Writes Anna Vital of Funders and Founders:
When you graduate college, with expectations from parents on your shoulders, seeing teenage CEOs in the news can make you feel like a late bloomer. Even at 25. Since today we expect to live longer than today's average life span of 78 years, at 25 you can reasonably think you are through a quarter of your life...
Looking at the biographies of top 100 founders on the Forbes List shows that 35 is the most common age to start one of the top companies in the world.
But there is hope for you even at 61, Vital continues:
Should Charles Flint have felt himself a loser when he organized IBM out of a time-card punching technology firm at the ripe age of 61? Those time card punchers turned out to be early prototypes of computers.
Perhaps you have not heard much about Flint, but the device you are looking at right now is possible in part because of what Flint started at 61. He even lived another 24 years, working and enjoying the fruits of his late-in-life success. A later bloomer? Perhaps. Too late for him at 61? Never too late.
"Flint started at 61. He even lived another 24 years, working and enjoying the fruits of his late-in-life success. A later bloomer? Perhaps. Too late for him at 61? Never too late."
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how I feel about things. I become a 50% owner in a company at 31, full owner at 34, and pretty much feel like I'm just now starting to hit my stride at 43...lots of learning and drastic changes for me involved early on. (I'm still a learner, but it's not as overwhelming now)
Though I might be a slow learner too. :)
What industry you're in and how close the money spigot(the Fed) obviously has a big impact on things too.
I'm finding skill, experience, and wisdom increase to enormous benefit. But energy, zeal, and inclination to attempt the high-risk moves that can go big dwindle in almost exact inverse proportion. It's debatable which is more important.
ReplyDeleteI'm 69. Involved in my fifth start-up. Work 60 hour weeks in my stride. No loss of zeal, plenty of energy and definitely willing to take risks. Started my first biz at 29 1/2 and had holes in my shoes. Ain't never too late. Oh, and I'm not a Libertarian.
ReplyDelete