The rise of technology and AI tools has made it increasingly possible to bootstrap a company of one, challenging the traditional notion that billion-dollar companies require large teams and deep funding. This is the central premise of Tim Cortinovis’ new book “Single-Handed Unicorn: How to Solo Build a Billion-Dollar Company”, where he argues that a full-time staff is no longer necessary, and all that’s needed is the right problem to solve and the right mix of AI tools and freelancers. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, concurs, predicting the emergence of 10-person companies with billion-dollar valuations. He even mentioned a betting pool among his tech CEO friends on when the first one-person billion-dollar company would appear. Cortinovis advises that instead of engineers seeking problems, the new model should involve identifying a problem and sourcing the right AI to solve it. This approach allows individuals to take control of their own business endeavors, even without a background in coding or engineering, as illustrated by the fictional character Emily in the article. Emily, dissatisfied with her traditional W2 employment, identified a problem AI could solve and pursued her own e-commerce company.
“Challenging Billion-Dollar Norms: Who Needs Teams, Asks Author Tim Cortin
