Start a business at 17. Or now.
Not as hard as you’d think.
Audio Press was founded in late 2013 by two 17 year old high school seniors (Joe has turned 18 since then). Both Joe and I have little experience with startups, have never attended a business school, and are attending universities soon. But we’re not letting that stop us.
17 is perfect
It can be very easy to come up with excuses. If one wanted to start their own business, common excuses could be “I don’t have enough time”, “I have no savings”, or “All the punk rock music I listen to says that big business is bad”. Ok, maybe that last one is made up.
As a high school senior, it’s really easy to use the age excuse. I’m only 17, what can I do? Here’s the problem: there is no age at which you can magically start doing everything. You don’t actually become a super-human-adult at 18. At least that’s what I’ve heard and seen for myself. At 17, I’ve had a decent education, my brain is somewhat developed (I still do dumb things), and I have some life experience.
The way I see it, being 17 gives me some great advantages. I have a place to live, rent free. I don’t have a 9-5 job (I do have school, though). I have a unique perspective. I earn enough money on the side via freelancing to support myself and Audio Press. I usually have plenty of free time. There is no risk for me. If I fail, then who cares? Ok, I do, but I won’t go homeless if I fail. If anything, a failed startup will teach me more than anything a business class could.
Learning to start
So why aren’t there more teens like me? I think that many of my peers don’t even consider becoming an entrepreneur. It isn’t something that’s taught or encouraged as much as it should. I think that many of my peers simply don’t consider starting something of their own when they really should.
If you’re my age and considering starting something of your own, do it. It’s amazing where it could lead you. There’s hardly any risk involved. If you fail, you fail, and you’ve learned. Contact us at hello@getaudiopress.com and we’d be happy to offer any advice or just chat!
