Non-refundable $1000 annual membership fee for unlimited usage.
TradeKing Meets 1M/1M — Two Pitch-Fests with Scholarship Opportunities!
Description of Events:
On two Spring 2013 dates (yet to be confirmed), 18 companies will be selected to pitch online to Sramana Mitra, one of Silicon Valley’s top strategists. Each 5-minute pitch will be followed by a 5-minute strategic analysis by Sramana.
Following the pitches during each online roundtable event, Sramana Mitra and Dan Raju, CIO of online brokerage TradeKing, will select the top 5 entrepreneurs (10 altogether) who will be awarded a full tuition by TradeKing to Sramana’s 1M/1M program – valued at $1,000 each!
Note: See info about Sramana and the 1M/1M program here: Sramana, 1M/1M
Learn more about TradeKing and its Open API here: https://developers.tradeking.com/
To compete, please complete the application form found here. Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.
Criteria for Selection:
We are looking for companies with the following types of financial businesses:
Benefits for Presenters:
-Get on-the-spot analysis of their project by Sramana Mitra, one of Silicon Valley’s top strategists, with suggestions about how to potentially increase chances of success
-Gain exposure:
-to investors in the audience
-to Sramana’s large network (who will listen live or to online recording of the event)
-via TradeKing’s marketing of the event
Benefits for Winners:
-A year of Sramana’s ongoing mentorship during weekly strategy roundtables
-Opportunity to study a unique curriculum designed to prevent mistakes, save time and money
-Chance to absorb the tribal knowledge of Silicon Valley based on carefully analyzed case studies of hundreds of successful companies
-Introductions by Sramana to potential customers, partners and investors among her extensive global network
Please send in your completed application form to maureen@1mby1m.com.
Spring 2013 (2 dates to come) Roundtable Agenda:
8:00 a.m. PDT – Greetings, Sramana Mitra and Dan Raju
8:05-9:45 a.m. PDT – 10 pitches, 10 minutes each (5 minute pitch + 5 minutes of discussion/questions)
9:45-9:50 a.m. PDT – Judges deliberate privately
9:50-10:00 a.m. PDT – Winners announced, closing remarks
Application: TradeKing Financial Entrepreneur Pitch-Fest Competition
Frequently Asked Questions: TradeKing Financial Entrepreneur Pitch-Fest Competition
“1Mby1M is a very helpful program, and Sramana is very well connected in the industry. When we were looking to talk to investors, Sramana introduced us to multiple investors, and also acted as an advisor helping us navigate complex term sheet clauses like tranche financing and liquidation preferences. 1Mby1M also helped us win the $40,000 Microsoft BizSpark Startup Challenge Grant by helping us refine our pitch, market sizing analysis, and other details. I would enthusiastically recommend the 1Mby1M program for first time entrepreneurs and technical founders who need help with understanding other aspects of running a business.”
Girish Mathrubootham, Founder & CEO at Freshworks – Raised $484 Million in Funding and went Public on Nasdaq with a $10B+ Valuation
“Working with the 1Mby1M team is perhaps one of the best decisions I’ve made on the spur of the moment. I was tracking 1Mby1M for a while and used to get their e-newsletter. I was always cynical about the pay to play model in the Bay Area. I tested the model quite late in our evolution on a whim and was surprised by everything. It was the best $1000 spent. I would strongly urge founders who are at the ideation stage to sign up – you will save yourself a lot of time, trouble and resources. Through 1Mby1M, I was introduced to Warren Weiss, a renowned former sales executive who worked with Steve Jobs at NeXT, and is now a successful VC in Silicon Valley.”
Dharmesh Singh, Co-founder and CEO, Fullcast - Raised $4 Million in Series A Funding
“I joined the 1Mby1M Premium program in 2020 and had a very good experience interacting with Sramana. Her inputs during the private roundtable sessions added a lot of value; she addressed the exact objectives I had. She also made a number of valuable introductions. Overall, the program had a very positive influence on our journey.”
Abinash Saikia, Co-founder of EnCloudEn, Acquired by Quantum Corporation in 2021
“The 1Mby1M program has been a phenomenal help to us. Within days of joining, Sramana introduced us to some key folks in the industry and helped open new doors for us. Her advice is real, focused, and actionable. I would highly encourage entrepreneurs, especially first-time entrepreneurs, to leverage the program. Many thanks for all the help, support and mentorship through the years.”
Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder at Future Today
“Working with Sramana Mitra and the 1Mby1M Premium program has been invaluable for Adya as a bootstrapped company to better understand how to best position the product and the company while working within constraints. Sramana has a very fresh perspective that promotes bootstrapped startups making slow, steady progress while rejecting the need for institutional investments. This also makes companies better targets for acquisitions. Thanks to her introductions, we were able to pitch Adya to the right companies at the senior executive levels. This led to, I am happy to say, an acquisition of Adya by Qualys! Without Sramana, this happy outcome would likely not have happened.”
Deepak Balakrishna, Co-Founder and CEO, Adya (Acquired by Qualys)
“As a serial entrepreneur, I learned much more than I expected from presenting my pitch at the 1Mby1M roundtables. Sramana is exceptionally well-connected and knows the VC community quite well. It was very useful to get candid feedback and specific suggestions, not only on the pitch itself, but on what likely reactions would be from various investors. If you have something that is fundable, she will open up her Rolodex of investors, channel partners and customers, as she did for me.”
Norm Wu, CEO, i-Human Patients, Inc., (Acquired by the Test Prep and Licensure group of Kaplan, Inc.)
“The value of your program is amazing. For perspective, I also joined a $12,000/year CEO-roundtable group, with professional speakers and full day, once-per-month meetings. At 1/12th the cost, 1Mby1M provides far more value. I was looking for what you teach back in January of 2007 and couldn’t find it anywhere. We had just launched our first tech venture and would have saved countless thousands in trial and error education if 1Mby1M was available.”
Dan Stewart, CEO, Happy Grasshopper - $4+ Million Annual Revenue in 2016
“The 1Mby1M program offers outstanding value and advice to startup entrepreneurs. The 1Mby1M curriculum is well thought out and to the point with case studies; roundtable meetings provide a great framework for exchanging ideas and learning from similar stage entrepreneurs. I highly recommend this program for start-ups and early stage businesses.”
Vasudeva Akula, Ph.D., Co-Founder, VOZIQ - $1+ Million Annual Revenue in 2016
“I was an early adopter of the 1Mby1M program back in 2010-11 while working in Singapore at a leading VC firm. The insights and guidance provided by Sramana Mitra through the 1Mby1M platform were truly transformative for my understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The program’s structured approach to nurturing early-stage ventures and the wealth of resources available have been invaluable. Sramana’s candid and insightful advice challenged conventional thinking and encouraged a more innovative approach to venture building. I’m grateful for the impact 1Mby1M had on my journey, and I continue to recommend it to aspiring entrepreneurs.”
Kaushank (KK) Khandwala, Edupreneur, Founder at Nurture Genius
“I see Sramana Mitra as a true mentor, someone who has been a trusted advisor. I have immense respect for her words and guidance. The expertise and knowledge she is imparting is really valuable. Each budding entrepreneur / entrepreneur looking for growth should have a mentor / advisor like her. It’s been an absolute delight joining and working with 1Mby1M. I joined 1Mby1M in 2021, and in just a few sessions I was quite intrigued by the suggestions and guidance offered by Sramana. Each session and each interaction has been enriching and something to take away from. While it’s difficult for a businessman to be coached, I personally found a mentor I can believe in. She is my go-to person for any strategic idea I need to bounce off. She also goes the extra mile to help you reach your goals.”
Nitin Khandelwal, Founder OneNDF
“I found 1Mby1M when I was searching for a startup accelerator for my company Simulation Powered Learning. Started out by attending the public roundtables hosted by Sramana Mitra and was impressed with the clarity, directness and helpful nature of the conversations. So I plunged in and joined the 1Mby1M Premium program.
It is one of the best investments I’ve made. Sramana can be very direct, but that’s what you want, think through issues, focus on the right things. This coupled with the curriculum is a wonderful treasure chest of knowledge and wisdom. I also love her regular commentary via her Cloud Stock Analysis series on LinkedIn, where Sramana shares her views on stocks, trends, strategy and much more.
Finally, even if I don’t have anything to update, I try to join the private roundtables that are offered as part of the Premium subscription. There is so much I learn from the conversations with other entrepreneurs. If you are thinking about launching your business, or would like to grow your existing venture, 1Mby1M is a fabulous resource.
There is a saying in Sanskrit – बुद्धी विवरदस्यां कारण किम, व्रिध्ययोप सेव्हया
What is the best way to learn something new? To learn hands on from an expert in the field.
I wish her success and the impact you are making is very real. Thank you for all that you do.”
Samir Penkar, CEO at Simulation Powered Learning
“I love the 1Mby1M Premium program. Sramana is outstanding for her knowledge of and experience in the start-up world. We talk to her regularly, and she always provides insight and relevant advice for our specific case. I definitely recommend the program!”
