When Brian Pham launched Litecard in 2023, he wasn’t just building another martech platform. He was unlocking a new channel for customer engagement. In just a few short years, Litecard has landed clients like L’Oréal, Dan Murphy’s, The North Face, Bonds, and Penfolds, helping brands move beyond emails and apps by using digital wallets to deliver personalised offers, loyalty updates, and real-time rewards.The platform’s no-code, plug-and-play approach means brands can activate campaigns in minutes, without needing developers or overhauling existing systems. In this Checkout chat, Brian reveals the tools, brands, and mindsets behind Litecard’s rapid growth.
A Water Bottle Making a Splash in Every Meeting
Brian’s most memorable online purchase is quite unexpected. “My water bottle, it actually gets everyone all the time. It’s like a fish that’s a glass water bottle. And it’s so cool,” said Brian. It’s a real conversation starter too: “Meeting gets a bit dull or whatever, and you take a sip of water, and people are like, what the hell is that?” A perfect example of how Brian likes to keep things interesting.
Why Dan Murphy’s Stands Out in a Crowd
Brian is massively impressed by Aussie brand Dan Murphy’s. Despite being a well-established, publicly listed brand, the liquor giant has a reputation for bold innovation, and that’s exactly what caught Brian’s attention: “I think their style in welcoming innovation, even as a listed business, is super inspiring. They really just want to dive into the unknown and experiment.”
While working with them, what impressed him most was their openness to testing new technology, even when they had already invested heavily in a mobile app.
What happens when no one wants to download an app anymore? Am I missing out on 97% of my CRM? Dan’s is asking those questions.
It’s a reminder that even the biggest players need to adapt to shifting customer behaviour, and that forward-thinking doesn’t stop once you hit scale. Dan Murphy’s willingness to trial Litecard’s wallet-led approach reflects a mindset that more brands could benefit from: experiment early, measure fast, and optimise relentlessly.
No Bells and Whistles Behind Litecard
For a founder leading a fast-growing martech company, you might expect Brian’s tech stack to be filled with sophisticated automation tools and proprietary systems. Instead, he keeps it lean and powerful.
“Google Docs, Google Slides, we rip it up on there. Honestly, we build all our merch, the website mockups, sales docs. It’s elite,” said Brian. This simplicity isn’t an accident, it’s strategic. With a small, high-performing team, Brian prioritises agility and collaboration over bloated systems.
“We’re user experience guys. So we generally are looking at Google for how fast I can do things, how collaborative it is”, said Brian. It just goes to show that you don’t need complicated tools to build a high-functioning operation. Often, the best tools are the ones your whole team already knows how to use.
The Book That Shaped His Mindset
Brian credits much of his business philosophy to one very Aussie story: Catch of the Decade by Gabby and Hezi Leibovich. It’s more than just a startup success story, it’s a blueprint for building a business from the ground up with grit, instinct, and pragmatism: “Solve problems first, start simple, perfect it later.”
What resonated most with Brian was the no-frills, real-world nature of the Catch journey. It reflected Brian’s own ethos of building Litecard without overcomplicating things, and staying grounded through it all. While he can’t say too much, Brian hinted that he and Gabby might have more in common than just their mindset. Something tells us that story is not finished yet!
Running on Purpose (And Not Much Sleep)
Ask Brian about his biggest challenge right now, and he answers without hesitation: sleep. As the founder of a venture-backed business scaling across regions like Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Europe, it’s no surprise that rest is hard to come by. But that’s part of the territory, and Brian’s not fazed by it.
“We’re a venture. We run circles around corporate innovation teams. Life balance is off the books. But we love what we do,” said Bryan. Instead of pushing for work-life balance, Brian leans into team alignment and shared purpose. The Litecard team runs lean and fast, but every member knows why they’re there: “We all know our purpose”.
It’s about being crystal clear on vision, mission, and the momentum that comes from building something meaningful. For Brian and his team, that clarity makes the grind worth it.
Simplicity Scales
What stands out about Brian’s approach, whether he’s building products, choosing tools, or working with clients, is a deep belief in doing less, better. From launching mobile wallet passes with no logins to designing no-code workflows and sharing ideas through simple Google Slides, everything is about removing friction and making action easy. Brian reminds us that the solutions that scale are the ones that get used. And when you focus on clarity, speed, and customer experience, you don’t just build a feature. You can open a new way forward for the entire industry.
Want to hear more from Brian? Listen to the full checkout episode here:
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