I have almost 10 years on you. I started my first business at 23, and sold my 5th 4 years ago before starting this one. In my 20's, I was smart enough to know

I have almost 10 years on you. I started my first business at 23, and sold my 5th 4 years ago before starting this one. In my 20's, I was smart enough to know everything, and it cost me a lot of learning. Those entrepreneurs have advantages, mind you. A single minded purpose, a refusal to accept the status quo, and the notion (by investors) that you can be trained, molded, and focused. In my 30's, I was smart, and chasing validation, victories, crushing competition of all shapes and sizes, and basking in the glory of success. I achieved some cool things, I spent a boat load of money on stupid stuff, and I started to learn how to be an adult. I'm now at the beginning of my 40's. I understand far more. I piss off far fewer people, and I have a wisdom that propels me towards happiness and fulfilment, but I still have a fierce hunger for success, crushing competition, and tearing a hole in the status quo. Now, however, I know exactly how to do it. I make far fewer mistakes, build bridges instead of walls, and have a rolodex filled with decision makers, allies, and mentors. I work, constantly. Booze, women of questionable morals, and flashy toys don't have the allure they once had. I get shit done, and leave the chest thumping to the kids. The spin on young founders comes from a different world, and it's not altogether wrong, but it requires a 500 Startups approach (invest in a bunch and hope a few make it). Older founders have a much higher rate of success, if they can handle the psychological pressures that come with it. If you're doing it to get rich, you'll most likely fail. If you're doing it for a lifestyle, the odds are stacked against you. If you're doing it to be cool, well, save yourself some money and buy a Mazerati. If you're doing it because you have an obsession with the problem, and you can't sleep because you need to see it solved, and you can enlist others to be soldiers in your army to fight this obvious injustice/inefficiency, then you have a very strong chance of success. Don't be a founder just to check it off your bucket list, do it because you have no choice but to follow/create your destiny. Best of luck.