How to build a unicorn startup: culture, roles, equity splits [Video]

In the world of startups, conversations often revolve around growth, fundraising, and go-to-market (GTM) strategies. Yet culture—the unseen force behind every thriving organisation—often remains neglected until it’s too late.

This episode offers practical advice on how co-founders must decide who should be the CEO, how equity should be distributed between co-founders, and how to balance friendships and professional relationships. It also provides insights into how to measure performance and hold each other accountable right from the start.

As Shripati Acharya puts it aptly, “Culture is one of those things that gets created, whether you like it or not.”

Whether it’s the way decisions are made, how teams are built, or how conflicts are resolved, culture starts forming in the very first months of a startup’s journey, long before any formal values are written on office walls.

Building culture from day one

Amit Somani says, “Culture is what employee number 50 or 500 or 5000 says. …