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.

AI Startup Course Coupons for Entrepreneurs in July

Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs to launch innovative startups across every industry. Whether you’re developing a generative AI application, commercializing machine learning, or building an AI-powered solution for healthcare, fintech, cybersecurity, marketing, customer support, or another market, long-term success depends on more than technical expertise. Founders also need proven frameworks for validating ideas, finding customers, designing business models, making funding decisions, and scaling efficiently.

Our collection of AI and startup courses combines practical strategy with real-world case studies from successful entrepreneurs. Learn how founders identify market opportunities, validate demand, bootstrap or raise capital strategically, develop AI products, and build sustainable, scalable businesses. Whether you’re a developer exploring entrepreneurship, an early-stage founder refining your growth strategy, or a professional looking to capitalize on the AI revolution, these courses provide actionable insights to help you launch, grow, and scale your AI venture at a discounted price.

Save up to 85% by using the following course coupons this month.

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Featured Videos

Top Equity-Free Accelerators in the Horn of Africa

This article summarizes the top equity-free accelerators in the Horn of Africa, covering Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, and compares them to 1Mby1M across key dimensions like timeline, access, mentorship, and equity retention.

By Guest Author Nura Abdilahi | Reviewed by Sramana Mitra

Many founders focus on getting accelerators without thinking about what it costs them and what they are handing over at the early stages of their business. The Accelerator Conundrum blog series makes the case clearly: premature blitzscaling is a trap, and non-equity models are almost always the smarter path for founders who want to build something sustainable. Unlike traditional accelerator programs built around venture-backed, high-growth startups, 1Mby1M was designed for the realities faced by bootstrapped founders, emphasizing customer validation, revenue generation, and long-term business building before fundraising.

ServiceNow Introduces Serious Pricing Model Changes

ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW) recently announced their first quarter results that outpaced all market expectations. But despite the strong performance, the stock took a beating and was down 15% in the after-hours trading. The continuing concern about the agentic AI market disrupting ServiceNow’s business model coupled with the Iran war was a big reason for worry.

Video FAQs

Top Accelerators for Long-Term Mentoring in Munich, Germany

This article summarizes the top accelerators for long-term mentoring in Munich, Germany and compares it to 1Mby1M.

By Guest Author Aliza Carlson | Reviewed by Sramana Mitra

Conventional startup accelerators are often built according to short-term intensity: three months of workshops, networking, investor meetings, a Demo Day presentation. Though this model works for a select small number of venture-backed start-up companies, many new entrepreneurs find out quickly that running a successful startup is a long-term commitment.

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.

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.

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.