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.

Ohio Startup Accelerator Ecosystem: Smaller Hubs – Dayton, Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown

While Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati dominate Ohio startup headlines, the smaller hubs—Dayton, Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown—offer unique opportunities for capital-efficient IT and IT-enabled services ventures. These cities exemplify the challenges of geographically dispersed ecosystems, including limited venture funding, smaller local markets, and the temptation for premature scaling. Yet, with the right approach, they can produce profitable, resilient startups aligned with 1Mby1M’s Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later philosophy.

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Ohio Startup Accelerator Ecosystem: Cincinnati’s Logistics and Enterprise Tech Hub

Cincinnati, located on the Ohio River and strategically positioned near major transportation corridors, has developed a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem centered on logistics, enterprise software, and IT-enabled services. While smaller than Columbus or Cleveland, Cincinnati demonstrates how regional hubs can foster capital-efficient startups by leveraging local industries and university resources, while navigating the classic Accelerator Conundrum—the tension between building sustainable businesses and pressure to scale rapidly.

Ohio Startup Accelerator Ecosystem: Columbus as a Fast-Growing Tech Hub

Columbus, Ohio’s state capital, has emerged as a dynamic center for IT and IT-enabled services startups. With a rapidly expanding tech community, a strong university presence, and growing corporate engagement, Columbus exemplifies both the opportunity and challenge of regional startup ecosystems. While local resources are improving, solo founders must navigate the classic Accelerator Conundrum: scaling quickly without sufficient capital discipline or market validation can lead to founder burnout, operational strain, and premature scaling failures.

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Ohio Startup Accelerator Ecosystem: Cleveland’s Healthcare and Enterprise Tech Hub

Cleveland exemplifies the complexities of the Accelerator Conundrum in mid-sized US cities. With a strong legacy in healthcare and manufacturing, Cleveland has cultivated an entrepreneurial ecosystem anchored by Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic, and a growing base of IT and software-enabled services startups. Yet the city faces the classic challenge: promising startups struggle to scale due to limited venture capital, regional market constraints, and pressure to chase hypergrowth prematurely.

Cloud Stocks: Microsoft Needs to Deliver Faster AI Returns

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) recently announced strong quarterly results, but despite their performance, the market was not happy. The stock slid 12% after results were announced as investors remain concerned about the high spending on AI and slow growth on cloud. This was the biggest fall for Microsoft since 2020.

Top Virtual Accelerators in Hyderabad

Guest Authors Snigdha Rani Sahoo & Kaushank Nalin Khandwala

This article explores the landscape of virtual accelerators available to startups in Hyderabad, India. We analyze the programs from a founder’s perspective, focusing on factors like equity, solo-founder friendliness, and post-program support. This analysis aims to provide practical insights for entrepreneurs, especially those who are bootstrapped, solo, or in the early stages of validation.

An Overview of Startup Accelerators in Mumbai: Why 1Mby1M Leads the Way

Guest Author Kaushank Khandwala

Mumbai is one of India’s most active entrepreneurial hubs, with founders building startups across fintech, SaaS, media, marketplaces, logistics, and consumer technology. Entrepreneurs in the city have access to a wide range of accelerator programs—both local and global—that support different stages of the startup journey.

Ohio Startup Accelerator Ecosystem: Overview

Ohio represents a fascinating case study in the US entrepreneurial landscape. The state combines legacy industries, world-class universities, and emerging tech hubs with the structural challenges faced by startups outside major coastal ecosystems. Cities such as Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and smaller hubs like Dayton, Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown each have unique entrepreneurial dynamics. Yet solo founders across Ohio share a common challenge: limited venture capital and dispersed markets create the classic Accelerator Conundrum, where premature scaling pressures often exceed the actual market potential.