The solo founder wave is bigger than most people think, and it’s still rolling. Right now, 29.8 million solopreneurs contribute $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy. That number is expected to grow in 2026.
Why? AI is part of the spark. LinkedIn says there’s been a 69 percent jump in people adding “founder” to their profiles, and 47 percent said AI makes them more likely to start a business. For some, AI feels like a leg up. For others, it is a glaring warning to take control before the job market changes again.
What’s really interesting is where the growth is showing up. A 2024 study found entrepreneurship growing 2.5 times faster in rural areas than in cities, meaning this is not just a big city trend. And many of these new businesses are not just hobby projects. Forty-one percent of founders running companies less than 24 months old say they plan to hire in the next quarter.
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