Why US Startup Filings Are Rising and What Five Founders Learned

US entrepreneurs are starting businesses at a faster pace than a year ago. Census Bureau data show Americans filed more than 3 million applications to start businesses in the first six months of 2026, up 16.5% from the same period a year earlier.

The surge is happening as artificial intelligence reduces the cost of early-stage work and as repeated layoffs push some professionals toward building their own ventures. Deepali Vyas, CEO and founder of Vyas Media, told Business Insider that tasks once requiring employees, designers and marketers can now begin with an AI first draft.

Business Insider asked founders of Jones Road Beauty, PopSockets, Olipop, Open Farm and Preply what they would tell someone starting out. Their answers return to the same themes: solve a real problem, stay close to customers, and be willing to learn from early failures.

Among the advice, Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty says founders should trust their instincts instead of chasing competitors. PopSockets' David Barnett says to solve small everyday problems rather than chase a billion-dollar idea, while Olipop's Ben Goodwin says early failures are learning opportunities. Preply's Kirill Bigai says choosing a cofounder is second only to the product idea itself.

The Advice Behind Jones Road, PopSockets, Olipop, Open Farm and Preply

PopSockets and the small-problem advantage

David Barnett's advice to solve daily frustrations rather than chase a grand vision reflects a recurring pattern: PopSockets began when he glued buttons to a phone to manage a headset. The company has since sold more than 300 million grips across 200 countries, but its origin was a personal annoyance, not a market thesis. For founders, a narrow, real problem can be easier to validate cheaply and can grow into a broader product line once traction exists.

Customer feedback shaped Jones Road and Preply

Bobbi Brown's Jones Road expanded its bestselling Miracle Balm line after listening to shoppers in stores, by email and in direct messages. Preply's Kirill Bigai says the company started with a simple landing page asking users for phone numbers; he called every number to learn what customers needed before going online to find a tutor. Both cases show that early customer contact did more than improve the product—it created the feedback loop that guided expansion. That is different from chasing competitor activity, which Brown explicitly says she avoids.

Endurance shows up in Olipop and Open Farm

Ben Goodwin launched a probiotic soda before Olipop that failed, then used the experience to rethink formula, flavor and branding. Jacqueline Prehogan of Open Farm says a clear mission helped the company resist growing too quickly. The repeated phrase across these stories is not speed but clarity about what the founders actually care about, and the willingness to stay with it through early versions that do not work.

What Aspiring Founders Can Take From These Five Startup Stories

  • Start from a personal annoyance, not a grand vision. PopSockets' David Barnett suggests solving a daily pain point; he warns against trying to be Elon Musk and advises prototyping cheaply before quitting your day job.
  • Ask customers directly before scaling. Jones Road Beauty expanded its bestselling Miracle Balm line only after hearing from shoppers in stores, emails and DMs; Preply's founders called every early phone number to understand what learners needed.
  • Treat an early failure as data, not a dead end. Olipop's Ben Goodwin says the work from his first failed probiotic soda made the eventual product bolder and clearer.
  • Choose a cofounder as carefully as the product itself. Preply's Kirill Bigai calls the cofounder decision second only to the idea, and stresses shared values and commitment for the long journey.