Startup Afghanistan: Why Bootstrap First Is Critical to Build an Accelerator Ecosystem

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!

Afghanistan is a nation in flux. Decades of conflict, political instability, and recent regime changes have left its economy fragile. Yet, despite these challenges, there is a growing generation of resilient, talented young Afghans determined to create opportunities through entrepreneurship.

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Building a Venture Scale Enterprise AI Company from Spain: David Villalon, CEO of Maisa (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: There’s no need to open anything to everyone. I think it’s very good to stay focused, especially because your strategy is a land-and-expand strategy. You get in through finance, do one use case, then ten, then a hundred. You want a set of large customers where you can expand and make each customer a multimillion-dollar deal. That’s really the kind of business you want to build.

Startup Sri Lanka: Why 1Mby1M Is a Game Changer for Acceleration

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!

Sri Lanka’s ecosystem needs a continuous, scalable, and inclusive platform to complement its existing accelerators. This is precisely where 1Mby1M’s Virtual Accelerator delivers value.

Video FAQs

Building a Venture Scale Enterprise AI Company from Spain: David Villalon, CEO of Maisa (Part 4)

Sramana Mitra: Let’s stay with the journey. Let me first focus on the journey, then we’ll draw extrapolations and big conclusions. You identified a use case in invoice processing that took advantage of your product’s functionality, allowing a business user to use your product to make this happen. Did you close that deal?

Startup Sri Lanka: Why Bootstrap First Is the Way Forward for Accelerators

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!

Sri Lanka’s startup ecosystem has been developing steadily over the past decade. With a population of 22 million, a well-educated workforce, and a strategic geographic position between India and Southeast Asia, the country has a strong foundation for entrepreneurship.

Startup Bhutan: Pros and Cons of Local Accelerators

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!

Bhutan’s startup programs are making important strides, but they face significant structural limitations. Here’s a deeper look at the strengths and weaknesses of the leading initiatives.

October 30 – 706th 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are invited to the 706th FREE online 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable on Thursday, October 30, 2025, 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, advice on next steps, and answers to any of your questions. Others can register to Attend to watch, learn, and interact through the online chat.

You can learn more here and and REGISTER TO PITCH OR ATTEND HERE. Register and you will receive the recording by email, even if you are unable to attend. Please share with any entrepreneurs in your circle who may be Interested.

705th 1Mby1M Entrepreneurship Podcast with Mohanjit Jolly, Iron Pillar

Mohanjit Jolly, Partner at Iron Pillar, discusses his firm’s growth stage investment thesis.

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