21: Skype - basically my first real job. Still here. What a ride!
What.
Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
71–80 of 82 posts
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#72Age 15 : I had a porn website and was making 200$/m Age 17 : Humour website, 30$/m Age 21 : Facebook like website, 5000$/m I'm 22 now, soon to be graduate in mathematics. But thinking about leaving math and launching a web start-up...
Sounds about right.
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#73I don't want to end the buzz around childhood memories, but business are legal entities/organizations, I really think lemonade stands and mowing lawns should not count as start-ups :/ Most articles I've read link successful startups to founders aged 30+. In fact, in this data from less than 2 months ago (from Founders Institute) - http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/28/peak-age-entrepreneurship/ , the under 20s are less th…
I think it's more that HN commenters skew younger, so you see a peak in mid-20's.
But anyway, I disagree with lemonade stands/mowing lawns not counting. You can learn a lot from the simplest business. And that knowledge (hopefully) causes you to avoid making the same mistakes later when there's much more at stake. That, and remember that most startups aren't financially successful anyway.
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#7410-13: Ran automated java bots which played game characters and gathered currency --> sold virtual currency in bulk --> Made $3000 my first summer "working"
13-17: Established a reputation on well known forums related to virtual goods / gaming --> bought in accounts at a lower rate from retired veteran players --> sold accounts for a premium to players with time constraints but still wanted to exceed in the game --> led to the creation of www.accountsden.com (which is for sale as I've lost the passion; still a profitable, fully functional business model).
17-Current(18):
Wholesale premium vehicles -- purchase directly from Lexus, BMW, Mercedes etc.. auctions as well as leveraging the CDN dollar to import vehicles in to Canada and sell for profit. Can save a buyer $20,000 on a new BMW in Canada in difference of Canadian MSRP.
Launching a niche job classified site targeted towards high turn over jobs/entry level positions. Accommodating the 15-28 age range -- launching within a month.
Want to connect? FB me @ http://facebook.com/mikeho.fb
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#75[deleted]
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#76I picked up a paper route when I was 12. At 14, I ended up taking on three more routes then promptly hired some neighborhood friends to run all four, all for nickles and dimes per house. Realized then that "free money" is the best kind.
I made a bunch of icons in Paint when I was 18. Sold them for $20 in AOL chat rooms. Received checks by mail. Looking back, it was a lot of hustle / border-line spam for little return.
Started two companies since then. Mostly consulting, freelancing, web programming, etc.
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#77In 1999 I worked for a startup and was about to go to college. I was asked by the CEO to drop out of school and get a huge salary - I opted not to take the option and go to school instead. Turned out to be the right choice as they were out of business 6 mos. later.
Hmm.. Maybe if you had worked for them, they would have succeeded!
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#78I don't want to end the buzz around childhood memories, but business are legal entities/organizations, I really think lemonade stands and mowing lawns should not count as start-ups :/ Most articles I've read link successful startups to founders aged 30+. In fact, in this data from less than 2 months ago (from Founders Institute) - http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/28/peak-age-entrepreneurship/ , the under 20s are less th…
I think it's more that HN commenters skew younger, so you see a peak in mid-20's. But anyway, I disagree with lemonade stands/mowing lawns not counting. You can learn a lot from the simplest business. And that knowledge (hopefully) causes you to avoid making the same mistakes later when there's much more at stake. That, and remember that most startups aren't financially successful anyway.
They do count in this sense, but the term start-up is being stretched thin (not only here on HN). I guess a more appropriate question to these answers would be "what was your first business experience?"
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#79This is a good question. 10: First entrepreneurial effort selling lemonade. 13: First software entrepreneurism selling a game on floppy disks. 16: First founded a company, ostensibly to make games. 18: First made a living contracting for myself. 25: First founded a company that became profitable and hired people. Which one counts?
You're a stud.
Re: Poll: how old were you at you first startup?
#801st startup below 25 is irrational exuberance.