Solo founders now make up 39% of new startups—and loneliness may be their biggest risk

After automation: Solo founding will be the default

Julian Weisser, founder of Solo Founders and cofounder of On Deck, argues that AI has collapsed the hours needed to build and sell, making solo founding the default. A Carta report he worked on shows solo founders nearly doubled to 39 percent of new startups between 2018 and 2026. With cofounder conflict—blamed for 65 percent of high-potential startup deaths—removed, loneliness becomes the main threat, so the answer is building "solo, together."