The article describes how small business owners are increasingly using AI as a kind of virtual co-founder to compensate for having little or no team. Tools powered by AI are helping entrepreneurs handle tasks like marketing, customer support, research, planning, and decision-making, allowing them to operate faster and at lower cost than traditional startups. Instead of replacing people, AI is often used to extend a founder’s capabilities, letting solo operators test ideas, launch products, and scale more efficiently. The piece argues that this shift lowers barriers to entrepreneurship, making it easier for individuals to start and run businesses that once would have required full teams, while also changing what early-stage company building looks like.