Claudia Giannoni, CEO of RelAi
“It’s been a year since I joined 1Mby1M Premium, and I have benefited immensely from the course material – the readings, videos, case studies and roundtables. I have a much clearer and better understanding of the startup process and what it takes to succeed. Since joining, I’ve been able to use customer discovery to figure out what exactly is the product I need to build, who my target customers are, and how big the market is. I have been able to identify a strong market need that is underserved, and a clearly defined audience.
The coursework and my interactions with Sramana have been very beneficial and immensely enjoyable! I’ve learnt from the many success stories featured in the videos, especially the different “models” of entrepreneurial success, and the creativity behind each. There are some universal guidelines and templates for entrepreneurs, but there’s no one size fits all. Your case studies have helped me understand that and many other implicit lessons in entrepreneurship. Thank you for everything you do for aspiring entrepreneurs, and for making so much available so easily, and at an affordable price!”
Shimantika Kumar, CEO/Co-founder, Synaptic Communications, LLC
“Sramana cuts through the fog with laser precision by asking the right questions and offering specific, action-oriented advice. She will tell you what you ought to be doing instead of what you would like to hear. This is priceless! Many (most) times, Sramana understands one’s product/idea better than they do and offers answers to questions that they have not yet thought about! She provides vivid clarity and actionable advice.”
Dharm Singh, CEO, Agile Soft Systems, Inc.
“Running a successful startup/business is like playing football. Your hard work, conviction, and skill are all necessary conditions. Nevertheless, to achieve success, you also need a committed coach who can provide clear, candid and constructive advice. Sramana is that coach. She will push you and pull you and will not stop until you reach the hill! I’m glad that I have her on my side.”
Raj Krishnamurthy, CEO Engineer, ContiNube
“1Mby1M provides great advice and connections, and helps you look at your business from a new angle. In short, 1Mby1M offers a wonderful sounding board and strategic advice to help you think differently, which is invaluable in the fiercely competitive world around us. The 1Mby1M program is the best way to get Sramana Mitra’s insights working for you.”
Abhishek Rungta, Founder & CEO, Indus Net Technologies - $11 Million Annual Revenue in 2018
“It has been a pleasure working with Sramana and 1Mby1M team since I joined the premium program. Starting a hardware venture with an art focus has been a hard battle and requires several tough decisions on a daily basis. Having Sramana’s expert advice on those tough decisions has been a key factor in helping me to make those decisions with aplomb. Sramana brings decades of entrepreneurial and startup advisory experience and that is clearly evident when you discuss with her a new business model, operational issues or fund raising. At the same time, one can leverage her connections in all the required areas including investors, corporate business development and talent pool. I recommend the 1Mby1M program to every early or late stage startup founder.”
Rahul Ranjan, Co-founder at Palacio, Inc.
“The 1Mby1M Premium program provides access to highly curated content for entrepreneurs to consume within their context, and the best parts of the program involve presenting at the Public / Private roundtables, including the 1-on-1 interactions with Sramana which involve a deep dive into various attributes of the startup business. I have used the roundtables to test various hypotheses, and at the right time, I will begin to leverage Sramana’s eclectic and powerful network in the US market. Highly recommended for startups considering to go-to-market in the US.”
Sharat Satyanarayana, Co-founder & CEO, Eder Labs Pvt Ltd.(Data Privacy for AI)
“The most important aspect of 1Mby1M was helping me to understand how to look at your idea from a neutral point of view. The unbiased approach of Sramana helped to unlock the potential of the idea that I was thinking of. Sramana’s inputs helped me magnify the original small idea into a viable product concept across various domains. 1Mby1M templates are great for supporting a concept with necessary data in an investor friendly manner.”
Subodh Ravindra Pathak, Banker with 25 years of experience and Principal Sales Consultant with Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd. - Attended 1Mby1M Intrapreneurship program sponsored by Oracle, 2018 - 2019
“The 1Mby1M curriculum and private roundtable sessions challenged me to narrow my focus for results. I received specific feedback on our business model and actionable insights from Sramana. I was able to remove the fluff and unnecessary ideas in our pitch. The case studies of companies showed me previous participant companies now highly profitable and some publicly traded. I recommend this to founders who want to earn revenue and mature their company before raising capital, seeking press and venture capital.”
John Delia, Founder at HousingJV.com
“Had a good chance to learn efficient methodologies for presenting an idea under the guidance of Sramana as part of the 1Mby1M program. Pitching to Sramana during the roundtables is a great experience. During the roundtables, I was able to explore different ways of positioning my idea from the market and the customer points of view.”
