The Accelerator Conundrum: The 1Mby1M Core Ethos of Sustainable Growth

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!

Let’s get to the heart of what makes the 1Mby1M model not just an alternative, but a superior pathway for most serious entrepreneurs: its unwavering commitment to bootstrapping. 

It’s a fundamental philosophy that directly counters the venture-fueled, burn-rate-obsessed mentality peddled by traditional accelerators.

The prevailing dogma dictates that you must raise massive amounts of capital, spend aggressively, and pursue hyper-growth at all costs. 

1Mby1M fundamentally rejects this notion. 

We champion sustainable, organic growth, where revenue generated from actual customers funds your expansion, rather than relying on the whims of external investors. 

This means a relentless focus on profitability, efficient resource allocation, and building a business that can stand on its own two feet, not one perpetually tethered to the fundraising treadmill.

This approach prioritizes building a robust foundation over chasing vanity metrics. 

It forces founders to be resourceful, innovative, and deeply attuned to market demand, because every dollar spent has to count. 

When you’re bootstrapping, your customers become your primary investors, validating your product with their wallets. 

It’s about growing smart, preserving equity, and creating enduring value that truly benefits the founders, not just a string of venture capitalists. 

We choose Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later as our mantra over Blitzscaling from the get go.

We want you to go to VCs as kings, not beggars.

We believe ownership matters, your equity is precious.

Photo Credit: TH? V??NG H?NG from Pixabay

This segment is a part in the series : The Accelerator Conundrum