The term "solopreneur," a portmanteau of "solo" and "entrepreneur," is used to describe a person who sets up and runs a business on their own. Unlike traditional entrepreneurs, who might build businesses with the intent to grow them into larger companies with many employees, solopreneurs typically prefer to work alone, taking on the roles necessary to run their businesses themselves.

Although it's hard to pinpoint the exact origin of the term, it seems to have emerged in the early 2000s with the rise of the digital age which made it easier for individuals to start their own businesses without requiring a large team. The increasing popularity of freelancing and remote work has also contributed to its widespread use.

The term was made popular by communities of such entrepreneurs who started using it to describe themselves. They used the term to differentiate from traditional ideas of entrepreneurship that involved larger teams. The term has been popularized by numerous bloggers, authors, and speakers who focus on entrepreneurship. Websites like "The Solopreneur Life" by Larry Keltto and books like "The Solopreneur Conundrum" by Simon Reed helped in popularizing the term.

History is full of stories of people who started with a vision and built a business. A short list of some of these Solopreneurs include:

Elon Musk

Co-founder of Zip2. Later created companies like Tesla and SpaceX. Read More at https://www.biography.com/business-figure/elon-musk

Pierre Omidyar

The founder of eBay started the company as a personal project. Read More at https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Omidyar

Mark Zuckerberg

The co-founder of Facebook, he built the platform while studying at Harvard. Read More at https://www.biography.com/business-figure/mark-zuckerberg

Sara Blakely

Founder of Spanx, she started her business with just $5,000. Read More at https://www.biography.com/business-figure/sara-blakely

Andrew Mason

Founder of Groupon, he started the company as a side project. Read More at https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andrew-Mason

Jan Koum

Co-founder of WhatsApp, built the app mostly by himself. Read More at https://www.forbes.com/profile/jan-koum/

John Saddington

Built and launched Desk PM, a blogging app, completely by himself.Read More at https://john.do/

Steve Wozniak

Co-founder of Apple, he built the original Apple computers by himself. Read More at https://www.biography.com/scientist/steve-wozniak

Garrett Camp

Co-founder of StumbleUpon and Uber, he played a crucial role in building these platforms. Read More at https://www.forbes.com/profile/garrett-camp/?sh=5c02a77a612f

Craig Newmark

Founder of Craigslist, he managed the site almost entirely by himself in the early years. Read More at https://www.biography.com/business-figure/craig-newmark

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