The state of entrepreneurship 2026: what does running a business really look like right now?
Something strange happens when you talk to other entrepreneurs.
Everyone seems to be either crushing it or quietly drowning. Very few are willing to say, “honestly, I’m not sure how I compare. I have no idea if what I’m experiencing is normal.”
But that’s the truth for most of us.
AI is reshaping the way businesses operate. Customer acquisition is getting harder. Marketing channels that worked two years ago are losing steam. Teams look different. Costs are up. And yet – the entrepreneurial conversation often stays surface-level. Highlight reels. Best practices. Stories that end in triumph.
What does entrepreneurship actually look like in 2026? Not the polished version. The real one.
That’s what we set out to find out.
Introducing The State of Entrepreneurship 2026
We’ve built a live global benchmarking survey – and we’re inviting thousands of founders, consultants, coaches, agency owners, creators, and service providers to contribute their honest answers.
The goal is simple: create the most comprehensive, real-time picture of entrepreneurship in 2026.
Not a report you’ll wait six months for.
Not a dataset that disappears once it’s published.
A living benchmark that updates in real time, gets richer with every new participant, and lets you instantly see how your experience compares to everyone else’s. You can take the survey right now:
What you’ll find out
Take the survey and you’ll immediately see:
How your revenue growth compares – Are you growing faster or slower than your peers? Is your trajectory typical or unusual?
How founders are really using AI – Not the LinkedIn version. The actual answer. How many businesses have genuinely integrated AI? How many are still figuring it out?
What’s actually driving growth in 2026 – Which acquisition channels are working? Which have flatlined? What are the top-performing businesses doing differently?
The mindset behind the numbers – How many entrepreneurs have considered giving up in the past 12 months? How many feel confident about the next year? What concerns are most common?
Where businesses are struggling – Not anecdotally. In aggregate, across thousands of entrepreneurs, so you can see whether your challenges are unique – or shared by nearly everyone.
Why this is different
Most surveys ask you to wait.
Submit your answers, come back in four months, download the PDF. By the time the report lands, the world has moved on.
This project works differently.
The moment you complete the survey, you see how your answers compare to everyone who’s contributed before you. And the dataset keeps evolving – so you can return in a month, check back after a big quarter, and see how the trends have shifted.
The more entrepreneurs who participate, the more valuable the benchmark becomes. Every response makes the picture sharper.
Who this is for
This survey is for founders and business owners, coaches and consultants, agency owners and service providers, creators and solopreneurs, essentially anyone running a business in 2026.
If you’re building something, and you’re curious whether your experience is typical, this is for you.
The bigger picture
Entrepreneurship doesn’t happen in isolation, even when it feels that way.
Thousands of people are navigating the same questions you are: how to grow sustainably, how to use new tools without losing what makes their business work, how to stay resilient when the landscape keeps shifting.
The State of Entrepreneurship 2026 exists to make those shared experiences visible.
You’re not alone. The data will show you that.
Take the survey – see your results instantly
