #funding #exitstrategies #teambuilding #corporategovernance #techfounders #startupscaleuppeople #startupfunding #vc #podcast #shorts #leadership #fintech #entrepreneurship #investing #governance #peoplestories #experience #leadershipskills #leadershiplessons #businessleadership #businessstrategy #businessideas #businesssuccessstories #businesssuccess #biotech #saas #failure #fail #entrepreneur #howtoinvest #hiring #digitaltransformation #expansion #businessexpansion #energy #technology #techstartup #techfounders #successmindset #motivation #mindset #perseverance #resilience #Emprendimiento #Empreendedorismo #Entrepreneuriat #Unternehmertum #Imprenditorialità #Ondernemerschap #उद्यमिता #ريادة_الأعمال #Girişimcilik #Kewirausahaan #Pagnenegosyo #创业 #起業家精神 #기업가정신