Leading at Loti AI: A VC-Backed Startup

It's been less than six months since I started as VP of Finance and Operations at Loti AI, and already the lessons learned have been rich and rewarding! As someone who thrives on digging deep into complex systems—whether it's refining ambiguous ones or creating something from scratch—I find immense satisfaction in the process. The opportunity to methodically design the internal architecture of a growing startup is like a dream come true for someone with my personality type. At Loti AI, I've been able to craft a strategic foundation that will support our operations as we scale, from finance and administration to compliance, security, tax, HR, and more.

In this article, I want to reflect on three key themes that have shaped my experience thus far:

• Laying the foundation
• Being flexible, collaborative, and transparent
• Leading by example

Laying the Foundation

When it comes to building the infrastructure of a remote-only startup, forethought and careful planning are essential. One of my first major tasks was to establish our foundational tech stack and systems. This meant evaluating countless vendors for HR, accounting, finance, and security platforms—analyzing not just how well they integrated with one another, but also how intuitive they would be for our team to adopt. I assessed how much time and effort would be required for implementation, the level of support each system provided, and of course, the cost-benefit ratio over the short and long term.

A major consideration was scalability. I needed to ensure that as our business matured and we brought in new tools, the current systems could scale without requiring a massive overhaul. The wrong decision here could lead to significant costs, both in terms of finances and productivity. The cost of removing and replacing inefficient systems can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. And that's without factoring in the lost time as employees unlearn old processes, learn new systems, and rebuild their workflows.

Taking the time to plan properly allowed us to avoid such pitfalls. Once I had gathered all the data and completed my analysis, I created a proposal with my recommendations. From there, I moved forward with the purchasing, implementation, and training for the systems that would set us up for long-term success. The lesson? A little planning goes a long way.

Being Flexible, Collaborative, and Transparent

Leadership is something I've always been passionate about, which is why I chose Organizational Leadership as my specialization during my doctoral studies. My experience at Loti AI has only reinforced my belief that effective leadership is critical to the success of any team or organization. You see it often on LinkedIn—posts about how micromanagement drives away high performers or how people don't leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses. While those sentiments can be overly simplistic, they do carry a lot of truth.

In a startup like Loti AI, where team members often wear multiple hats, flexibility and collaboration are paramount. When people come together for the first time, there’s a period of learning that must take place. You need to understand each team member’s strengths, weaknesses, work style, and how they respond to challenges. Building this kind of team cohesion takes time, and it requires intentionality. Without it, you're likely to see duplicated efforts, unclear expectations, and inefficiencies.

One of the most important aspects of my role has been fostering an environment of open communication and collaboration. Every individual has different tolerances for risk, organizational controls, and personal working styles, and it's important to understand those differences to move forward effectively as a team.

This process has also reminded me just how crucial it is to handle disagreements respectfully. At the leadership level, it’s inevitable that there will be strong differences of opinion. These disagreements can actually be productive, prompting us to think outside of our own mental frameworks. However, it’s equally important to maintain a united front. A divided leadership team creates confusion and inefficiency. Fortunately, at Loti AI, our leadership team has been able to work through differing points of view in a way that supports the broader goals of the business. At this stage, there's no time for ego-driven conflicts—there’s too much work to do!

Leading by Example

Loti AI began with a team of around 15 US and international employees and contractors. By the end of the year, we could easily see a 300% increase in staff. Scaling a team at that rate comes with its own set of challenges. It’s not just about hiring the right people—onboarding workflows, training systems, and policies need to be in place to ensure that new hires can hit the ground running.

As leaders, we have to set the stage for the culture we want to build. This includes setting clear expectations, consistently demonstrating the vision and mission of the company, and leading by example. First impressions matter, and if a new hire has a bad experience, it can be difficult to undo that damage. At the same time, with so many moving parts, it’s easy to overlook certain details and drop the ball.

In my role, I’ve learned that a little acknowledgement goes a long way. When mistakes happen—and they will—a sincere effort to make things right can quickly get things back on track. This is especially true in the fast-paced environment of a startup. The weight of leadership can be heavy, but it’s also a unique opportunity to shape the company’s culture and set the tone for how we operate as a team. Everything we do as leaders sends a message to our employees, even when we’re not aware of it.

It’s easy to get lost in the endless to-do list, but I’ve found that it’s important to take time to reflect on how our actions are impacting the team. Leadership isn’t just about checking off tasks—it’s about fostering an environment where people feel supported, empowered, and able to perform at their best. It’s easy to overlook this in the day-to-day hustle, but the investment in personal growth as a leader pays dividends down the line.

Final Thoughts

As Loti AI continues to grow and evolve, so too does the leadership required to guide it. In just six short months, I’ve seen firsthand the value of strategic planning, thoughtful collaboration, and leading by example. Startups are chaotic by nature, but with the right foundation, a culture of transparency, and strong leadership, that chaos can be transformed into something remarkable.

The road ahead for Loti AI is exciting. With a team that is growing rapidly and a product that addresses a critical need—protecting public figures from unauthorized digital content—there’s no limit to what we can achieve. As we continue on this journey, I look forward to learning even more and helping to steer the company towards a future of innovation, growth, and success.