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Ask HN: young people

5 points by musiic703 14y ago

Is it me or people at 24 years old and younger not interested in start ups?

excid3 14y ago
I'm 23 and I've been interested in startups for years. The hard part is knowing what possibilities are out there when you are younger.
duiker101 14y ago
I am 22 and I am really really interested in startups. I know have a good job and don't feel like chaining it but if I would I would go for a startup.
gverri 14y ago
I'm also 23 and working on startups since I was 21.
musiic703 14y ago
I ask friends and family around my age (23) and their like yea will do it...but it seems like they all loose focus cuz if school or their job.
gatsby 14y ago
I think it's more an initial aversion to a lot of risk and lack of direction, as opposed to a lack of interest in startups or small companies. At my previous startup and at my current company, we have a lot of 24-29+ year olds (as opposed to 18-23 year olds) joining us. Upon graduation, they likely have some student debt, often don't know what direction to take at 21 or 22 and end up working at a large tech company or for a bank, etc. for a few years (who offers them grandiose promises of big paychecks and stability) before they take the plunge and join a startup.
- musiic703 14y ago
  I can see that
- hahla 14y ago
  I'm 21, and have been working on "startups?" since I was 14. While I have pretty successful with my past ventures, I'm still in college and intend to finish getting my degree (last semester). While I could easily drop out, move to SV, and see what happens I think it all comes down to ones personal risk aversion.
pmtarantino 14y ago
I am 22 but I've been into startups for a few years. I have launched some websites and all, but I think at this age, it is better to have a secure job which will provide you money.
xSwag 14y ago
17 year old here. Heard the term "startup" when I sold my first website at 14 and have been shipping products ever since.
gverri 14y ago
I think the possibility to "change the world" and make something useful out of your life (and even make some money out of it) appeals to a lot of young people. It's important to remember that most startups founders/employees have a tech background. I don't think the startup model is being well evangelized in other domains of knowledge. We are now seeing an increasingly number of Designers/Marketers adopting the "culture". But these professions are deeply connected with technology also. Most of my friends with non-tech background don't even know what a startup is, although things seems to be changing.
L4mppu 14y ago
I am 15 and startups are one of the things i want to do in future.
yolesaber 14y ago
What precisely do you mean by "interested"? As in, interested in the culture (news and blog posts and so forth)? Interested in working at one? Founding one? Your observation is, of course, incredibly anecdotal and depends on myriad factors. For instance, if you are going to a college outside of a major startup hub but near a big tech sector (such as NC or Atlanta) you'll find people aren't necessarily as interested in startups because of their lack of presence and the security of knowing there's a blue chip job awaiting them. Meanwhile if you find yourself in the Valley, there's certainly plenty of young people who are interested in startups, whether working at one or founding their own. For what it is worth, I go to school near NYC and lots of my peers are interested in startups to the point where my small-ish school is considering entrepreneurship tutorials and hosting tech fairs that are focused on small businesses and startups. Personally, I just turned 22 and am interning for a startup right now and am looking to work for one in the city when I graduate in May.
stevenameyer 14y ago
In my opinion young people tend to chase what they perceive to be prestigious, or evidence of their value in a field. In respect to the technology field I find this tends to manifest it's self in one of two ways, ether aiming for a major company such as the Googles or Facebooks of the world, or they aim to be a cofounder. So if you mean do young people have an interest in starting a start up then I know there are a lot all over. But if you mean are they interested in going to a start up that they may not have heard of, but don't feel part of the founding group then I think that they are scarse. As a 19 year old who is currently studying Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, I would say that most of my peers fall into ether trying to work at a tach giant, or learning what they can at different start ups with the end goal of eventually starting their own. This is just my opinion and is clearly anecdotal but from my experience i think this is fairly accurate.
deleted 14y ago
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5 points by musiic703 14y ago

Is it me or people at 24 years old and younger not interested in start ups?

I'm 23 and I've been interested in startups for years. The hard part is knowing what possibilities are out there when you are younger.

duiker101 14y ago

I am 22 and I am really really interested in startups. I know have a good job and don't feel like chaining it but if I would I would go for a startup.

gverri 14y ago

I'm also 23 and working on startups since I was 21.

musiic703 14y ago

I ask friends and family around my age (23) and their like yea will do it...but it seems like they all loose focus cuz if school or their job.

gatsby 14y ago

I think it's more an initial aversion to a lot of risk and lack of direction, as opposed to a lack of interest in startups or small companies. At my previous startup and at my current company, we have a lot of 24-29+ year olds (as opposed to 18-23 year olds) joining us. Upon graduation, they likely have some student debt, often don't know what direction to take at 21 or 22 and end up working at a large tech company or for a bank, etc. for a few years (who offers them grandiose promises of big paychecks and stability) before they take the plunge and join a startup.

musiic703 14y ago
I can see that
hahla 14y ago
I'm 21, and have been working on "startups?" since I was 14. While I have pretty successful with my past ventures, I'm still in college and intend to finish getting my degree (last semester). While I could easily drop out, move to SV, and see what happens I think it all comes down to ones personal risk aversion.

pmtarantino 14y ago

I am 22 but I've been into startups for a few years. I have launched some websites and all, but I think at this age, it is better to have a secure job which will provide you money.

xSwag 14y ago

17 year old here. Heard the term "startup" when I sold my first website at 14 and have been shipping products ever since.

gverri 14y ago

I think the possibility to "change the world" and make something useful out of your life (and even make some money out of it) appeals to a lot of young people. It's important to remember that most startups founders/employees have a tech background. I don't think the startup model is being well evangelized in other domains of knowledge. We are now seeing an increasingly number of Designers/Marketers adopting the "culture". But these professions are deeply connected with technology also. Most of my friends with non-tech background don't even know what a startup is, although things seems to be changing.

L4mppu 14y ago

I am 15 and startups are one of the things i want to do in future.

yolesaber 14y ago

What precisely do you mean by "interested"? As in, interested in the culture (news and blog posts and so forth)? Interested in working at one? Founding one? Your observation is, of course, incredibly anecdotal and depends on myriad factors. For instance, if you are going to a college outside of a major startup hub but near a big tech sector (such as NC or Atlanta) you'll find people aren't necessarily as interested in startups because of their lack of presence and the security of knowing there's a blue chip job awaiting them. Meanwhile if you find yourself in the Valley, there's certainly plenty of young people who are interested in startups, whether working at one or founding their own. For what it is worth, I go to school near NYC and lots of my peers are interested in startups to the point where my small-ish school is considering entrepreneurship tutorials and hosting tech fairs that are focused on small businesses and startups. Personally, I just turned 22 and am interning for a startup right now and am looking to work for one in the city when I graduate in May.

stevenameyer 14y ago

In my opinion young people tend to chase what they perceive to be prestigious, or evidence of their value in a field. In respect to the technology field I find this tends to manifest it's self in one of two ways, ether aiming for a major company such as the Googles or Facebooks of the world, or they aim to be a cofounder. So if you mean do young people have an interest in starting a start up then I know there are a lot all over. But if you mean are they interested in going to a start up that they may not have heard of, but don't feel part of the founding group then I think that they are scarse. As a 19 year old who is currently studying Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, I would say that most of my peers fall into ether trying to work at a tach giant, or learning what they can at different start ups with the end goal of eventually starting their own. This is just my opinion and is clearly anecdotal but from my experience i think this is fairly accurate.

deleted 14y ago

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