Nowadays you hear about young (under 20) entrepreneurs. Those are the exceptions, the real average age of tech startup founders is 39. Don’t rush it, it’s not about the age but about the timing.
A month before I started working, I decided to enter a startup validation contest called “Energia de Portugal”. My idea? An online platform that offers an intuitive way to discuss arguments and vote on polls online, providing full transparency and scalability to decision processes.
At the same time I was finishing my master’s thesis, so the time I had available to that contest was limited. Nevertheless I managed to validate some hypothesis and to network… which resulted in six potential clients. I had a prototype thus the next step would be to develop a beta version in partnership with one of the clients.
Then came my first day at work – the old days of side projects were over.
I felt frustrated about freezing the project right when it was getting momentum, but that was the safest (and less interesting) decision at the time. I get the feeling that younger entrepreneurs are given more opportunities and that their mistakes are more easily accepted.
All in all, I guess every time is a good a time to create a startup. Make sure you’re prepared to start the journey, you have the team with the necessary (complementary) skills, and the world’s ready to embrace your idea.
5 replies on “What’s the right time to create a startup?”
I think that after your actual job you will be able to better understand the needs of the market and create a startup. That’s what is happening in Silicon Valley when former Facebook/Google/LinkedIn collaborators quit and create their own successful enterprises.
That was one of the things I learned while speaking with people on Energia de Portugal, after you quit your current company you have a deeper knowledge of the market and its needs, and you also develop and mature your skills.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
The same applies to any given project you have, including your StartUp.
Diogo Rolo, I love that chinese proverb, thanks for mentioning it. However sometimes your idea arrives before the world is ready to accept it. Take tablets for example, there were created decades ago, but only now they gained global acceptance.
I think the key is to be persistent, to wait for the right time to lauch. That means you need to be ready always :P