Sarath Bejavada, Principal Quality Assurance Engineer, Oracle India - Attended 1Mby1M Intrapreneurship program sponsored by Oracle, 2019 - 2020
“Sramana has unique insights and a vast network in startup ecosystems around the globe. Her strategies not only prepare startups to lay a good foundation from the beginning in all aspects of business, but also to find synergies within the corporate world. I am very happy that our company Adya was acquired by Qualys, a market leader in the IT security and compliance space, within a short time span. Thanks to her introductions and guidance along the way, which made it possible.”
Amit Agarwal, Co-Founder and CTO, Adya (Acquired by Qualys)
“Our partnership with 1Mby1M fills a critical gap in our entrepreneurial ecosystem. We were attracted to their innovative approach for offering accelerated education, strategy consulting, mentoring, coaching and peer networking, and totally impressed with their long term experience and creditability in that marketplace. To be able to provide this extraordinary support on a totally virtual, global platform was extraordinary and would scale development opportunities for so many serious Delaware entrepreneurs. 1Mby1M is not your traditional incubator/accelerator either from a business building or service delivery standpoint. We are hoping to be able to expand the number of Delaware companies participating in this partnership in the very near future.”
Ken Anderson, Director of Entrepreneurial and Small Business Support, Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) - Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) Partners With 1Mby1M
“I have presented numerous times at the private roundtables, and what stands out is Sramana’s incredible intelligence, and the trouble she takes to ensure she communicates her message to you in a way that makes it so easy to accept. Sramana is the kind of advisor every entrepreneur would love to have.”
Ajit Narayanan, Founder, Invention Labs - Raised Funding From Mumbai Angels and Inventus Capital,
India’s Technology Product Story Gets Major Boost With Autism App Startup Avaz Getting Funded
“I joined the 1Mby1M program about 3 years back when I just started my entrepreneurship journey. 1Mby1M has structured a great curriculum that I think is extremely practical and immensely helpful for startup founders. The courses are backed by very powerful case studies that give a true picture of real-life situations and what other founders have done in such situations. A big takeaway for me from the program was ‘bootstrap first, raise funds later’, something that Sramana emphasizes very often. I left the program with a clearer picture of the levers for navigating the very early stage of a startup journey.
Fast forward a few years, CliniOps has bootstrapped to a position where our solution is currently used in 15+ countries across North America, South America, Asia and Africa, with over 50,000+ patients on our system, and our work has been recognized by some of the top analysts in our domain, and most importantly by happy customers. I recently rejoined the program with an expectation to receive Sramana’s guidance and advice on our next steps, as we prepare to grow our channels and partnerships, and get ready to raise our first round of institutional investment. Looking forward to a productive second stint at 1Mby1M!”
Avik Pal, Founder & CEO, CliniOps, Inc. - $1.2+ Million in Annual Revenue in 2017
“The 1Mby1M program has been an invaluable resource for my nascent bioscience/biotech company. As a new entrepreneur, use of the TAM process in a granular way repeatedly helped us to find routes to help potential customers. We found customers on projects we’re most suited for: food safety for key indoor farmers and agriculture R&D institutions. Both of these markets are growing fast and following 1Mby1M’s disciplined training process has helped us to keep up. We were able to validate our product ideas and value proposition against the market needs to enable projects.”
Dr. Anthony (Andy) Ragone, Founder CTO/CIO, Spekciton Biosciences LLC
“I’ve met many start-up advisors, having led an incubator in Chicago for 12 years. Sramana stands out as a superstar in terms of her ability to clarify issues and move an entrepreneur forward – even if that means bursting bubbles when necessary. Its a great service to clients to get a reality check at the beginning of one’s journey – helping to maximize one’s time, money and energy.”
Joyce Shanahan, Shanahan Consulting
“Since joining 1Mby1M, Avkin completed a rebranding; raised a small ~$1 Million Series A; secured a few grants; grew the team from 4 to 12 FTE; launched two new products; and is on track for $1 Million revenue this year (up from $75k). We found great benefit in our 1Mby1M sessions, not only from the candid advice and homework provided by Sramana that allowed us to refine our channel and go-to-market strategy, but also from listening to and learning from the experiences of our fellow entrepreneurs. We are pleased with our experience and thankful for the support from the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) that enabled our 1Mby1M participation.”
Michael D. Patterson, COO at Avkin
“The 1Mby1M program gave me a great perspective on the important steps involved in evaluating a new software product concept, beyond the engineering side of things. I got to learn some of the important aspects to building a successful product like proper positioning, profitable business model, concept validation, and alignment with company goals, along with brushing up on my pitching skills. Coming from an engineering background, most of the business side of product development was new for me, but the excellent curriculum, roundtables and effective mentorship made it easy to grasp the concepts, correct course and get the most out of a great Intrapreneurship program.”
