Ethan woke before sunrise a habit from years of meeting early stage founders who booked the only calendar slots they could afford He stepped outside the inn and breathed in the cool air The streets of Astravar were still quiet though a few early market workers swept glowing dust from the cobblestones and faint traces of mana drifted like morning fog He headed toward Lorians workshop to begin the first day of what he hoped would become the Mana Startup Accelerator the foundation for a new economy in this realm The thought made him walk faster energized by purpose He found Lorian already awake staring at the fire sprite which floated above a metal plate The sprite chirped when it saw Ethan then accidentally burned a small hole in the air which closed like soft paper Lorian said It has too much spirit and no discipline Ethan replied Most great founders start the same way The key is shaping potential not suppressing it Lorian nodded as if taking mental notes that rewired his understanding of magic Ethan then placed a few wooden planks across a table forming a crude whiteboard using charcoal to sketch a plan First we build your product then your prototype becomes a service then the service becomes a system The path is product service system Lorian stared at the sketches with fascination Product is the sprite Service is delivery System is what binds it all Ethan added Exactly Once we stabilize the sprite we can scale it to a small fleet But we need infrastructure training codified spells and a few more apprentices Lorian sighed I have no money to hire Ethan replied You dont need money You need equity We will give apprentices a small piece of the future to motivate them Lorian blinked Future of what Ethan paused Future of everything if this accelerator works They spent the next two hours adjusting runes across the training area Ethan noticed that the mana flows could be shaped like feedback loops similar to how a circuit board channels electrons He helped Lorian draw a spiral rune that forced the sprite to fly in a loop before releasing its delivery This created habit and constraint much like forming a neurological pathway The sprite at first resisted then finally followed the loop releasing a small packet of heated parchment onto the target table Ethan clapped That is your minimum viable product Lorian looked proud and slightly overwhelmed Minimum viable what A simple version of what the business will become Ethan answered You build small then grow large Lorian asked But how do we attract customers Ethan said The same way startups do everywhere We solve a problem and give people a reason to try us We offer discounted early access No fancy ads no spells just results Lorian considered this You speak like a man who sees the world as a series of opportunities not dangers Ethan smiled That is what investing is seeing what others do not They then discussed where the accelerator should be located The workshop was too messy Ethan suggested moving into the abandoned guild hall near the east plaza It had large stone rooms high ceilings and strong mana stability because it once held enchantment exams Lorian hesitated The guild hall is cursed Ethan shrugged Many profitable companies started in cursed garages Lorian stared unsure if Ethan was joking Together they walked to the hall The air was heavy but the runes on the walls were intact Ethan saw potential in every corner long tables training floors and even a side room perfect for pitch sessions He placed his hand on the cold stone and whispered This is the birthplace of the future Lorian stepped beside him If you can see greatness in a ruin perhaps I should trust you Ethan grinned I have invested in worse They moved equipment into the hall all morning The sprite helped by carrying glowing tools though it singed several boxes Ethan watched the tiny creature fly around with natural energy a reminder that innovation here was alive literally By noon Ethan had drawn a large sign on the entrance Astravar Mana Accelerator AMAX Lorian asked Why AMAX Ethan said Because we aim to maximize mana and innovation Lorian nodded liking the word Ethan then announced We need our second founder A good accelerator thrives on competition tension and shared learning Lorian asked Where will we find them Ethan answered Opportunity always reveals itself This world has hidden entrepreneurs everywhere Today we start looking