14/11/2025
MGSN BUSINESS
THINK
is portrayed as a job eater in varied media and popular discourse.
However along with AI , , and you will be able to take control over your livelihood by taking control over your employment. The right deployment of the tech and strategic alignments will allow a dedicated researcher to launch and operate a THINK TANK as a .
Tech and employment instability in the large enterprise space has created layoff fear, pay stagnation and a lack of control over one's destiny
As a result of contracting viable employment opportunities, the role of the solopreneur has been growing in markets that have traditionally been dominated by high growth enterprises that would deployed growth models based on a strong and loyal work force.
As growth and profits can be achieved by reducing the size of an enterprise's workforce, laid off employees and younger tech savy potential employees are opting to the entrepreneurial model of a solopreneur.
Another factor that is driving the growth of is the option it offers to communities that face growth barriers in traditional enterprise.
According to the US Census Bureau, Women owned 42.7% (12.7 million) of the nation’s 29.8 million nonemployer businesses (businesses without paid employees and had $411.6 billion in receipts in 2022, according to the new Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics (NES-D) series released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Veteran-owned firms made up about 4.6% (1.4 million) of nonemployer businesses, with $67.7 billion in receipts. There were a total of 29.8 million nonemployer businesses with $1.7 trillion in receipts in 2022.
Further the US National Bankers Association featured an article written by Carl Romer, "Growth in Minority Entrepreneurship in The Pandemic Era".
The article addressed the rising growth of entrepreneurial ventures in marginalized communities and the fact that entrepreneurs in this space were more likely to finance their business through a bootstrapping finance plan.
Great ! How does the tech products create an infrastructure for a solopreneur that allows the business to compete in a competitive work environment.
First build the solopreneur infrastructure. In the hypothetical that is captured in the in AI generated photo, the young researcher is a graduate in chemistry. The researcher's goal was to work in a THINK TANK that had departments which would leverage her research skills in biochemistry and the chemistry behind various energy stocks( solar, oil&gas, wind, varied biofuels and the derivatives).
The hypothetical researcher's attraction to the THINK TANK model as opposed university's research department, research firms, energy firms or pharmaceutical companies, is the ability to develop policy around the research for governments,,not -for-profits and authors looking for evidence based data.
MGSN created the AI generated profile based on the contracting hiring practices in the specific THINK TANKS that have research departments that cover her field.
Instead of getting lost in the CV submission and layered interview stages just to be told nothing or that you are great but...., she decided to divert that energy into building a solopreneur THINK TANK.
As a solopreneur launching a think tank in the specialized fields of biofuels and medtech, you can leverage AI, LLMs, IoT, Virtual Assistants, and Global Capability Centers as your core, lean infrastructure to maximize efficiency and impact, while keeping overhead costs low.
AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)
AI and LLMs can serve as your virtual research assistants and data analysis engines, democratizing access to resources previously available only to large organizations.
Research & Analysis: Use LLMs for rapid literature reviews, synthesizing vast amounts of data, and identifying emerging trends in biofuels and medtech. You can create custom GPTs tailored to your specific industry knowledge base for deeper, more relevant insights.
Content Generation: Automate the creation of first drafts for policy briefs, blog posts, grant proposals, and marketing copy, which you can then refine and fact-check.
Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage AI tools for competitive analysis and market research to inform your strategic direction and identify key problems that your think tank can address.
Automation: Automate routine tasks like email organization, scheduling, and data entry, freeing your time for high-impact, strategic work.
Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT will be particularly valuable given your background in chemistry and research, enabling data collection and monitoring in a distributed or lab environment.
Remote Monitoring: If your research involves lab work, an IoT infrastructure can connect sensors and devices to monitor experiments, environmental conditions (like temperature or air quality), or material properties in real-time, even from a remote location.
Data Collection: Use IoT devices to collect precise, real-time data from various sources (e.g., in field tests for biofuel efficiency or during medtech prototyping), ensuring high-quality data for your policy recommendations and research papers.
Operational Efficiency: Monitor resource usage (energy, lab supplies) with IoT to optimize operational costs and ensure a sustainable footprint for your think tank.
Virtual Assistants (VAs)
A human virtual assistant will handle the administrative and operational burdens, ensuring smooth operations while you focus on core research and policy influence.
Administrative Support: Delegate email management, calendar scheduling, travel planning, and general administrative tasks.
Research Assistance: VAs can support research by filtering sources, creating summaries of documents, data entry, and fact-checking, working in tandem with your AI tools.
Client & Stakeholder Management: They can manage client communications, handle inquiries, and help maintain your professional online presence on platforms like LinkedIn.
Cost-Effectiveness: Hiring a VA is a cost-effective solution compared to a full-time employee, as you only pay for the hours of support you need, without the overhead of benefits or office space.
Global Capability Centers (GCCs)
As a solopreneur, establishing a full-fledged GCC in the traditional sense is not feasible, but you can adopt the mindset and leverage global talent pools to achieve a similar outcome: access to specialized skills and cost savings.
Global Talent Pool: Instead of a physical center, hire a specialized virtual assistant or freelance experts (e.g., data scientists, regulatory experts, graphic designers) from a global talent pool using platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. This gives you access to diverse perspectives and expertise at a competitive cost.
Follow-the-Sun Model: Leverage time zone differences for continuous workflow (e.g., your VA handles admin overnight, and your research continues during your daytime).
Scalability: This virtual, global infrastructure allows you to scale your operations up or down based on project needs and funding, without the fixed costs associated with a physical office or full-time staff.
Research-as-a-Service (RaaS): Sell Research-on-Demand subscriptions to smaller businesses, NGOs, and government departments that need unbiased data and literature reviews but can't afford a full think tank.
Content Monetization:
Launch a high-quality, independent Substack and Podcast based on the research. The goal is using paywalls and premium content to build a loyal, diverse donor base that funds her primary research interests.
Micro-Donations/Crowdfunding: Set up a transparent funding model to accept small donations from the public, directly countering the "big donor" problem that led to her layoff
