Solopreneurship
Building and running a business entirely by oneself, without employees or co-founders.
Also known as: Solopreneur, One-person business, Solo founder
Category: Business & Economics
Tags: entrepreneurship, businesses, lifestyle, productivity, independence
Explanation
Solopreneurship is the practice of building and operating a business as a single person, handling all aspects from product development to marketing to customer support. Unlike freelancing, solopreneurs build scalable assets and systems rather than trading time for money.
**The Solopreneur Playbook (Justin Welsh):**
1. **One niche**: Focus on a specific market segment you understand deeply
2. **1,000 true fans**: Build a dedicated audience who values your work
3. **One solvable problem**: Identify a clear pain point you can address
4. **One systematized solution**: Create a repeatable product or service
5. Everything else is overcomplication
**Key Principles:**
- **Leverage over labor**: Use technology, systems, and content to multiply your output
- **Productize yourself**: Turn your unique skills and knowledge into scalable offerings
- **Own your audience**: Build direct relationships through email lists and communities
- **Stay lean**: Minimize overhead and maximize profit margins
- **Automate ruthlessly**: Remove yourself from repetitive tasks
**Common Solopreneur Business Models:**
- Digital products (courses, ebooks, templates)
- Software as a Service (Micro SaaS)
- Newsletters and paid communities
- Consulting and coaching
- Content creation and sponsorships
**Why Solopreneurship:**
- Complete autonomy over decisions and direction
- Keep 100% of profits
- Work on your own schedule
- No management overhead
- Direct relationship with customers
- Geographic freedom
**Challenges:**
- All responsibilities fall on you
- Limited capacity for growth
- Isolation and lack of team support
- Requires diverse skill set
- Income variability, especially early on
Related Concepts
← Back to all concepts