7 Myths About Solopreneurship (and Why They're Totally Wrong)

If you’ve ever considered building a business by yourself, you’ve probably heard at least one of these:

• “You need a team to grow.”
• “It’s just a side hustle.”
• “You’ll burn out doing everything alone.”

Solopreneurship is one of the most misunderstood paths in modern business.

This article breaks down 7 common solopreneur myths, explains why they’re wrong, and shows what actually makes a one-person business sustainable and profitable.

Whether you’re an aspiring solopreneur or already running a business solo, this will help you separate noise from reality.

Myth #1: Solopreneurs Can’t Make Real Money

This is the biggest myth! The assumption is that not having a team equals a low revenue ceiling.

But income in a business doesn’t come from headcount. It comes from:

• Offer design
• Pricing
• Positioning
• Systems

A well-designed one-person business can generate high profit margins because:

• No payroll overhead
• Lower operational complexity
• Fewer management layers

In fact, many solopreneurs intentionally optimize for profit per hour, not top-line revenue.

A 6-figure business with 70% margins and full control of your time often beats a 7-figure business that owns your life.

Myth #2: Solopreneurship Is Just a Side Hustle

Side hustles are temporary. Solopreneurship is intentional.

A side hustle says: “I’m testing something.”

A solopreneur says: “I’m building something sustainable.”

The difference is:

• Clear positioning
• Defined offers
• Consistent marketing
• Systems that remove chaos

A solopreneur business can absolutely replace a full-time income, but only when treated like a real business.

Myth #3: You Have to Do Everything Yourself

This myth confuses solo with isolated.

Solopreneurs don’t hire employees, but they:

• Automate repetitive work
• Use software tools
• Contract specialists, when needed
• Productize their services

The goal isn’t “do it all.”  The goal is to build a business that doesn’t require managing people full-time.

There’s a big difference.

Myth #4: You Can’t Scale Without a Team

This myth comes from startup culture. In venture-backed models, scaling means:

• Hiring
• Raising capital
• Growing headcount
• Expanding departments

But solopreneur scaling looks different. It often means:

• Raising prices
• Improving positioning
• Narrowing your niche
• Productizing expertise
• Building leverage (content, systems, intellectual property)

For solopreneurs, scaling is about leverage, not complexity.

Myth #5: Solopreneurs Burn Out Faster

Burnout doesn’t come from being solo. Burnout comes from:

• Lack of clarity
• Bad boundaries
• Undervalued pricing
• Reactive marketing
• Constant context switching

A poorly designed business burns anyone out, team or not.

But a focused solopreneur model can actually reduce burnout because:

• Fewer meetings
• Fewer approvals
• No people management stress
• More control over schedule

When designed intentionally, solopreneurship increases autonomy, and autonomy is one of the biggest predictors of work satisfaction.

Myth #6: You Need a Massive Audience to Succeed

This myth traps many aspiring solopreneurs. They think:

“Once I have 50,000 followers, then I can sell.” The reality is that you need the right audience, not a huge one.

For example:

• 100 buyers at $3,000 = $300,000
• 50 buyers at $5,000 = $250,000

A small, well-positioned audience can outperform a large, disengaged one every time.

 Myth #7: Solopreneurship Means Small Thinking

This one hurts the most. There’s a cultural belief that “real ambition” means:

• Building teams
• Raising money
• Scaling fast
• Expanding constantly

But growth doesn’t have to mean headcount. Some solopreneurs choose:

• Lifestyle design
• High-margin offers
• Fewer clients
• Deep expertise

Choosing simplicity isn’t small thinking. It’s intentional thinking. Bigger is not always better. Better is better.

The Real Question: What Do You Want Your Business to Do for Your Life?

Most myths about solopreneurship come from comparing it to startup culture. But that’s like comparing a sailboat to a cargo ship.

Different tools. Different goals.

The real question isn’t: “How big can this get?” It’s: “How do I want my business to serve my life?”

If you want:

• Ownership
• Flexibility
• High margins
• Deep client impact
• Simplicity over scale

Solopreneurship might not be a compromise. It might be the strategy.

Final Thoughts on Solopreneur Myths

Solopreneurship is not:

• Easier
• Smaller
• Less serious

It’s just different. When built intentionally, a one-person business can offer:

• Income
• Autonomy
• Focus
• Control

And for many people, that’s the point.

If you’re considering becoming a solopreneur, or redesigning the business you already run, don’t let outdated myths make the decision for you.

Design the business that supports your life. Not the one that consumes it.

FAQs

Can a solopreneur really make six figures or more?

Yes. A solopreneur can absolutely build a six-figure (or higher) business, without employees.

Income isn’t determined by team size. It’s determined by:

• The value of the offer
• Pricing strategy
• Clear positioning
• Efficient systems

Many solopreneurs focus on high-margin, specialized offers instead of volume. That allows them to generate strong revenue while keeping overhead low.

In fact, because solopreneurs don’t carry payroll expenses, they often keep a higher percentage of what they earn.

Is solopreneurship sustainable long-term?

Yes, if the business is designed intentionally.

Solopreneurship becomes unsustainable when:

• Pricing is too low
• Boundaries are unclear
• Marketing is inconsistent
• Everything depends on manual effort

It becomes sustainable when:

• Offers are clearly defined
• Systems reduce repetitive work
• Income is predictable
• The business model aligns with personal capacity

The key isn’t working harder. It’s designing smarter.

A well-built solopreneur business can support income, autonomy, and long-term stability without requiring constant growth or team expansion.

What are the biggest challenges solopreneurs face?

The biggest challenges aren’t technical, they’re structural.

Common challenges include:

• Inconsistent lead flow
• Underpricing services
• Lack of clear positioning
• Doing too many unrelated tasks
• Struggling with boundaries and workload

Most of these issues aren’t caused by being solo.

They’re caused by unclear business design.

When offers are focused, pricing reflects value, and systems reduce chaos, solopreneurship becomes far more manageable and far more sustainable.