A few months ago, I stepped away from building 0 to 1 to n at a large company.
Last week, I spent time with ~100 founders. Different industries. Different stages. Same question:
What does building look like now?
1. The Rise of the Solo Founder (But Capital Can Shape Founding Teams)
One pattern was hard to ignore: more solo founders than I expected.
Over the past decade, solo-founder companies have steadily increased — roughly doubling from 2016 to 2025. AI explains part of it. Today one person can:
Build product
Automate ops
Generate marketing
Handle finance workflows
But there’s a twist.
When companies raise institutional VC, cofounder count often increases. VCs hedge. More founders = perceived execution redundancy.
So the real question isn’t: “Should I go solo?”. It’s: “What capital strategy am I designing for?”
2. Not All Accelerators Are the Same
I also realized how casually founders apply to accelerators. They shouldn’t.
Some are mission-driven.
Some are brand machines.
Some are deal funnels.
Before joining anything, go deeper:
What is the accelerator/incubator optimizing for? Some pre-idea funds are just top of the funnel for future VC investment. Do you want funding, or can you bootstrap it?
Who actually benefits long-term?
What happens after demo day?
And the uncomfortable question: Are you doing this because you have a vision — or because you want the badge?
Optics Don’t Build Companies.
3. Speed Is Mandatory - But Strategy Decides Where
AI has collapsed build time. Not testing in the real world quickly is increasingly hard to justify. But here’s what became clearer:
If you have ‘market’ risk → Ship fast. Ask users for money. Get rejected. Iterate.
If you have ‘execution’ risk → Immerse before building. Live the pain.
I met founders who:
Took contract roles inside the industries they wanted to disrupt
Embedded in operations for months
Built conviction before writing code
That’s not hesitation. That’s disciplined risk management.
Speed is powerful. Misapplied speed is expensive.
4. The Breadth of Ideas Is Wider Than Ever
What surprised me wasn’t just AI tools. It was the range of ambition. Some ideas I encountered:
AI CFOs for SMBs
New business models unlocked by Starlink - rethinking maritime ops, real-time feeds from where no influences has been before
Platforms solving robotic dexterity
Monetizing dormant university IP
Robotics preserving dying craft skills
Programmable wardrobe monetization
AI-driven hedge funds
Autonomous testing systems
The common thread wasn’t trend-chasing. It was lived experience. Operators building from scars.
Conviction Beats Intelligence.
5. Stablecoins: Quiet Infrastructure Shift
This one cut across industries.
Stablecoins are no longer theoretical crypto experiments. They’re becoming settlement infrastructure.
Retail. Cross-border trade. Legacy payment-heavy industries.
The opportunity isn’t launching a “crypto startup.” It’s embedding stablecoin rails underneath existing workflows.
The winners will look like boring operators on the surface.
6. “It’s Already Been Done” Is Lazy Thinking
Almost every idea I hear has some historical version. That doesn’t matter.
Users evolve.
Distribution changes.
Timing resets categories.
Many customers don’t know alternatives exist.
If “already exists” were disqualifying, new startups would collapse — and innovation with it.
Healthy Competition Signals Opportunity.
7. Immigration Friction Is Real - and Becoming Infrastructure
This hit close to home. Immigration shouldn’t be a gating factor for building globally impactful companies.
But it is.
The good news: support infrastructure is emerging. There are companies like Lighthouse focused entirely on helping immigrant founders navigate visas and compliance.
If you’re an immigrant founder, don’t quietly opt out because the path looks complex.
I left with three shifts…
Be aggressive about real-world feedback.
Think distribution as early as product.
Build together is powerful
Energy compounds.
Being around builders recalibrates your tolerance for risk — and your intolerance for excuses.