Bikram Singh Gill, Senior Principal Applications Engineer, Oracle India - Attended 1Mby1M Intrapreneurship program sponsored by Oracle, 2015 - 2016
“Sramana is a great mentor to have for any aspiring entrepreneur. Her critique is data driven and very direct – something that every entrepreneur needs to hear. I had the opportunity of being a part of the 1M1M program and it helped me in bringing structure to my own thoughts as a young entrepreneur. I strongly recommend entrepreneurs to find out a way to speak to Sramana and benefit from her vast experience and candid inputs.”
Nimit Kumar, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, uniRow Inc
“1M/1M is great to accelerate the penetration in a rich but challenging market like the United States. It takes time to build a sales and product proposition tailored to a new market and usually requires money and time, especially if the company has an innovative proposition. Within the 1M/1M network and with the great support and coordination of Sramana Mitra, CrowdEngineering has been able to quickly adjust the selling proposition, find a channel partner and reach high value prospects for its crowdsourced customer support offering.”
Gioacchino La Vecchia, CEO at CrowdEngineering
“1Mby1M is a great place to bounce your ideas and get valuable inputs. Sramana has a keen eye on positioning and gives a new perspective. Also a good place to meet new startups and growing companies.”
Abhishek Rungta, Founder/CEO, Indus Net Technologies
“I worked tirelessly to land a position as an Investment Manager at a leading VC firm in Singapore—a dream job that I thought would cement my career path in venture capital. I was the quintessential hardworking student, always doing my homework and ticking all the right boxes. Then I stumbled upon Sramana Mitra’s books and articles on entrepreneurship and venture capital. Let me tell you, I was in for a shock!
Reading Sramana’s work was like being handed a mirror that reflected the real world of startups and venture capital—a world that was far more complex and challenging than I had imagined. I realized that the path I had meticulously planned was, well, not the only way forward. Sramana had me questioning everything I thought I knew, and in the process, she opened my eyes to new possibilities that were far more exciting (and nerve-wracking) than the safe, conventional path I was on.
So, here’s a big thank you to Sramana Mitra for, quite literally, spoiling me and my career plans—in the best way possible. Her insights didn’t just educate me; they transformed the way I think about entrepreneurship and venture capital. If you’re looking for someone to shake up your world and push you to think differently, Sramana is the one you want in your corner.”
Kaushank (KK) Khandwala, Edupreneur, Founder at Nurture Genius
“Sramana’s vision and mission for One Million by One Million is becoming a reality. As a serial entrepreneur and now a participant in the 1M/1M premium program I’ve received direct and relevant feedback from Sramana during my roundtable presentation. Sramana’s mentoring along with the online lecture series has helped me perfect my presentation and pitch as I prepare to raise capital under difficult economic conditions.”
Michaeline Daboul, President & Co-Founder, MMIS, Inc.
“1Mby1M has proven to be invaluable for smartQED in a number of ways. Firstly, Sramana’s network was extremely helpful in prospecting customers for early validation and feedback. Further, unlike many other educational resources for entrepreneurship that are too theoretical, Sramana’s material is packed with practical knowledge from real life entrepreneurs that have built successful companies. Lastly, 1Mby1M’s private roundtables always provided us with honest and insightful feedback that helped us shape our business strategy greatly. For the price, 1Mby1M is a no brainer and I would recommend it to any entrepreneur.”
Rishi Mukhopadhyay, Co-Founder, Chief Strategist and VP of Business Development, smartQED
“I come from the fashion industry and learning ecommerce strategies to bring our fabrics online for b2b sales was possible thanks to 1Mby1M mentoring. We are now a few steps closer to our goals. Special thanks to Sramana for sharing our story on her blog.”
Dushyant Parikh, Founder & CEO, TheCreativeArtisans.com
“I signed up with 1Mby1M to be shown the mirror, be held accountable for my intentions, and for some straight-talk from SramanaMitra. To be shown different perspectives that I am not willing or able to see is of enormous value. There can be no business growth without that.
In the customer pitch that I made to Sramana during one of the weekly roundtable sessions, I received feedback and coaching that has saved me years of wasting time. If you are an entrepreneur, do yourself a service and explore 1Mby1M.
The premium year-long program is ridiculously low-priced (Rs 65,000) and is a huge value for the money with 1.5 hour weekly private roundtable sessions. Wishing you super success in your venture. Make it certain with SramanaMitra and 1Mby1M.”
