Middle-aged founders are more successful

Middle-aged founders are more successful

The top 0.1% of startups based on growth in their first five years have founders that started their companies, on average, when they were 45 years old.

In other words, when you look at most successful firms, the average founder age goes up, not down. Overall, evidence shows that successful entrepreneurs tend to be middle-aged, not young.

Why might this be? Although many other factors may explain the age advantage in entrepreneurship, work experience plays a critical role.

For all you aspiring entrepreneurs out there with excellent work experience; don’t think you’ve missed the boat because you’re no longer in your 20s! Isn’t it better to start your own thing after decades of learnings?


Inspired by: Harvard Business Review - Research: The Average Age of a Successful Startup Founder Is 45, by Pierre Azoulay, Benjamin Jones, J. Daniel Kim, and Javier Miranda