In general - the older you get, the more responsibilities you have (house payment, kids, etc). People with those types of responsibilities are generally more

In general - the older you get, the more responsibilities you have (house payment, kids, etc). People with those types of responsibilities are generally more risk averse than those who are young and free (no kids, house payments, etc). I started my current company when I was 26. I think back to that time (1999) and I didn't blink an eye when it came to the risk. I jumped in quickly, without worrying about it. Now its 8 years later. I have a wife, a kid, a house payment, etc. I would definitely think a lot harder about making that type of move now. Obviously, my salary is higher (which is one aspect of it), but the big reason is that my obligations are much higher. If I miscalculated now, my family would suffer greatly. So in general - I'd say younger people with less obligations and responsibilities, are more able to take that type of risk.