Jyoti Gulati, Founder, Centre for Transformational Leadership™, Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence™, Mums At Work™
“The 1Mby1M virtual start-up accelerator is a great program for any new start-up or first-time entrepreneur. It provides far more value than the average accelerator program. SramanaMitra works closely with the members to refine their start-up ideas. Her pragmatic approach will quickly uncover if you are headed down the wrong path with your idea.I was fortunate to have learned about the program and wish I had learned about it sooner. I strongly recommend the 1Mby1M program to any new entrepreneur.”
Judepatricks Onyema, Founder, JM Onyema, Inc.
“In less than 24 hours since I signed up for the 1M/1M Premium program, I have completed 3.5 modules (3 from the core curriculum, and half of Vision India 2020). I am blown away by the quality of the material. I cannot believe all this is available for just $1000! I feel I have got my money’s worth in the first 24 hours of my membership. A warm, heart-felt sincere thank you to Sramana and the rest of the 1M/1M team.”
Sanjeeb P.,
“1M/1M, we would not be where we are without you! Without the wonderful 1M/1M team, we would not be in the place in our company’s growth today! We’re at a place where we’re growing our customer base, we’re growing our internal team and even have companies speaking to us about our success as target to be acquired. The training was and is intense, BUT is structured and NEEDED if you truly wish to be driven to success. As the founder, it was laid upon me to rely on an organization where I could ask “the dumb” questions to help my team and company to grow and to respond. If there was one thing I could tell an entrepreneur, it would be to join 1M/1M immediately before you hire your first employee.”
Christopher M. Carter, Founder, Approyo
“1M/1M has exceeded my expectations in every way. Access to Sramana as a mentor is priceless. She knows my industry and provided great insight and much needed positive reinforcement for me to take Channel Navigator to the next level at a critical pivot point in my business. The online curriculum and case studies are succinct and to the point – they gave me some fresh ideas and convinced me to redouble my bootstrapping efforts. I have had the added benefit of great PR and some solid new business leads resulting from the program. It was the best money I have spent on my business. I highly recommend the program to anyone who is looking for support and guidance in developing their concept into a profitable business.”
Clark Richter, Founder, Fossa LLC
“The insight, knowledge and advice I received from 1M/1M was both exhaustive and an invaluable part of our successes.”
Steve Owens, Founder, Finish Line Product Development Services
“The 1M/1M program has been the best investment I made before launching my app. The curriculum is full of rich content that helped me every step of the way. I fully recommend the program to any entrepreneur at any stage of developing a new startup.”
Manolo Hernandez Kuri, Founder of Snapwin
“I think we all come to the party with a specific set of issues and limitations. I thought Sramana was brutal in her commentary at first, because she exposed my weaknesses. But then she gave me a remedy, which was motivating. In a matter of speaking, she knocked me down and then helped me get back up. I got out of the 1M/1M program what I put in, and that was worth every penny.”
Harlan Robinson, Founder, HaveOneOn.Me
“1M/1M is very helpful as we grow Clickable by applying Customer Development and Iterative Feedback principles. Sramana’s advice is solid for fundraising, bootstrapping, and growth hacking.”
Mike Onghai, Chief Customer Painkiller, Clickable
“1M/1M is the antidote to VC fever. What resonates with me is that, rather than spending countless hours chasing Angels / VCs, there is a clear, more efficient path to launching. 1M/1M teaches how to bootstrap, perfect your sales approach and get customers. The awesome thing is practically every technology startup can afford this. I could not imagine better place to find value as a startup.”
Ryan Thompson, Entrepreneur In Residence, Apex Datacom
“A refreshing way to look at startup strategy, Sramana really makes you think hard, experiment and find what works for your business. However much you think you already know about startups, business, and strategy, the 1M/1M course will teach you something that will impact your business in a meaningful way. Thank you, Sramana, for being an awesome advisor!”
Nikhil Sama, Founder and CEO, Snaplion Global
“1M/1M was excellent platform for our entrepreneurial career. First of all, it gave us a lot of confidence when we were selected to receive a scholarship from 1M/1M. When I went through the curriculum, it was kind of an eye-opener for me in many ways and for the first time I learned the meaning of many jargon words used in the entrepreneur community. The weekly private roundtables are helping us to learn about problems for other startups and the guidance from Sramana on overcoming such problems has helped us to relate to our own problems and solve them appropriately.
Support from the 1M/1M team and the social networking tools available to communicate to a larger audience are amazing.
Still, I remember Sramana saying that 1M/1M is like a gym, where all the tools, knowledge and support are available, but it is up to the individual to use them properly. I feel the same way.”
