Summary of Key Points
OPCs (One-Person Companies) represent a new entrepreneurial model that has emerged in the context of the AI revolution, referring to highly capable individuals or small teams empowered by AI, capable of independently handling the entire business process from product design to market launch. Currently, the OPC trend is sweeping across the country, with many local governments introducing policies such as subsidies, computational resources support, and order matchmaking services. However, the industry also faces challenges such as difficulty in acquiring customers, slow commercialization, and increased competition. Experts believe that these are temporary pains of industrial transformation, and as AI matures, more opportunities will emerge.
I. OPCs: AI Makes It Possible for “One Person to Start a Business,” but It’s Not Really “ Fighting Alone”
OPCs are not literally individuals running companies on their own; they are highly skilled individuals or small teams empowered by AI. For example, developing a small game used to require a team of 10 people over several years, but now two former employees from major gaming companies, Xiao B and Hans, can complete it in just a few months with the help of AI. Professor Zhang Haixia from Peking University suggests that the proper use of AI is for automating repetitive tasks while humans make the critical decisions—instead of becoming substitutes for AI, one should transform from a “tool” in the workplace into a self-directed entrepreneur (OPC). There are stories circulating in the OPC community about individuals earning millions or even tens of millions per year, but in reality, this is often the result of collaboration among small teams using AI tools to complete the entire process.
II. Governments Around the Country Are Embracing OPCs: Offering Money, Space, and Resources
More than 20 cities across the country have introduced specialized policies for OPCs, aimed at addressing four major challenges faced by entrepreneurs:
- Beijing: Launched an action plan to support OPCs in areas such as AI-powered entities (AIGC), providing free models and computational resources for three months, with up to 10 million yuan in funding for high-quality projects.
- Shanghai: Offers free workspaces for up to three years and 80% computational resource subsidies in Lingang; Jing'an District provides startup packages worth 100,000 yuan and access to IP resources for the audiovisual industry.
- Shenzhen, Suzhou, Hangzhou: Offer zero-rent workspaces, one-stop registration services, and discounts on computational resources.
Governments also organize entrepreneurship competitions, connect entrepreneurs with mentors, and even provide industry-specific scenarios (such as government-enterprise orders) to help OPCs find customers—essentially creating a platform to compensate for their lack of resources and orders.
III. The Real Situation of Entrepreneurs
There are some legendary success stories within the OPC community, such as Jiang Zheyuan, who dropped out of Tsinghua University in 1998 and created a humanoid robot 43 days later, with his business booming by 2025. However, most entrepreneurs face practical difficulties:
- Increased Efficiency, but No Increased Revenue: Ye Ge notes that while AI has increased efficiency (projects used to take a week now take just two days), the number of customers hasn’t increased, leading to decreased earnings.
- Intensified Competition: AI has lowered the barriers to entry; skills that used to take ten years to learn can now be acquired quickly, forcing entrepreneurs to compete even harder.
- Difficulty in Generating Revenue: Xiao B and Hans are still exploring their business models and have not yet started making money; Luo Shen prefers to focus on developing solid products rather than rushing to produce mass-market items. Yao Yao mentions that although many claim to have received investment, few have actually made profits.
IV. Cold Reflections on the Trend
The biggest challenge for OPCs is acquiring customers, and overcapacity is a growing concern:
- Experts like Zhang Limin point out that while AI has reduced production costs to near zero, market demand has not kept up with the increase in capacity, leading to overproduction and difficulty in generating revenue.
- The competitive landscape within the industry is fierce, with everyone able to produce quickly.
- Governments are opening up scenarios and providing orders to help OPCs find customers.
V. Future Trends: Temporary Challenges, but Long-Term Potential with Combined Support
Expert Huangfu Bingjing believes that the current difficulties faced by OPCs are part of the initial stages of industrial transformation:
- As AI-powered entities and industry-specific tools mature, traditional employment models will become less rigid, and more tasks will be distributed to individuals.
- Highly skilled individuals will need a combination of resources such as free workspaces, training, industry-specific scenarios, capital, and policy support.
- Some entrepreneurs suggest that OPCs may just be a temporary option; if better opportunities arise in the future, they might return to traditional employment. This model is more akin to a flexible career path rather than a fixed entrepreneurial format.
In summary, OPCs represent new opportunities for ordinary people in the AI era, but success requires genuine business capabilities, policy support, and the ability to target the right customers. Behind the hype, it’s essential to maintain a clear-headed approach and focus on solid work.