Definition · also called solo founder, one-person business, company of one
A solopreneur is someone who starts and runs a business entirely on their own: no co-founder, no employees. They may use contractors, software and AI tools, but every decision and most of the work is theirs.
The word blends “solo” and “entrepreneur”. In the indie world it usually means a person running one or more products alone, and 318 active makers in our directory are tagged as solo founders.
Solopreneur vs entrepreneur
| Solopreneur | Entrepreneur | Freelancer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Just you (plus contractors) | Builds a team | Just you |
| Sells | Products or productized services | Products, often at scale | Hours or projects |
| Income tied to your time? | Partly or not at all | Not at all, eventually | Fully |
| Growth goal | Profit and freedom | Scale, often an exit | Steady client work |
Every solopreneur is an entrepreneur, but not every entrepreneur wants to stay solo. The defining choice is to grow revenue without growing headcount.
How solopreneurs scale without hiring
- Products over hours. Software, templates and info products sell while you sleep; services cap out at your calendar.
- Productize services. A fixed monthly price and scope (like an unlimited design subscription) turns client work into recurring revenue.
- Raise prices instead of headcount. Fewer, better-paying customers are easier to serve alone.
- Automate support and onboarding. Docs, self-serve billing and AI assistants absorb the work a first hire would do.
- Run a portfolio. Many solo makers spread risk across several small products.
Solopreneur in practice: how indie makers use it
Solo makers in the directory, by their own reported numbers:
Runs Designjoy entirely alone at about $100K MRR, a productized design subscription he grew by raising prices rather than hiring. (sources: x.com, indiehackers.com)
Runs Photo AI, Nomads.com, Remote OK and other products alone, reporting about $219K a month across them in 2026. (sources: x.com, levels.io)
Solo maker of TypingMind and DevUtils, reporting about $142K a month in 2026, after selling Black Magic and Xnapper. (sources: x.com, news.tonydinh.com)
Built Lunch Money to 1,000 paying users and $80K ARR as a company of one while living as a digital nomad. (source: indiehackers.com)
Software engineer turned solopreneur who writes the “Solopreneur on the road to freedom” newsletter and has built and sold several micro-SaaS products. (source: solopreneurtofreedom.com)
Browse all solo founders.
From our data: what indie makers report earning
Median reported: $22K/month
- $1K+/month88%
- $10K+/month65%
- $100K+/month23%
- $1M+/month3%
165 of 868 active makers in the directory publicly report revenue, converted to a monthly figure; it includes non-subscription income, so treat it as monthly revenue, not strictly MRR. Makers who report tend to be the successful ones. See the revenue leaderboard and the 2026 report.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a solopreneur and an entrepreneur?
A solopreneur runs a business alone and aims to grow revenue without hiring; an entrepreneur may build a team and scale the company. Every solopreneur is an entrepreneur, but most entrepreneurs eventually hire.
Is a freelancer a solopreneur?
Not quite. A freelancer sells their time to clients; a solopreneur usually sells products or productized services, so income isn't tied directly to hours worked.
How much can a solopreneur make?
Most earn modest incomes, but some solo makers report six figures a month, such as Pieter Levels and Brett Williams, whose figures are listed on their IndieMakerList profiles.
What is a company of one?
A business deliberately kept small, usually run by one person, that grows profit and quality rather than headcount. The phrase was popularized by Paul Jarvis's book Company of One.
Related terms
Keep reading
Maker examples are paraphrased from the cited sources and from each maker's IndieMakerList profile; revenue is self-reported unless marked verified. Spotted an error? Tell us.