Sathish Kumar, Co-founder, Yathes
“The three greatest things I learned from 1M/1M are: 1) Focus on a specific, target niche in your market, and go after it with full force 2) It doesn’t matter how large your niche market is because your business can still create value. In fact, there is a smaller chance of there being intense competition in such a market. 3) The best way to reach your potential customers is directly. This way you can build a relationship with them and earn their loyalty. This can be facilitated much more easily today with technology. All of this is topped off with the icing on the cake, which is Sramana’s very actionable feedback. Overall, 1M/1M has been a very positive and valuable experience so far, and I have already recommended it to other entrepreneurs. The value I have gained from the program makes it so the price does not even matter. If wantrepreneurs are willing to pay over $20k per year and forego a salary to go to business school and learn from professors, then there is no reason not to pay $1000 per year while working on your company and gain valuable advice and actionable feedback. You are not just investing in your company. You are investing in your own future and growth as an entrepreneur.”
Yatit Thakker, Co-Founder, Omninox Publishing
“The 1M/1M program has been crucial for me since the very early days of OpsVisibility. I use the program weekly as an ‘ambiguity guide’ to clarify the path of my company.”
Gülin Yilmaz, Co-Founder & CEO, OpsVisibility
“The 1M/1M curriculum is exhaustive and in-depth. The private roundtables are an excellent platform to validate your idea and refine it further. In a nutshell, if you are a first time entrepreneur, this is the program you should not miss.”
Hrishikesh Jobanputra, Co-Founder, 39shops.com
“Working with 1M/1M and Sramana helped me get laser sharp focus on the things that matter most when starting a revenue generating business from nothing. As an entrepreneur facing a myriad of complex issues and decisions, it is easy to get distracted, diverted and deviate. But if one is driven and moving at a fast pace, this program helps maintain a clear focus while providing opportunities and resources at the right time for many critical aspects, including PR, customers, and investor introductions.”
Swarna Kuruganti, Founder, PlayyIt
“Great curriculum lecture videos for first time entrepreneurs. Sramana is eager to help and provide guidance directly, and you can also learn from other companies in the program.”
Amit Aggarwal, Founder, Mangobird
“1M/1M helped me to recognize the areas of my business that could use some growth and Sramana helped me to identify how to grow those areas the fastest. The roundtables are amazing to get feedback on specific areas of your business and the curriculum videos are a great tool to use from time to time when you have questions or concerns around your business. Sramana’s direct and straightforward business savvy advice is extremely beneficial for those creative entrepreneurial business types to get grounded in their businesses.”
Nwenna Kai, Founder, The LiveWell Movement
“Team ShopOffice found 1M/1M to be a helpful program as startup entrepreneurs. Sramana is very helpful as a mentor. I have gone through the complete 1M/1M curriculum found it to be quite comprehensive. 1M/1M really helped me with my business plan and strategies. I have also attended many of the roundtables and pitched at some of them. ShopOffice has seen positive results by using this program and would recommend it to other aspiring entrepreneurs.”
Rohit Singh, Team ShopOffice
“1M/1M has been great at providing our team with mentoring and feedback at regular intervals. The weekly discussion roundups and private roundtable sessions with Sramana and other incubatees at 1M/1M have helped streamline enMarkit’s business plan. Sramana is an exceptionally motivated leader and her excitement definitely rubs off on entrepreneurs in the 1M/1M program.”
Vipin Agarwal, Co-Founder, enMarkit.com
“The 1M/1M premium program is extremely valuable and a must-do for first time entrepreneurs. There are so many wide-ranging lessons that are available as video tutorials, covering all aspects of starting a business and making it a success. Sramana is a great coach and enabler and I would highly recommend any startups out there to join this program and follow the curriculum diligently.”
Shashank Shekhar, Co-Founder, Antezen
“The 1M/1M curriculum is full of incredibly valuable information. I constantly learn from the program and refer back to it often. Along with the curriculum, I have benefited immensely from Sramana’s knowledge and experience, directing me step by step on taking my business to the next level. She is a confident, direct leader who gets a lot done in a short amount of time. Sramana is a highly respected businesswoman who has connected me with major accounts that I had wanted to get in front of for years. The cost of membership has more than paid for itself several times over. I highly recommend the 1M/1M program to any entrepreneur at any stage of business.”
Kimbra Orr, Founder & CEO, Kimbra Studios
“Sramana listened to my first pitch and summed up our position in one sentence; she can get to the heart of a matter precisely and quickly. She doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, she tells you what you need to know. The curriculum, full of detailed information on marketing and development strategies, has also been a great benefit of joining 1M/1M.”
