65% of Wannabe Founders Bet on AI. The Confidence Gap Is the Real Story. Obviously.
Intuit QuickBooks commissioned a December 2025 survey of 3,000 U.S. adults plus 1,500 each in Canada, the UK, and Australia. It found 65% of aspiring U.S. entrepreneurs plan to use AI to launch businesses in 2026. The same respondents admit financial fears, funding gaps, and low confidence in basic business finances keep them from acting. An informal entrepreneurship economy built on side hustles and AI tools is emerging in the gap.
This illustrates what economists call capability compression. AI does not eliminate the barrier to entry. It compresses the distance between intention and action by substituting machine labor for missing expertise. The mental model here is leverage asymmetry. Those who can articulate a business problem clearly will get more from AI than those who cannot, which means the real skill gap is shifting from execution to specification.
Intuit QuickBooks ran the survey and published the findings. The respondents are aspiring entrepreneurs across four countries, predominantly side-hustle-curious U.S. adults who feel pulled toward ownership but lack financial confidence.
- Open a free tier of ChatGPT or Claude and type 'Help me estimate startup costs for a [your idea] business in [your city].' Ask it to list fixed and variable costs. You should get a structured breakdown in under 60 seconds.
- Follow up with 'What are three funding options for someone with under $500 to start?' Note which options feel realistic.
- Ask 'What financial skills do I need to run this, and can you teach me the basics?' Read the response and identify the one skill you feel least confident about. That is your first learning target, not your barrier.