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Twelve years.
That’s how long Eleven has been around, and if there’s one thing those years have taught us, it’s this: our community is everything. We’ve never been the kind of fund that writes checks and walks away. We’re the ones answering midnight calls, rolling up our sleeves for sprint sessions, and diving into shark tanks with founders. Because it’s all about being there.
But here’s the thing about relationships – they need time together to grow stronger. That’s where our Founders Weekend comes in. Once a year, we put away our laptops, get together, and create the kind of magic that only happens when founders can truly be themselves. Time to share wins, talk about what keeps us up at night, let loose a little, and just be there for each other. Last month marked our third Founders Weekend, and rumour has it that it was the best one yet. Let us show you why.
Making sense of the future?
Our weekend started with eye-opening talks about what’s shaping our world today and how we can be better prepared for what’s ahead. Latchezar Bogdanov, Chief Economist at the Institute for Market Economics, broke down the economic reality we’re facing – from inflation to the ways technology is changing how European companies compete. Vessela Tcherneva, Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, helped us see the bigger picture of how Europe fits into today’s changing world, and what this means for businesses. Those practical insights helped founders think about how to adapt their plans for what’s coming next.
Then we continued with learning from those who've been there.
Thanos Papangelis joined in with some hard-earned wisdom from building Epignosis (a leading global learning software company) – years with no external funding, just pure grit and smart decisions. He got real about turning failures into stepping stones and keeping your team’s spirit alive while growing fast. The kind of practical advice you can only get from someone who’s been in the trenches. Speaking of practical advice, exits are a topic many like to discuss but it’s one thing to talk about it, and another to hear from people who’ve actually done it – twice. The #Oneof11 founders Mihail Stoychev and Georgi Petrov shared the real story of building and selling their companies (SMSBump and Nitropack) in just four years. No sugar-coating, just honest talk about what worked, what didn’t, and how they knew when the time was right. Here are some of the learnings we got from the stories of the two companies:
📌 Keep your companies as small as possible for as long as possible. Over-hiring is not your friend.
📌 Bring your product to the market fast. Don’t take too much time developing.
📌 PMF starts with the first dollar- the first paying customer. Become hyper focused on this person and find out why he is paying. From then on, it’s all about iterations, very good support, and being there for the user.
📌 Do customer support – that way you understand why people are paying, what their pain points are, etc.
The workshops.
Getting better at what we do was the next stop in our journey. Vladimir Borachev, Executive coach and leadership trainer, gave us practical leadership advice about building teams that trust each other and stick together when things get tough. Not only that, but he made us measure our egos. Needless to say, not everyone was confident enough to share the results. Then Alexei Lazarov, Ex Editor-in-Chief of Capital, reminded us about the importance of storytelling and showed us how to tell our startup stories in ways that actually connect with our customers, investors, and partners. Together, they gave us tools that we could use to be better leaders and better communicators.
The real magic happened in our small group discussions.
Founders opened up about their actual challenges – from finding their product-market fit to figuring out growth strategies and making sense of AI. These weren’t just conversations about business problems – they were chances to share the kind of stuff you usually keep to yourself. The best part? Seeing founders realize they could help each other out, sometimes in ways they hadn’t expected. More than a few partnerships started right there in those rooms.
But we didn't just talk business.
Between tennis and padel matches, and beach volleyball tournaments, we remembered why we love getting together in person. Some of us got competitive (you know who you are), and we gave out prizes to our sports stars. We even had a special “Ailyak” award for whoever best mastered the art of taking it easy. The winner? Our very own Veselina Markova, Fintech Lead and Head of “cocktails by the beach”. The highlight had to be our night at the local taverna. Picture this: plates breaking, everyone learning Greek dances, improvised karaoke, and the kind of conversations that only happen when you’re far away from the office meeting room.
Looking back, we got more than we came for.
Sure, we learned about growth and strategy, but we also picked up something from that Greek way of life – sometimes slowing down helps you go further. Our community feels closer than ever, and we’re already looking forward to the next time. Until then, keep dancing your own startup dance – just maybe with a bit more Greek flair now.