Kevin Fullerton, Founder, PartingOut.com
“Sramana is incredibly well connected, experienced and willing to guide early stage founders with support, mentoring and facilitating connections. She has been instrumental in guiding us as part of the 1M/1M incubator and has opened up many doors through her extensive network. I look forward to her support going forward, and hope that her many successes continue.”
Ali Ahmed, Founder & CEO, Lutebox
“1M/1M is great when you need good firm advice on how to build/improve/re-invent your business strategy. Sramana knows what it takes to make your business work and make money from it – and that’s what we all need, isn’t it?!”
Racheli Levkovich, Founder, VP Business Development, Zuznow
“I am definitely a curriculum-junkie!”
Rex Ferguson, Founder and CEO of LinguistaLogix
“In my first six months, I have used the 1M/1M curriculum quite a bit to fine tune my business plan and I am still doing so. I’ve attended a few roundtables and pitched at two. We will start our marketing campaign soon and will need confirmation from Sramana if we are headed in the right direction, when to correct, etc. I need to correct early on so I can get better results before our bootstrapping funds run out. I’m sure that is an issue with most start-ups! 1M/1M provides great mentoring support. I especially like knowing there’s someone there to give me insightful answers to my questions when I need them.”
Melanie Kusmik, Founder and CEO, StoryCube LLC
“I didn’t expect Sramana to be so approachable. I have never experienced mentorship like this in Malaysia where I am based. I also appreciate the online experience where I don’t need to go someplace to participate. In a few months, I have learned to think differently and after speaking to Sramana at a private roundtable have corrected my course.”
Talat Fakhr, Game Programmer, Designer and Founder of Quantips Sdn Bhd. Business: Games and Gamification related software production
“I like the methodology and social approach of the 1M/1M program. Access to well elaborated tools and processes for proper market building and to a large network are especially appreciated.”
Mark Heifets, Technology Entrepreneur, CEO at Inphodrive
“With Sramana, we sprinted from vague product concept to a customer-driven business with real, reference customers in just six months. Any startup that wants to fast-track to being ‘Silicon Valley VC ready’ should participate in this program.”
Taariq Lewis, Founder & CEO at Stanzr
“OrangeScape has benefited greatly by being part of Sramana Mitra’s 1M/1M program. As a company, we were able to lean back on Sramana’s vast experience in enterprise GTM processes. She has been driving specific aspects for our GTM just like another member of the OrangeScape team. Also, her interface between OrangeScape and Persistent Systems relationship has greatly helped us in progressing the partnership in a positive direction at all times. Overall, it has been a phenomenal positive for OrangeScape.”
Suresh Sambandam, Founder & CEO at OrangeScape
“Since joining 1M/1M we have gained some invaluable insights from Sramana and her team. I sincerely believe established businesses, as well as startups, trying to reach the next milestone in their business have a lot to gain from participation in 1M/1M. Sramana and her team take considerable interest, and in my view a lot of personal satisfaction in their clients’ successes.”
Scott Clark, VP Business Development at Value of Insight Consulting
“I have found the 1M/1M premium program extremely useful in multiple ways. First, it gave us clear direction on how to move from a pure-play services business to a products business. It was very important for us to learn that we need to build a product that a customer needs rather than trying to convince the customer to think along the lines of our idea. Second, the number of connections we get from the 1M/1M program has been many and we have been successful in converting a few of them into our customers. Third, we get invaluable advice from Sramana on all aspects of business. When we were faced with a tremendous resource crunch, her advice to tap into the freelance community was extremely useful for us. All in all, we find the program very effective for us.”
Ashok Jagathrakshakan, Founder and President at Azuyo
“I read all of Sramana Mitra’s books, which led me to the 1M/1M program. I really appreciate Sramana’s no-nonsense style and feedback. This was most useful while I was doing my market research. Through her I met and hired a programmer, also a 1M/1M member. I have attracted a co-founder and board members from industry leaders. I could not have done this without Sramana’s guidance.”
Joan Parsons, Founder and CEO of High Mileage Living
“My experience with 1M/1M program is solid knowledge gained from real world business men and women. The program is a combination of videos from Sramana into the facets of business ownership along with the stories from people who have successfully built their own businesses. I love the fact that there is a story that resonates with each of us, each one stands on its own, an inspiring source of information. Thanks for the belief in me and my business.”
Vrushali Humnabadkar, Founder and Owner, Penworks
“1M/1M has provided us with the focus needed to help us understand how to continue building our startup and what goals should be the focus for our pilot. We encourage any entrepreneur, new or seasoned, to use 1M/1M’s resources and participate in the roundtables where there is much information and knowledge to absorb.”
Shai Spetgang, CEO and Founder, RidesApp