I've been in a corporate for many years after grad school. Climbing endless corporate ladder. I want to feel the excitement of a start-up. Should I quit my job and do my own gig full time? Or is this age already too old to compete with the 20s?
Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
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Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Koum
Jan Koum started WhatsApp when he was 33. Now I'm not saying you are the next Jan Koum but I do believe it's never too late to work on something you're passionate about.
Sometimes joining an early stage startup can let you be part of that exhilarating experience so that's one idea.
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Koum Jan Koum started WhatsApp when he was 33. Now I'm not saying you are the next Jan Koum but I do believe it's never too late to work on something you're passionate about. Sometimes joining an early stage startup can let you be part of that exhilarating experience so that's one idea.
Thanks!
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#4You are absolutely not too old. Actually, contrary to the Silicon Valley stereotype, most startup founders are between their late 30's and early 40's - where they have the perfect mix of remaining youthful drive and critical industry experience (it is also, coincidentally, the age range where fluid intelligence of youth and crystallized intelligence of wisdom intersect and balance out). The fastest growing startups are actually far more likely to be led by people over the age of 50 than under the age of 30.
Don't listen to the Silicon Valley echo chamber - the rest of the country thrives on stable businesses, which are most likely to be led by older founders. Not only can you compete with those 20-somethings, but you can out-maneuver them using the experience you've earned in other environments. Younger founders may have to put in 100 hours a week and make dozens of costly mistakes that you, because of your corporate background, can potentially foresee and avoid altogether.
Reference: http://business.time.com/2013/03/14/ask-the-expert-the-best-...
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#5I bet you already know if you feel able to compete with people in their 20s. If the question is, will other people, for instance, investors, think that you're too old?
Two words: fuck 'em.
Signed, a 35-year old CEO.
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#6I bet you already know if you feel able to compete with people in their 20s. If the question is, will other people, for instance, investors, think that you're too old? Two words: fuck 'em. Signed, a 35-year old CEO.
really encouraging! thanks, man.
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#7I bet you already know if you feel able to compete with people in their 20s. If the question is, will other people, for instance, investors, think that you're too old? Two words: fuck 'em. Signed, a 35-year old CEO.
Age of founder(s) may exclude some startups from funding in California, but elsewhere the older a founder the more competent they are usually rated. Even then, more traditional funding sources, like banks, are more likely to lend or invest in older founders because of their experience and potential assets.
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#8Over at 500 Startups we see a substantial number of founders and founding members who are in their 30s and 40s, and even some in their 50s and beyond.
This topic resurfaces every so often. Google will produce various articles and studies on the topic. Here's a study from HBR using Crunchbase API, LinkedIn, WSJ-
https://hbr.org/2014/04/how-old-are-silicon-valleys-top-foun...
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#9No age is too old. I co-founded a startup last year, successfully raised a 8 figure series A, and am the youngest of founders by more than a decade, and I'm over 35.
The difference between now (startup #4 for me) and when I was in my 20s, is now I waste a lot less time and energy on things that don't matter.
My advice is start consulting on something you know just slightly better than the next guy. You can often jumpstart a product development plan by helping a large company define a product they need. Then make that if more than one company really needs it :)
Re: Ask HN: Is it too late to do a startup after 35?
#10If you already have a stable job, find something you can do on the side for 5-10 hours a week. Wait until it seems like it's doing well to quit your regular job.
Also, it's better to bootstrap with savings than raise VC at the beginning.