Bootstrapping Course: Welcome

>>>

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.

Roundtable Recap: February 12 – Revenue and Profitability Give You Options

During last week’s roundtable, we discussed two businesses.

Modest Human Brands 

First, Aratrik Nandy from Kolkata, India, pitched Modest Human Brands, a suite of SaaS tools for ad agencies and production houses.

Rilox EV

Then, Avesh Memon from Mumbai, India, pitched Rilox EV, a purpose-built EV businesses that is generating significant revenue.

You can listen to today’s recording here:

>>>

Featured Videos

Emerging Startup Accelerator Ecosystem of Louisiana

Louisiana presents a distinctive case in the US startup landscape. Anchored by New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, the state combines strong cultural identity, academic institutions, and niche industry clusters with the structural challenges of limited venture capital and regional isolation. For many solo founders, the pressure to scale quickly through traditional VC channels is both unrealistic and potentially harmful. This is exactly where the 1Mby1M philosophy—Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later—provides a practical and scalable alternative.

The Conundrum in Oklahoma Startup Accelerator Ecosystem

Oklahoma, traditionally associated with energy, agriculture, and aviation, is quietly developing a capital-efficient startup ecosystem. While the state lacks the density and visibility of coastal tech hubs, it offers pragmatic opportunities for IT and IT-enabled services ventures to thrive. This environment aligns naturally with the 1Mby1M Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later philosophy, emphasizing revenue, profitability, and disciplined growth over speculative fundraising or premature scaling.

Video FAQs

The Conundrum in Arkansas Startup Accelerator Ecosystem

Arkansas, historically associated with agriculture, retail, and corporate headquarters like Walmart, is cultivating a pragmatic, capital-efficient startup ecosystem. The state presents unique opportunities for IT and IT-enabled services ventures to thrive under the 1Mby1M Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later philosophy, emphasizing revenue, profitability, and disciplined growth over premature scaling or venture hype.

Tennessee Startup Accelerator Landscape

Tennessee is a state with a diverse economic base, ranging from music and entertainment in Nashville to manufacturing and logistics in Memphis, and aerospace and tech in Chattanooga and Knoxville. Its dispersed yet active entrepreneurial ecosystem presents unique opportunities for disciplined, capital-efficient startups. However, local venture capital remains limited, and the pressure to grow quickly can create the classic Accelerator Conundrum: solo founders are expected to chase hypergrowth before validating sustainable business models.

Emerging Tech Startup Accelerator Ecosystem in Mississippi

Mississippi is often overlooked in the US startup landscape, yet it offers unique opportunities for disciplined, capital-efficient entrepreneurship. Anchored by Jackson, Oxford, and Hattiesburg, the state has pockets of academic talent, niche industry clusters, and growing interest in technology-driven startups. However, limited venture capital, small local markets, and geographic isolation create the classic challenges of The Accelerator Conundrum—making it an ideal environment for 1Mby1M’s Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later philosophy.

Colors: Curtains in the Wind VIII

I’m publishing this series on LinkedIn called Colors to explore a topic that I care deeply about: the Renaissance Mind. I am just as passionate about entrepreneurship, technology, and business, as I am about art and culture. In this series, I will typically publish a piece of art – one of my paintings – and I request you to spend a minute or two deeply meditating on it. I urge you to watch your feelings, thoughts, reactions to the piece, and write what comes to you, what thoughts it triggers, in the dialog area. Let us see what stimulation this interaction yields. For today – Curtains in the Wind VIII

Curtains in the Wind VIII | Sramana Mitra, 2023 | Watercolor, Ink, Pastel | 12  x 18, On Paper

February 19 – 716th 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are invited to the 716th FREE online 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 8 a.m. PST / 11 a.m. EST / 5 p.m. CET / 9:30 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.