3 ms·

Is there a peak age for entrepreneurship?

4 points by skrish 15y ago

skrish 15y ago
Thanks @swombat for iterating this point. I am 30 founding my first startup. Reading some of the articles I do sometimes wonder, if I am late in starting(though I know clearly in my head that its just right time). To me it is all the more important that I started now than later and I can't think of going back to a cozy (lazy?) job again. :)
JackDanger 15y ago
I'm 29 and my cofounder is in his 40's. We've been at this project for a few years and it's clear that the only thing that matters is whether we're willing to hussle. I have no intention of slowing down my entrepreneurialism at any age.
fleitz 15y ago
Statistically yes, but in actuality no. What I mean by that is that when you compile a group of people the overriding factors will point to youth because of the risk a young person is willing to take on. Also, if you don't have the entrepreneurial mindset early on you're probably never going to develop it. If you read the tech press you're also going to encounter the fact that most of what's popularized are barely profitable consumer startups with venture funding. If you start 'late' you're going to find niches that kids out of school will never know even exist, and you'll have the financial base to do it with out having to give up any equity. Outliers are popularized in the press because they make a great story, reality doesn't make a great story so you won't see it printed.
- skrish 15y ago
  Absolutely. It is with experience we start noticing the various niches that exist where we can add value and make profit out of it. For example one of the first companies I worked for does online auction of "excess inventories". He was 34 or 35 years old when he started. The problem they were solving is an inherently big issue in manufacturing companies - liquidating excess scrap & other inventory. He identified a niche & built an online platform that gives these companies a much wider reach and platform to avoid cartels so they get much better valuation of their scrap. Without experience it would have been hard for someone to make note of such a niche & diligently work on it. I remember it took him more than 5 to 6 years to evangelize & introduce the concept of online auction in a developing market like India. But he stuck with it and is doing more than 25+ million USD worth transactions now each year.

4 points by skrish 15y ago

Thanks @swombat for iterating this point. I am 30 founding my first startup. Reading some of the articles I do sometimes wonder, if I am late in starting(though I know clearly in my head that its just right time). To me it is all the more important that I started now than later and I can't think of going back to a cozy (lazy?) job again. :)

JackDanger 15y ago

I'm 29 and my cofounder is in his 40's. We've been at this project for a few years and it's clear that the only thing that matters is whether we're willing to hussle. I have no intention of slowing down my entrepreneurialism at any age.

fleitz 15y ago

Statistically yes, but in actuality no. What I mean by that is that when you compile a group of people the overriding factors will point to youth because of the risk a young person is willing to take on. Also, if you don't have the entrepreneurial mindset early on you're probably never going to develop it. If you read the tech press you're also going to encounter the fact that most of what's popularized are barely profitable consumer startups with venture funding. If you start 'late' you're going to find niches that kids out of school will never know even exist, and you'll have the financial base to do it with out having to give up any equity. Outliers are popularized in the press because they make a great story, reality doesn't make a great story so you won't see it printed.

skrish 15y ago
Absolutely. It is with experience we start noticing the various niches that exist where we can add value and make profit out of it. For example one of the first companies I worked for does online auction of "excess inventories". He was 34 or 35 years old when he started. The problem they were solving is an inherently big issue in manufacturing companies - liquidating excess scrap & other inventory. He identified a niche & built an online platform that gives these companies a much wider reach and platform to avoid cartels so they get much better valuation of their scrap. Without experience it would have been hard for someone to make note of such a niche & diligently work on it. I remember it took him more than 5 to 6 years to evangelize & introduce the concept of online auction in a developing market like India. But he stuck with it and is doing more than 25+ million USD worth transactions now each year.