Best of Bootstrapping: Solopreneur Bootstrapped to Over $5M

Ukrainian entrepreneur Vladimir Gendelman started as a solo entrepreneur in Detroit and, when we spoke in 2023, he had bootstrapped a $5M+ niche e-commerce company called Company Folders. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the very beginning of your journey. Where are you from? Where were you born and raised? What kind of background? Vladimir Gendelman:

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Start With Customers Not Investors

For our Seed Capital series of podcasts, I’ve interviewed hundreds of investors, especially micro-VCs and angels who play an important role in the early-stage game. The toughest round of funding an entrepreneur will seek to raise is Pre-seed. How do you increase your odds? Pre-seed has the lowest probability of success. Over 99% of the

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695th 1Mby1M Roundtable for Entrepreneurs Starting in 20 Minutes

Today’s 695th FREE online 1Mby1M Roundtable for Entrepreneurs is starting in 20 minutes, on Thursday, July 24, at 8 a.m. PDT / 11 a.m. EDT / 5 p.m. CEST / 8:30 p.m. India IST. CLICK HERE to join. PASSWORD: startup  All are welcome!

Best of Bootstrapping: Bootstrapped an AI Deep Learning Venture to $5M+

It is always thrilling for me to listen to 1Mby1M entrepreneurs achieving great things. This interview capture’s CEO Bharath Gaddam’s 6-year journey of bootstrapping to over $5M ARR. At this point, I am fairly confident that Data Poem can blitzscale to become a legitimate Unicorn. Not fluff, not fumes, clear, concrete ROI-driven revenue growth that

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New Bootstrap an AI Startup First and Blitzscale Later Course + Coupons

If you’re building an AI startup, there’s a smarter, lower-risk path to success – bootstrap first, raise capital later. Our new course, How to Bootstrap an AI Startup First and Blitzscale Later, teaches you exactly how to do that for AI startups, using the powerful case study of a deep learning AI venture bootstrapped to

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Best of Bootstrapping: Bootstrapped an AI Security Startup to $10M+

Osprey Security Founder Rohit Anabheri had effectively used the Bootstrapping Using Services technique to bootstrap an AI-Powered Enterprise Security venture to mid eight figure revenues when we spoke in 2023. In that process, he had turned down offers for venture capital. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start by introducing our audience to yourself and then we’ll come

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The Accelerator Conundrum: Playbook for Ecommerce Entrepreneurs

Ecommerce is seductive. It promises scale, global reach, and fast-moving consumer engagement. But here’s the truth most founders don’t hear in traditional accelerators: Ecommerce is brutal. It’s low-margin, logistics-heavy, and customer acquisition costs can eat you alive—unless you operate with ruthless discipline.

The Accelerator Conundrum: Playbook for Solo Entrepreneurs Bootstrapping an Ultralight Startup

You’re a solo founder with a big vision but limited resources. Smart. The conventional startup path isn’t built for you. An “ultralight startup” strategy focuses on extreme leanness, rapid validation, and achieving profitability with minimal overhead. It’s about building a sustainable business, on your terms, without needing a team or external capital initially.