Ben Broca launched a company last December offering AI tools to entrepreneurs. He's already added 10,000 paying customers and is on track to bring in $10 million in revenue this year. One thing he hasn't added: any other employees.

The 40-year-old is part of a class of entrepreneurs launching and running companies alone. AI tools answer Broca's emails, help write and debug code, field customer requests, sign up subscribers and grant refunds. Broca relishes making decisions alone from his sun-drenched Sausalito, Calif. living room. "I think compromises make lukewarm results," he said.

Once, running a business of size required a team. AI is turning that assumption upside down. An analysis by payments company Stripe shows thousands of solo operators generating over $1 million in revenue, with ranks doubling between 2023 and 2025. The number crossing the $10 million threshold nearly tripled in that span.