It’s late to start your first business in the 20s
Steve Jobs started Apple when he was 21.
Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook when he was 20.
Evan Spiegel stared Snapchat when he was 22.
But they are all outliers!
Most of the 20-year-olds alive now will not start a business that will become a “unicorn” anytime soon.
In fact, most will not do it ever!
Yet, those that will, would reach this point in their early 30s. Or later.
One needs to start early.
As long as I remember, my father has always been an entrepreneur. First in the lumber business. Then helping my mother start an internal architecture company, Palazzo. Finally, getting into the tech field with various eCommerce and other marketplace solutions, including Shipitwise.
He started way before his 20s! In the time when being an entrepreneur was still considered to be illegal in Estonia — which fortunately did not stop his father, whose business Alex had to take over.
This does not mean our family had made it by the time I was born. It just led to me growing up in a family that knows no other way but entrepreneurship for bringing the food to the table.
Of course, I have had my “pleasure” trying out various odd jobs, such as selling ice cream and catering at restaurants. As did my mother, my father and my brother.
But I also had the entrepreneurial mindset injected to me early on:
- Taking calls for my father when I was 8,
- Joining my parents at various business conferences when I was 15,
- Co-founding a startup together with my dad when I was 21 by which time I had had a few other projects under my belt.
Yet most kids do not have this kind of an upbringing. Thus probably ending up as doctors, engineers or worse.
None of which are bad positions to be in. Simply not leading them to a life in which they can be the judge, the jury and the executioner of their own lives.
Unless they manage to get someone else show them the way towards entrepreneurship early on. In which case they might become the next young billionaire or lead a happy life.
Possible but unlikely!
I would love if everyone around me being a self-made (wo)man.
However, this will not be the widespread reality for now.
Or any time soon!
Unless we change something in the whole society, starting with the education system.
The reason goes as far as the 19th century when the system was first built. Only to generate the next wave of employees for existing manufactures — not for creating new ones.
In 2018, the education system still has not been fixed.!?
Even worse, the youth below the age of 18 are still not accepted at global tech events. Although we seemingly have hyped up the idea for everyone to take the entrepreneurial path.
All while the existing entrepreneurship classes are mostly taught by non-practitioners. With no real entrepreneurs to even present their cases. If those classes exist at all…
So in case, someone does end up starting anything in his or her youth, it will most likely be a sock sewing or marketing automation software startup. Not anything that would actually help the humanity take a leap to a new level.
Can we do anything about it, tho?
Yes!
At least I hope we can.
Mistletoe has launched an initiative for teaching entrepreneurship for young kids, named Vivita.
Estonia, as a government, has even made learning coding compulsory for first graders. Hopefully leading to more technical founders in the future.
Yet the under 17-year-olds are still not invited to join the next WebSummit or similar event.
And that is a problem we need to solve yesterday.
As for how will we inspire the next wave of entrepreneurs if we make it impossible for them to see what is happening around the world now.!?
That is where Robotex has made sure everyone is welcome to the festival — regardless of his or her age.
And not only that!
We have actually started entrepreneurship challenges for kids as young as 4-year-olds. Starting early and going all the way through postgraduates for them to start new frontier tech companies.
But to make a global impact, we need everyone to open their doors to all people, regardless of their age.
Any proof?
The folks at Singularity University agree with this. Saying that their most prominent founders nowadays are all over the age of 30.
Not because 20-year-olds have no interest in joining their programs or ideas to work on.
But because this usually is their first experience building a company. Thus ending up not taking all the advice given to them — thinking they know better. Thus leading to average results…
Meanwhile, those that have been playing a business for a longer period end up with astonishing results.
Which has nothing to do with their age!
Only with the fact they have had 10 years to practice.
So what next?
The new general belief is that starting early is the key.
Regardless of the age, when one starts playing around with the idea of entrepreneurship way before reaching their teens, they will have had more than 10 years of experience by the time they reach their 20s. Thus having gone through all the pitfalls and initial “simple ideas”. Finally being ready to start the next company that could become something more.
Or they can join another high-speed train. Now being able to share their experience that will help grow this particular enterprise even faster.
Because not all people need or should be the #1 at the company — we also need doers.
As long as they see the wider picture!
So let’s open business events to all — even if it means stopping serving alcohol at the venues.
Meanwhile, let’s start more programs for the school children to get their initial business building experience.
And push young people to think further, so they would start fixing tomorrow’s problems today!
I wrote this as part of my next speaking gig where I’m going to push corporates to think how they could include youth earlier and more. Thus any feedback is appreciated!
And we’re still developing our entrepreneurship program at Robotex, accepting all suggestions. As well as global licensing requests.
