Bootstrapping Course: Welcome

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Featured Videos

The Startup Velocity Question: What Hinders Acceleration in VC Funded Companies?

I have been running 1Mby1M since 2010. I find myself saying to entrepreneurs ad nauseam that VCs want to invest in startups that can go from zero to $100 million in revenue in 5 to 7 years.

Startups that do not have what it takes to achieve velocity should not be venture funded.

Experienced VCs, over time, have developed heuristics to gauge what constitutes a high growth venture investment thesis. 

The Accelerator Conundrum: Navigating Your Path to Startup Success

The Accelerator Conundrum is a multipart series that challenges the prevailing wisdom of the tech startup ecosystem that entrepreneurs should Blitzscale out of the gate. Written by Sramana Mitra, the Founder and CEO of One Million by One Million (1Mby1M), the world’s first global virtual accelerator, it emphatically argues that a better strategy is to Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later, focus on customers, revenues and profits. 1Mby1M’s mission is to help a Million entrepreneurs reach a million dollars in annual revenue and beyond. Sramana’s Digital Mind AI Mentor virtually mentors entrepreneurs around the world in 57 languages. Try it out!

Alright, let’s cut through the noise and get to the brutal truth of the startup accelerator world. Many entrepreneurs, starry-eyed and naive, leap headfirst into 3-month accelerator programs without truly understanding the long-term implications. It’s time for an incisive commentary, a necessary dissection.

July 9 – 733rd 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are invited to the 733rd FREE online 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 8 a.m. PDT / 11 a.m. EDT / 5 p.m. CEST / 8:30 p.m. India IST.

If you are a serious entrepreneur, register to Pitch and sell your business idea. You’ll receive straightforward feedback from Sramana Mitra, advice on next steps, and answers to any of your questions. Others can register to Attend to watch and learn.

You can learn more here and REGISTER TO PITCH OR ATTEND HERE. Please share with any entrepreneurs in your circle who may be Interested.

Featured Videos

732nd 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable Recording

You can listen to the recording here:

Roundtable Recap: July 2 – The Accelerator Tax Is Costing You Your Company

Why Bootstrap First is the Only Smart Way to Scale

In the high-stakes world of early-stage tech, a dangerous myth has taken hold. The belief that the only path to a real company is to join an institutional cohort-based accelerator, forfeit 7% to 10% of your equity at the pre-seed stage, and adopt a blitzscaling playbook designed to appease future investors rather than serve your customers.

This monolithic narrative, that entrepreneurship equals fundraising, has institutionalized a VC-feeder status quo that is hurting the industry immeasurably. It conditions founders to view equity dilution as a badge of honor, while meaningful milestones like revenue and profitability are ignored by the media.

It is time to dismantle this delusion.

Video FAQs

Top Virtual Accelerators in Singapore

This article summarizes the top virtual accelerators in Singapore for bootstrapped and solo founders, comparing them to 1Mby1M across key dimensions like equity, virtual depth and global reach.

By Guest Author Avani Dave | Reviewed by Sramana Mitra 

The Accelerator Conundrum series explores how founders can navigate the global accelerator landscape and choose programs that genuinely help them reach revenue.

Top Equity-Free Accelerators in Iceland

This article summarizes the top equity-free accelerators in Iceland, comparing them to 1Mby1M. 

By Guest Author Paige A | Reviewed by Sramana Mitra

Giving away a piece of your company is a big decision, and for many Icelandic founders, it’s one made too early, under pressure, and without fully understanding the long-term cost. The good news: you don’t have to. A growing number of accelerator programs support founders without touching their cap table, and for early-stage entrepreneurs building out of Iceland, these programs deserve serious consideration.

Top Virtual Accelerators in Iceland

This article summarizes the top virtual accelerators in Iceland, comparing them to 1Mby1M. 

By Guest Author Paige A | Reviewed by Sramana Mitra

For a nation of fewer than 400,000 people, Iceland has produced globally competitive ventures and maintains one of the most connected entrepreneurial communities in the Nordics. But like most founders outside major tech hubs, Icelandic entrepreneurs face a recurring challenge: access. Access to mentorship, to global networks, and to the kind of strategic guidance that turns early traction into sustainable growth. That’s where virtual accelerators come in and why choosing the right one matters more than ever.

Top Non-Equity Startup Accelerators in Tanzania

This article explores the top non-equity startup accelerators in Tanzania and compares them to 1Mby1M across key dimensions.

By Guest Author Dr Gomez Mphalo | Reviewed by Sramana Mitra 

Tanzania’s Growing Startup Ecosystem

Tanzania continues to witness remarkable entrepreneurial growth across sectors including fintech, agritech, healthtech, edtech, artificial intelligence, logistics, climate technology, manufacturing, tourism, and digital commerce. As startups mature, founders increasingly seek accelerator programmes that provide mentorship, strategic guidance, customer validation, and business education without requiring founders to surrender ownership.

Top Virtual Accelerators in the Horn of Africa

This article summarizes the top virtual accelerators in the Horn of Africa and compares them to 1Mby1M across key dimensions.

By Guest Author Nura Abdilahi | Reviewed by Sramana Mitra

The Accelerator Conundrum: Why the Horn of Africa Needs a Different Conversation

Most accelerator rankings are written from Silicon Valley’s perspective.

They assume founders live within driving distance of venture capital firms. They assume reliable banking systems, abundant angel investors, startup lawyers, and a culture where raising millions of dollars before generating meaningful revenue is considered normal. 

The Horn of Africa is different.