The last year has not been good for employment. Although March posted the highest job growth since December 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is still 4.3%, and the labor participation rate—the number of people who are working or looking for jobs—is at a five-year low of 61.9%. And jobs are still being cut. Outplacement and coaching firm Challenger, Grey & Christmas reported 60,620 jobs were eliminated in March, with about a quarter of those because of AI.

Aside from all of the job cuts, it’s been an uncertain time to be in business. Tariffs, new government policies, war in the Middle East, and an AI-driven technology revolution have scattered the hand every business has been dealt, making it hard to see what’s coming next.

That all adds up to one thing: More people embracing entrepreneurship. A December survey by Intuit QuickBooks found that 33% of U.S. adults plan to start a business or side hustle in 2026—a 94% year-over-year increase. And more than two-thirds of these aspiring entrepreneurs felt a sense of urgency to get their business going this year.

Entrepreneurship is healthy for any economy, but it takes more than just an idea to start a business. This week, the Forbes CEO newsletter will be dedicated to advice and best practices for today’s newest business leaders. I talked to Michael Seckler, CEO of HR software platform Justworks and previous founder of two other companies, as well as Zak Hemraj, cofounder and CEO of RFP response software firm Loopio, who says mentorship has been a vital ingredient to his success.

This is the published version of Forbes’ CEO newsletter, which offers the latest news for today’s and tomorrow’s business leaders and decision makers. Click here to get it delivered to your inbox every week.

Justworks is a platform designed for small businesses’ HR needs, so Michael Seckler routinely talks to new entrepreneurs. He was once one himself, starting SaaS company Employease in 1996 (acquired by ADP in 2006) and investment management firm Euclidean Technologies in 2008. Times of disruption and upheaval often lead to a boom in entrepreneurship, Seckler said.

But make no mistake, starting a business from nothing is a challenge, no matter what AI disruption or external forces abound.

“It’s always harder to see what’s never been before, which is the new industries, the new companies, the new jobs,” Seckler said.

Even if a new entrepreneur was a successful C-suite executive, starting a business is difficult. Sure, a former top-tier CFO can handle finances easily, but what about marketing? Technology? Strategy and vision? Hiring? Legal issues? Seckler said that can be overwhelming to a new entrepreneur: Realizing you—and just you—own the entire domain of your business.

And the way to get through it, he said, is keep on going.

“Probably the most important skill that people need to........

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