The Elderly Entrepreneur: It Is Never Too Late

A single narrative tends to dominate the modern entrepreneurship conversation. We tend to love the teenage tech genius who closes deals for billions of dollars while eschewing a suit in favor of flip-flops and a sweatshirt. Now, the image of the internet wunderkind makes for great movies and is partly representative of the boom in startup activity among the younger generations of Americans, but it doesn’t come near to capturing the full picture. For as young as Michael Dell, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg might have been when they started their companies, the advantages of youthful enthusiasm and unlimited energy do eventually give way to something just as (if not more) valuable: experience. (Clifford, Entrepreneur)

You will never be too old to leverage your wisdom and ingenuity into a potentially phenomenal business venture. Having spent more time in the workforce actually provides you with a much clearer perspective. Professionally, you may have developed decades worth of insight into how to do something better and revolutionize a good or service. Personally, the passing years have afforded you the time to stabilize both your finances and relationships. These factors, when combined with a passion for whatever it is to which your business venture pertains, can lead to untold success. And, contrary to what many people may assume, passion is not a resource owned only by the young. If you have a dream, seize it! History repeats itself and you would be joining very good company.

Charles Flint was 61 years old when he founded IBM. That is just one year older than Amadeo Giannini was when he began Bank of America. Just a little bit of digging reveals just how common it is for many of the most influential industry leaders to have built their dream companies once they were “over the hill.” Gordon Bowker of Starbucks, Joseph Campbell of Campbell Soup, Chung Ju-yung of Hyundai Motor, and the eponymous Estée Lauder were all in their fifties before they started businesses that would come to be globally recognizable market leaders. These mavericks illustrate a uniquely inspiring reality: it is never too late for you spring into action.