Starting in IT with 1.5 million rubles, is it possible?

Question

Business Informatics

There is a question to think about.
Let's say there are free 1.5 million rubles and a desire to develop in the IT business (found a company).
What is worth paying attention to, the field of activity?
Additions.
Too many variables, I'll be specific.
I myself am engaged in the sale of iron, the earnings are good, but there is a ceiling, which I hit.
I have experience in managing a design organization (designing power facilities).
In website building, software development, games, SEO - I'm not very special, or rather not at all in the subject, I know everything very superficially, but everywhere there are acquaintances, friends, friends of friends who are not bad at all this understands.
Now there is an opportunity to participate in a tender for the development of software for a bank worth 20 million, perhaps with a good agreement, the tender will be left for us, but there are a lot of pitfalls, and the first stone is a company with a bunch of permits and licenses. So it is with this opportunity - a flight, I won’t take it out, and I won’t have time to organize everything.
But I look towards software development. The difficulty is finding smart specialists and selling services, and this is financing. Hypothetically, I will find the money, I would like to understand how much? In short, the dark forest for me is everything, it attracts opportunities.
For me, SEO agency, advertising, etc. are much clearer. Yes, and much less investment. The difficulty with the sale of services, sensible sellers - one in a hundred, as a seller myself, I understand this. But they are.
Games - there are a couple of guys who have developed a couple of games for VKontakte almost on their knees and shot very well. This topic also attracts, but here you need to assemble a cool team, and this is a lot of money, or a couple of geniuses with a cool idea, but this is not realistic.
I will be grateful for any advice. And yes, there is an understanding that 1.5 lyama is ridiculous money for starting a business, but I have examples with a smaller budget too)

Answer 1

Hello, Igor,
I am very pleased that you asked such a difficult problem. I have a few leading questions, after which I will try to summarize my view.
This had to be heard often, but then it turned out that there was no ceiling yet. Could you be more specific about why it seems to you that a profitable business has reached the top line? Perhaps I can convince you.
What is the complexity of the software: is it the automation of a credit pipeline or the development of a unique ABS only for this bank? And where did you get the idea that you need to have a lot of "paper" to work for a bank? This question is not taken from the air, as I am currently working on a project that is developing for a financial group.
So it is worth studying the terms of the tender and calculating your strength based on your capabilities.
Now a few comments on your questions.
You almost answered this question yourself. If there are people who know the subject area well, then with them you can develop any business and gradually develop yourself in it.
For example, I never thought before that I would be actively working in IT projects, and even in the difficult banking sector. But in the circle of knowledgeable specialists and with a great deal of curiosity, everything turned out to be understandable.
It only at first glance seems that there are fewer costs. Not only is this a low-income business - we do not take into account large agencies, because they have a more complex business structure - it also has a lot of hidden costs: the production of advertising or the service itself, reputational risks, competitive abundance of offers, etc., which incurs significant costs. So the world does not stand on sales alone.
You've got the picture quite clear and I have nothing to add
. In conclusion, 1.5 million is a good start if you choose a reasonable strategy. For example, if there is a tender for a banking product, then you can agree on an advance payment and have working capital at the start, etc. So far, this is the most realistic move. Nevertheless, it is difficult to give unambiguous advice here, there is not enough information, and I would not like to shake the air.
We can continue the conversation with you in a more constructive way, but it's better not to do it here.
My contacts if you are interested to continue searching for a solution.

Answer 2

The main costs are for PR and labor costs
. If you have your own resources for one or the other, the costs will decrease markedly.
In general, all this is too objective :)