Aleksei Balchunas

Technical founder writing about AI, startups, products, growth, and business models.

30 Accelerators, Programs, and Funds Before an MVP: A Comparison With Pre-Seed

Jul 28, 2026

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3 min read

30 Accelerators, Programs, and Funds Before an MVP: A Comparison With Pre-Seed

I compared 30 ultra-early-stage offers with US pre-seed benchmarks. The advertised amount often mixed upfront capital, conditional funding, and non-cash support.

Aleksei Balchunas

AI Boost Reached About $40K a Month. It Was Still the Wrong Market.

Jul 20, 2026

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4 min read

AI Boost Reached About $40K a Month. It Was Still the Wrong Market.

A direct competitor seemed to make ten times more. I blamed execution until I measured the pond.

Aleksei Balchunas

For 7 Years I Shipped Consumer Products Instead of Posting About Them

Jul 16, 2026

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6 min read

For 7 Years I Shipped Consumer Products Instead of Posting About Them

Two exits and 10+ launches later, I'm finally opening up.

Aleksei Balchunas