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Startup founders, how old are you?

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#21

Post by jwecker »

nostrademons wrote: post #6
python_kiss wrote: post #2

In my opinion, startup founders hit mid life crisis in their early 20s. Considering Paul's influence on YCombinator, I am guessing that is the age group most of us belong to. So go ahead and share with us your age. I just turned 22 today :)

"In my opinion, startup founders hit mid life crisis in their early 20s." I'd agree with that. I'm 25 and sometimes wonder if I'm over the hill. Then again, my boss in my day job (sole founder and CEO) is almost 50. So it's not *impossible* to start late. I have noticed that it makes things difficult, culture-wise. The startup I'm at has a very 9-5 culture and tends to move fairly slowly, which is frustrating for you…

All through my early startups I had a lingering feeling deep down that maybe I was too young- in over my head. Then one day I wake up and I'm feeling like maybe I'm too old- what if I missed the sweet spot or something? So my recommendation to all, young and old- ignore it.

Every time I hear someone older say they are getting forgetful because of their age (unless they really have dementia) I laugh inside, because everyone forgets stuff all the time- it's just that when you're older you have an excuse to pin it on. If your boss is 50 and the company is sluggish and behind the culture and curve, then it's your boss's disposition that made it so, not his age. It's a kind of slow culture that anyone turning a profit can get stuck in.

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#22

Post by iamelgringo »

Feeling like an old fart here...I'm 33.

I'm career changing and going back to school. I should be done with my CS degree in two years. While I'm finishing school, though, I'm setting up my life to be a serial founder. I'll be 35 at that time.

I know that's breaking the mold, but I've had some time to set things up:

When I'm done with school, I will make a decent living working part time. I have moved to Silicon Valley. I will have my team together. We won't be betting the farm while iterating through startup ideas.

I'm sure it won't all be a bed of roses, but I think there's something to be said for taking time to prepare for a life of uncertainty.

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#23

Post by jamiequint »

pg wrote: post #4

The average YC founder is about 25. The range so far has been from 19 to (I think) 33.

Only 21 and I still feel like I should have accomplished more with my life by now.

Experience is important, passion is more important.

Experience without passion is a dead startup.

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#24

Post by danw »

omarish wrote: post #12
python_kiss wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Paul, is the YC demographic a good representative of the average startup founder's age? Judging from your articles, I sense that there is a certain, though justified, bias towards funding younger startup founders. This is the excerpt I am referring to: "The other reason it's hard to start a company before 23 is that people won't take you seriously. VCs won't trust you, and will try to reduce you to a mascot as a cond…

From the front page: "We care more about how smart you are than how old you are, and more about the quality of your ideas than whether you have a formal business plan." Perhaps the question should be: How many startups have you been a part of?

Or perhaps "How smart are you?" would be better?

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#25

Post by reitzensteinm »

iamelgringo wrote: post #22

Feeling like an old fart here...I'm 33. I'm career changing and going back to school. I should be done with my CS degree in two years. While I'm finishing school, though, I'm setting up my life to be a serial founder. I'll be 35 at that time. I know that's breaking the mold, but I've had some time to set things up: When I'm done with school, I will make a decent living working part time. I have moved to Silicon Valle…

With all respect, if you're planning to found companies what do you need a degree for? Backup plan? It seems like an odd choice to me.

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#26

Post by danw »

python_kiss wrote: post #2

In my opinion, startup founders hit mid life crisis in their early 20s. Considering Paul's influence on YCombinator, I am guessing that is the age group most of us belong to. So go ahead and share with us your age. I just turned 22 today :)

Happy Birthday python_kiss!

I just turned 0o25 myself. Or just 0x15.

Mid life crisis in early 20s = Quarter life crisis? A lot of people have it in the years after they graduate when they realise they're just trapped in an office. A startup might just be our equivalant of buying a sports car.

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#27

Post by aglarond »

benhoyt wrote: post #14

25, and my co-founders are 23 and 32. Relatedly: two of us have wives and families, which does make things more difficult financially and time-wise. Do any other founders have families? Do you work on the startup full-time? How do you fund yourselves?

32. With wife and kids. :)

It's a strain on personal/family life, but I firmly believe that starting a startup now is the best time for me to do so. I've been in the work world long enough to realize what I don't like, what I'm sick of, and what kinds of things people in my position are looking for.

There's also something to be said for the support that a spouse can give you, and for the energy that children impart just by being around you. Yeah, I have my bad days, but all in all, I think that this is the time.

Focus is the main thing that limited resources will impart to you. My two most limited resources at the moment are time and money. Since I don't have much of each, and can't afford to fail, I am that much more focused on what I need to be doing.

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#29

Post by volida »

i'm 24, being around the YC average opposes hapily to my feelings that i am too ooold...

it's great to be among this virtual tech startup community sharing the same stress and anxieties...maybe we should make some skype conference, public chat, skypecast whatever is called...

as a matter of fact i am opening a new thread here in news.YC right after this comment to suggest this.

*update: my suggestion is in this thread:

http://news.ycombinator.com/comments?id=2336

Re: Startup founders, how old are you?

#30

Post by veritas »

I'm 20, will be 21 in April. Will also be applying for this summer's Y Combinator round as soon as I can get my prototype/alpha up and running for basic testing and as soon as I can find a founder. It is ridiculously hard to find a founder when you're surrounded by 9-5 types who have a family and a mortgage. I should've done this while I was in college. Hopefully I'll see some of you in Cambridge.
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