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Ask YC: "Can a 40 year old, married with 3 children, start a start-up?"

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Re: Ask YC: "Can a 40 year old, married with 3 children, start a start-up?"

#61

Post by michaelneale »

keating wrote: post #58
michaelneale wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, hopefully, more money/financial security with a bit of age. I am nearly 34, own own house, car, etc etc... nice to have that bit of security. But I guess in big cities you are a wage slave for a long long time, so its a harder jump to make.

If you don't own them outright then your financial obligations actually give you less freedom. When you have nothing to lose, that's when you swing for the fences.

own == own outright. Otherwise the bank owns them in reality !

Swing for fences means "take a chance" I assume ?

Re: Ask YC: "Can a 40 year old, married with 3 children, start a start-up?"

#63

Post by daniel-cussen »

fugue88 wrote: post #30
whiten wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank-you and good luck. My father also started a business (furniture manufacturer!), way back in 1977, when I was only 9. What I have noticed is that the phrase over here (in England - maybe applies in the US), 'You only get out what you put in'.

The US version might be "you reap what you sow," which I like because crops produce more than what they were planted with. Pick a venture that lets you get out more than you put in, eh?

Of course you reap more biomass than you sow. It's what sets farmers apart from squirrels (sort of).

"Reap what you sow" means you get output proportional to input. You'll get more biomass, but you won't get more plants than the amount of seeds you planted.

Re: Ask YC: "Can a 40 year old, married with 3 children, start a start-up?"

#64

Post by daniel-cussen »

nostrademons wrote: post #29

Probably. Don't know your situation, and I'm not 40 anyway, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. One thing I've noticed, having worked for startups with older founders: when you're over 35, it's to your advantage to start a different kind of company. When you're in your early 20s, it makes sense to swing for the fences with a new consumer idea that's wildly innovative and nobody really understands. That way…

Janitor => plumbing company, perhaps?

Re: Ask YC: "Can a 40 year old, married with 3 children, start a start-up?"

#65

Post by ujj »

I think age really is an important factor in starting business and it works to ones advantage depending on the kind of business as well. For starters, I don't think there is any substitute for experience and like kyro said, it also gives one a certain level of maturity in dealing with issues like finances and emotions. Especially family, which tends to get ignored (to say the least) if you are a twenty something hacker working 28X6 in your mum's garage.

I have personally felt a little off balance seeing people lose color when they see me in person. Since my business requires a lot of off line interaction with people, they generally become a little wary on seeing someone in tees and jeans. If you are going for such a business, your age, and more importantly your maturity will be your biggest asset.

Re: Ask YC: "Can a 40 year old, married with 3 children, start a start-up?"

#66

Post by [deleted] »

michaelneale wrote: post #55
keating wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your 35 cutoff seems ridiculously arbitrary and ageist. If anything, more experience means more exposure to more ideas and thus gives you an advantage in coming up with something innovative. There is more cross-pollination. This is a function of time and effort and so only loosely correlated with age.

Also, hopefully, more money/financial security with a bit of age. I am nearly 34, own own house, car, etc etc... nice to have that bit of security. But I guess in big cities you are a wage slave for a long long time, so its a harder jump to make.

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