A week in AI is like a year in other industries. I hope these issues become your weekly source of AI information, inspiration, and ideas. If we haven’t met before, I’m Amanda Smith. I write about AI and the fascinating folks who are building in this brave new world.
The rise of the one-person AI company
Big companies are out. Small, lean, AI-optimized teams are in. It’s no longer cool to have a high headcount. This is the sentiment from every AI founder I’ve spoken to for this newsletter. Not only is it now cool to be small, it’s foolish not to be, with AI.
Forbes published a piece titled “The Future is Solo” with AI creating billion-dollar one-person companies. According to the report “Rethinking the Org Chart,” a single founder will be able to build what amounts to a “billion-dollar impact” in four to nine years.
While running a lean, efficient team is nothing new, the concept that one person can hit one billion is a paradigm shift. The godfather of AI, OpenAI’s Sam Altman even said so himself.
And they’re doing it bypassing traditional funding, by building cash-flowing businesses from the start. AI itself is helping apps and experiences monetize from the start, rather than years down the down. Last week’s founder, Nic Baird from Koah, built the AdSense for AI, a monetization platform for anyone who’s building on top of AI in any capacity.
The landscape is shifting faster than we can comprehend. It’s the smaller builders and businesses that are doing really well in these new environments, because they can move faster without the bureaucracy.
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Why now?
AI is all anyone talks about. Agentic AI will radically transform the internet. Every man and his dog is experimenting with AI agents and no-code tools. In late 2025, no-code darling, Lovable, was closing in on eight million users, making it one of the fastest-growing apps of all time.
Fast-forward a few months and everyone’s talking about OpenClaw, an autonomous AI agent that acts as a self-hosted “execution layer,” connecting AI models to a user’s computer, files, inbox, and messaging apps. When every ambitious individual has access to tools like these, the old barriers to entry – location, venture, connections – no longer exist.
The economics of big business no longer work. We’re seeing that reflected at the macro level with global job losses, investor return demands, and a preference for speed and growth. All the while individuals are going the other way, seeking independence.
Solo-builders smashing it
Folks like 17-year-old Rexan Wong, who has built a suite of products with 500K+ users. He drives users through his personal brand on Twitter/X and uses his audience as a beta group. While Wong doesn’t share his revenue numbers, he said one of his AI apps hit $5,000 revenue in the first month. At the very least, he’s built himself a cushy salary-equivalent, from his home in Hong Kong.
Or Peter Murphy Lewis, a mid-career entrepreneur who built an AI wedding planner with 750 customers during beta, and another 200 on the waitlist. At $69 sign up, that list brought him over $65,000.
Another example is Naz Avo, a “retired” software engineer digital nomad who bootstrapped an AI HR platform. He charges $4 per seat/employee and positions his software as an affordable enterprise-equivalent alternative.
If individuals can assemble a team of AI agents to build products, handle ops and run marketing, will we see eight billion billion-dollar companies?
It’s a wonderful thought, but unlikely in reality.
How far can one person fly
Almost every AI founder I spoke to also echoed this. That while building is no longer the barrier to entry, distribution and growth will become harder. Not everyone knows how to go viral or is comfortable building-in-public. Earned media is harder to land, but also more important than ever as a trust lever.
Spinning up a no-code product in a weekend is simple, but few “founders” pause to focus on a problem, nail the brand positioning, and build out long-term distribution.
That’s the real differentiator today.
How's the depth of today's edition?
If one of these stories stuck with you, I’d love to hear which one.
Speak soon,
Amanda
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