Entrepreneurship is a young man’s hustle. This is a notion that’s been held by many for years. We’ve all heard the stories about the 20-something year-old tech geniuses who built multi-million dollar corporations from their garages before they turned thirty.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page were each about 25 when they launched Google. Steve Jobs had just turned 21 and Steve Wozniak was 26 when they created Apple. Bill Gates and Paul Allen were shy of 23 when they created Microsoft. Mark Zuckerberg was 20 when he gave us Facebook. Sam Walton was just 26 when Wal-Mart first appeared on the scene, and Sean Parker was in his 20s when he first launched Napster.
Forbes annually publishes a list of “Youngest Billionaires on the Forbes 400.” Google searches for young billionaires yield a virtual treasure trove of articles like, “30 under 30″ or “Youngest Billionaires, 31-40.”
It’s undeniable, there is a plethora of young, financial trailblazers who’ll never again have to worry about slaving away inside a cubicle, getting ordered around an office, getting fired or polishing up a résumé.
Striking out while young has its advantages. Most of the young have nothing to lose, haven’t learned to respect failure, are loaded with energy and enthusiasm and don’t have to worry about mortgages, car payments or children to feed.
According to a recent Forbes article, “Without having been in the workplace, the young entrepreneur has a fresh perspective untainted from the way-it-is-supposed-to-be mindset that is so prevalent in most boardrooms. Consequently, their solutions are new, innovative, and groundbreaking.”
But a closer look at the data suggests creative thinkers and innovators can be found from all backgrounds and all ages.
Source: Black Enterprise | Richard Spiropoulos
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