Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 50 minutes ago
In late July of 2026, the Wall Street Journal profiled 40-year-old Ben Broca. After six months, Broca’s company has 10,000 customers and is expected to generate $10 million in revenue. What sets Broca apart from other founders is that he’s one of a new wave of solopreneurs, or entrepreneurs who manage AI agents and bots that handle the work instead of a team of people. Emily discusses what it means to be a solopreneur, why it’s an attractive option for founders, and what this all means for the culture and economics of startup companies.
Visit https://tepperspectives.cmu.edu for more articles, videos, and podcasts. Something to Think About is supported in part by the MBA Class of 2016 Technology Fund.
Hosted by Emily DeJeu
Written by Emily DeJeu
Produced by John Miller and Nick Wright
Music by Christian Wright
Links to sources:
wsj.com/tech/ai/the-rise-of-million-dollar-companies-with-just-one-employee-f36a77c1
click.zoom.com/l/84442/2026-04-29/c7dcx1/84442/1777464993hUJgr7Ga/ZSP50_RiseSolReport.pdf?ampDeviceId=a1f6c8c1-5fb4-4699-b950-380201589d6a&SessionId=1785764764414
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883902620306558
businessinsider.com/becoming-your-own-boss-solo-business-entrepreneur-job-market-2026-6
oecd.org/en/about/projects/measuring-job-creation-by-start-ups-and-young-firms.html
sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/abs/pii/S1932857526000098
In late July of 2026, the Wall Street Journal profiled 40-year-old Ben Broca. After six months, Broca’s company has 10,000 customers and is expected to generate $10 million in revenue. What sets Broca apart from other founders is that he’s one of a new wave of solopreneurs, or entrepreneurs who manage AI agents and bots that handle the work instead of a team of people. Emily discusses what it means to be a solopreneur, why it’s an attractive option for founders, and what this all means for the culture and economics of startup companies.
Visit https://tepperspectives.cmu.edu for more articles, videos, and podcasts. Something to Think About is supported in part by the MBA Class of 2016 Technology Fund.
Hosted by Emily DeJeu
Written by Emily DeJeu
Produced by John Miller and Nick Wright
Music by Christian Wright
Links to sources:
wsj.com/tech/ai/the-rise-of-million-dollar-companies-with-just-one-employee-f36a77c1
click.zoom.com/l/84442/2026-04-29/c7dcx1/84442/1777464993hUJgr7Ga/ZSP50_RiseSolReport.pdf?ampDeviceId=a1f6c8c1-5fb4-4699-b950-380201589d6a&SessionId=1785764764414
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883902620306558
businessinsider.com/becoming-your-own-boss-solo-business-entrepreneur-job-market-2026-6
oecd.org/en/about/projects/measuring-job-creation-by-start-ups-and-young-firms.html
sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/abs/pii/S1932857526000098
