Aleks Gollu on Founding Teams: Dos and Don’ts for Startup Founding Teams

Starting a company is exciting. It’s also messy, personal, and one bad co-founder away from falling apart.

That’s the core message Aleks Gollu, CEO of 11Sight and three-time founder, delivered at a recent Founders Bay workshop: Dos and Don’ts for Founding Teams. In a no-nonsense session filled with tactical advice and real stories, he laid out what startup teams get wrong  -  and how to get it right before it costs you your company.

Here’s what every founder should take away from the talk.

Why Founding Teams Fail (and Still Do)

Most startups don’t die because of bad tech. They die because the founding team wasn’t aligned on expectations, roles, or vision. Aleks opened with a clear warning: “Founders underestimate how hard it is to maintain alignment once things get real.”

He points to the classic documentary Startup.com  -  a cautionary tale about a brilliant idea, backed by capital, that collapsed under the weight of team friction. The tech? Fine. The product? Functional. The people? Misaligned.

Message: the biggest risk in your startup might be sitting next to you on Zoom.

Don’t Just “Find a Problem”  -  Define the Space

Founders often hear, “start with a problem.” Aleks disagrees. “Start with a problem space,” he said. The difference? A space gives you room to explore, learn, and evolve based on real-world feedback.

His own company, 11Sight, began by focusing on the space of customer connection inefficiencies. The exact product pivoted, but the goal never changed. Startups that cling too tightly to one narrow “problem” often miss the bigger opportunities just to the side.

Know Your Differentiator  -  and Bet Accordingly

Aleks introduced the 10 Types of Innovation model by Larry Keeley, urging founders to ask: Where is your edge? Tech? Experience? Revenue model?

Early-stage teams shouldn’t bet on both tech and market risk at once. If your product is hard to build and needs massive education to sell, you’re probably in trouble.

Instead, know what makes you different  -  and double down on making it obvious to users, investors, and even your own team.

Equity Splits Aren’t About Fairness  -  They’re About Alignment

This section hit hard. Founders often split equity 50/50 and regret it later.

Aleks laid out a better approach:

• 20% of equity should reflect past contributions.
  
  
• 80% should be based on future commitment, time, and risk.
  
  
• Consider full-time vs part-time, cash sacrifice, and leadership expectations.
  
  

And the ultimate test? The Copier Test: “If everyone in the company saw the cap table printed next to the copier, would they think it was fair?” If not, fix it now. Because you won’t get a second chance later.

Vesting Isn’t a Trap  -  It’s a Lifeline

Founders sometimes avoid vesting because they think it implies distrust. Aleks disagrees: “Vesting is the most honest way to say, ‘we’re all in this together  -  for real.’”

He also suggested flexible structures. For example, someone part-time could vest slower, but still be rewarded. It’s not about punishment; it’s about aligning expectations before hard decisions hit.

How to Handle Conflict Before It Starts

Founding teams aren’t immune to tension  -  they’re built for it. What matters is how you structure communication and decision-making early on.

Aleks recommended weekly check-ins outside of work tasks, just to make space for relationship alignment. “Some founders think out loud. Others need time. Learn how your co-founder processes decisions.”

Culture isn’t catered lunches or emojis on Slack. It’s how well you work through disagreement when things aren’t going your way.

Know Your GTM Motion  -  and Build Accordingly

Not every SaaS company is the same. Aleks laid out a simple go-to-market framework:

• Whales: high ACV, few clients → direct sales
  
  
• Mid-market: some volume, some touch → product-led growth
  
  
• Amoebas: high volume, low value → ads, virality, or channel partnerships
  
  

Founders should know which model fits their market, and hire + build accordingly.

When a Co-founder Steps Back, Here’s What to Do

One founder going part-time. Another pulling back. It happens.

Aleks’s advice: talk about it early and adjust equity and roles accordingly. “Avoiding the conversation doesn’t save the relationship. It slowly kills the company.”

Your documents won’t protect you if the trust is already broken. But honest communication  -  and vesting  -  can.

Final Thoughts from Aleks

Aleks Gollu has done this before. He’s built startups, advised dozens more, and now runs 11Sight  -  an AI platform helping businesses automate customer-facing interactions.

But whether it’s building with people or building with code, one truth remains:

“Execution matters. But execution only works when the team’s values, risk tolerance, and trust are aligned.”
  -  Aleks Gollu, CEO, 11Sight

Curious what Aleks is building at 11Sight?
Explore 11Sight’s AI agents where real-time voice assistants are transforming how companies engage customers, 24/7.