AI is the ultimate cofounder

If you look around your professional network today, you might notice a striking trend: More and more people seem to be starting their own businesses. According to recent Linked In data, the percentage of U.S. professionals adopting the “founder” title in 2025 surged by 69% over 2024, and increased 300% since 2022. This boom isn’t just about Silicon Valley or venture-backed tech startups. A movement is growing on Main Streets and at kitchen tables across the country. More early career professionals, workers transitioning to new careers, and passionate hobbyists are turning to business ownership. And, in the age of artificial intelligence, this movement is poised to become a powerful driver of economic mobility. Small businesses, those with fewer than 250 employees, accounted for over half of the total jobs created from the third quarter of 2020 to third quarter 2025. As we look to the future, single-owner businesses are poised to represent a bigger component of our economy, and offer a viable career pathway for workers navigating a rapidly changing labor market. THE CHANGING FACE OF THE FOUNDER Historically, the barriers to starting and scaling a business have been high. Lack of access to specialized business knowledge, networks, and capital has kept business ownership out of reach for many. AI is uniquely positioned to help individuals overcome those barriers. Some solopreneurs are growing businesses founded on a beloved hobby, core professional skill, or a solution to a real-life problem, and that business has become their sole source of income. Others are using entrepreneurship as a bridge during a career transition. For example, a young professional just starting out could launch a micro-business to gain real-world skills and experience outside of the classroom before securing their first corporate job. A worker displaced from a long-term career might become an entrepreneur to generate income while retraining for a new industry. And, people at all career stages ma