15 Solopreneurs Who Built Million-Dollar One-Person Businesses

Welcome to today’s Newsletter.

In today’s letter we'll cover 15 people who built one-person businesses generating over $1 million a year.

Hi there, hope you're doing great today. Hunter J. Schneider here...

I’ve built businesses across multiple countries, in multiple industries.

I’ve sold just about everything you can think of online.

From physical products to marketing services and everything in between.

Over time, one thing became clear…

Success isn’t tied to one system, one location, or one way of thinking.

In today’s world, you can design life on your terms - globally, intelligently, and with intention.

Building a business no longer requires a big team, a physical office, or millions of dollars.

Solopreneurs rely on their own skills, interests, focus, leverage, and creativity.

Below are 15 people who built one-person businesses generating over $1 million a year.

Each of them took a different path.

Some built audiences first, others launched products directly, and they all share one thing:

They kept it lean, they kept it simple, and they kept it 100% theirs.

Let's dive in.

1. Pieter Levels

Solo dev. No team. No funding. Just smart systems and automation.

Pieter built Nomad List, RemoteOK, and more.

He codes, markets, supports. All solo.

He is well known as one of the most efficient 1-person empires ever.

His income is over $3M/year.

Lesson Learned: Build in public. Automate everything. Launch fast. Improve as you go

2. Sahil Bloom

Ex–private equity. Now he runs a $1M+ media biz from home.

Grew fast with viral threads on business and life.

Built a loyal email list, sold digital info products, and launched funds to invest out of.

Audience + trust = leverage.

Proof that writing + wisdom scales better than hustle.

Lesson Learned: Share 1 powerful insight daily. Build trust. Then monetize it.

3. Justin Welsh

Startup burnout → solo empire.

Justin earns $2M+ selling plug-and-play systems: templates, courses, playbooks.

No team. No complexity. Just smart packaging and daily posting.

He made solopreneurship a lifestyle brand. Simple scales.

Lesson Learned: Turn your knowledge into digital-products that sell while you sleep.

4. Dan Koe

Writes about mindset, creativity, and freedom.

Built a $1M+ solo biz with digital products and a paid community.

His brand is clean, calm, and powerful. No hype. Just value.

He proves that thinking clearly in public can make you rich.

Lesson Learned: Write to clarify your thoughts. Sell to people who want the same.

5. Paul Jarvis

Said no to scale.

Wrote the best selling book Company of One.

Built a $1M+ brand on purpose.

Sells books, courses, and runs privacy-first software.

He proves that tiny teams, slow growth, and strong values can outperform big startup dreams.

Lesson Learned: Build a business to fuel your life - not the other way around.

6. Jack Butcher

Took big ideas, turned them into sharp visuals.

Built Visualize Value into a $1M+ brand.

Courses, templates, and a loyal tribe.

Clear design + deep thinking = digital leverage.

He made clarity profitable (and art a business service).

Lesson Learned: Make it simple. Make it shareable. Make it sell and easier to buy.

7. Jon Yongfook

Tried traditional startups. Failed.

Focused on one boring problem.

Built Bannerbear - a SaaS - from scratch.

Grew slow. Solved real needs. Didn’t chase hype.

He’s proof that niche + code + patience = freedom.

Now earns $1M+/yr solo.

Lesson Learned: Solve one boring problem. Keep improving it. Skip the hype.

8. Daniel Vassallo

Left Amazon for the “portfolio of small bets” life.

Wrote books, launched tiny products, started a paid group.

Shared all of it online.

Now earns $1M+ solo - slow, honest, and lean.

You don’t need unicorns.

Just real problems and real buyers.

Lesson Learned: Make tiny products. Share transparently. Let the market show you what works. Then scale.

9. Dickie Bush

Turned a writing habit into Ship 30 for 30 (a $1M+ program).

Started with Twitter threads. Taught what he did in real time.

Shows the power of daily content + small cohorts.

Scale your skill by teaching others to do what you just did.

Lesson Learned: Teach what you’re doing while you’re doing it. You only have to be one step ahead of those you're helping.

10. Laura Belgray

Built Talking Shrimp into a $1M+ writing biz.

Witty, raw, human. Teaches copy that sounds like you.

No fluff. Just voice, vibe, and value.

Her success proves: If you can write like yourself, you can build a business around it.

Lesson Learned: Lean into your authentic self. Sell with your real voice.

11. Jay Clouse

Built Creator Science to $1M+ by teaching systems for creators to scale.

Mix of courses, community, and strategy.

Grew with writing, podcasts, and workshops.

Helps people go pro without burnout.

Education + systems = solo scale.

Lesson Learned: Build a tiered offer - free content, paid offer, then high-ticket.

12. Katelyn Bourgoin

Customer research queen.

Turned her “Why We Buy” brand into a $1M+ solo biz.

Writes a newsletter and Sells workshops and insights that help founders know their clients.

Proves that niche expertise beats general advice every time.

Lesson Learned: Talk to customers. Use their words to build your offers and marketing.

13. Amanda Goetz

Left corporate. Built a personal brand and a CBD line (House of Wise).

Told real stories. Helped women own their wellness and income.

Now earns $1M+ with coaching, consulting, and digital-products.

Her brand runs on trust, heart, and bold moves.

Lesson Learned: Use your story as your strategy. Trust builds revenue.

14. Jason Chin

Never showed his face.

Just shipped beautiful Notion templates again and again.

Built a $1M+ business by being useful, quiet, and insanely consistent.

Pick one tool. Master it. Deliver real value. It’s that simple.

Lesson Learned: Pick one tool. Go deep. Deliver excellence.

15. Alex Garcia

Built a $1M+ biz breaking down marketing tactics.

Shares what works. Clear. Useful. Real.

Newsletter, courses, and consulting all spun from deep, tactical content.

He shows: if you explain value better than anyone else, people will pay to learn from you.

Lesson Learned: Reverse-engineer what works. Then teach it to people it can help.

These 15 solopreneurs didn’t wait for permission.

They didn’t chase hype, hire big teams, or follow the rules.

They chose freedom.

They built million-dollar, one-person businesses that fuel their dream lives.

Let this be your reminder:

You don’t need to be famous.

You don’t need to be first.

You just need to start and improve as you go.

Your business.

Your rules.

Your time is now.

Until next time,

Hunter J. Schneider

P.S. I'm really close to wrapping up the Solopreneur Accelerator

But before I do, I have to ask you a few questions. Can you help me out?

You can answer the questions (and get more details on the Solopreneur Accelerator) at this link: Solopreneur Accelerator Survey