You’re Never Too Old to Start Your Business

“Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso

I bump into a lot of people who think entrepreneurship is for the young, or that they are too old to enjoy the game.

Entrepreneurship and innovative ventures are not exclusive to the young.

It’s never too late to start your business.

You just need more examples to learn and model from.

On this page you can browse a list of individuals who show us the boundless potential for success at any age.

The list represents a diverse array of entrepreneurs, from those who launched substantial traditional businesses to others who started significant creative or professional projects later in life.

You can achieve remarkable success and make substantial impacts well beyond the conventional retirement age.

Entrepreneurs Get Better with Age

The tech industry has a reputation for being biased towards younger entrepreneurs, with the notion that young people are more likely to have valuable ideas.

However, a study by the Census Bureau and two MIT professors has debunked this myth.

They found that the most successful entrepreneurs tend to be middle-aged, with the average age of startup founders being 45.

This study challenges the notion that younger is always better, and highlights the value of experience and wisdom in the tech industry.

See Older Entrepreneurs Have Better Success Rates in Startups.

Entrepreneurs Who Started in Their 40s:

Here’s a list of individuals who started successful ventures in their 40s:

1. Vera Wang – Entered the fashion industry with her own bridal wear line at the age of 40.
2. Henry Ford – Founded Ford Motor Company at 40, revolutionizing the automobile industry.
3. Herb Kelleher – Co-founded Southwest Airlines at 40, which would revolutionize affordable air travel.
4. Gary Heavin – Founded the fitness chain Curves at 40, focusing on women’s health and fitness.
5. Donald Fisher – Co-founded Gap Inc. at 41 with his wife Doris F. Fisher.
6. Robert Noyce – Co-founded Intel at the age of 41, significantly impacting the semiconductor industry.
7. Lynda Weinman – Co-founded Lynda.com, an online software training website, at 42.
8. Chip Wilson – Founded Lululemon Athletica at 42, a company that would become a leader in athletic apparel.
9. Robin Chase – Co-founded Zipcar at the age of 42, pioneering the concept of car-sharing.
10. Sam Walton – Founded Walmart at 44 and expanded it significantly throughout his 50s.
11. Reid Hoffman – Although LinkedIn was founded when he was 36, significant business development and expansion occurred while he was in his 40s.

These entrepreneurs show how your 40s can be a prime time for innovation and entrepreneurship, as you learn how to leverage your accumulated experiences and networks to launch successful businesses.

Entrepreneurs Who Started in Their 50s:

1. Ray Kroc – Took over McDonald’s at the age of 52 and transformed it into a global franchise powerhouse.
2. Charles Flint – Formed the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (later renamed IBM) at 61, having laid much of the groundwork in his late 50s.
3. Leo Goodwin – Founded GEICO at 50, which became a major insurance company.
4. Robert Noyce – Continued to lead and expand Intel throughout his 50s.
5. Bernie Marcus – Co-founded Home Depot at the age of 50, which redefined the home improvement retail sector.
6. Arianna Huffington – Launched The Huffington Post at 55, which quickly became a leading news platform.
7. Gordon Bowker – Co-founded Starbucks at 51, contributing to its early strategy and branding efforts.

These entrepreneurs prove that the 50s can be a highly productive and transformative time for starting new ventures or scaling existing ones to new heights.

Entrepreneurs Who Started in Their 60s:

1. Harland Sanders – Founded Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) at 65.
2. Charles Flint – Created IBM at 61.
3. Frank McCourt – Published his first book, “Angela’s Ashes,” at 66, which launched his writing career.
4. Laura Ingalls Wilder – Published her first “Little House” books at 65.
5. Wally Blume – Founded Denali Flavors, ice cream flavoring company, at 62.

These trailblazers demonstrate that the 60s can be a vibrant era for entrepreneurial ventures.  You can leverage decades of your experience to build successful businesses.

Entrepreneurs Who Started in Their 70s:

1. Anna Mary Robertson Moses (Grandma Moses) – Began her painting career at 78, eventually becoming a celebrated American folk artist.
2. Peter Roget – Created the Roget’s Thesaurus at 73.
3. Harry Bernstein – Became a published author at 96 with his memoir “The Invisible Wall”, but began serious writing efforts in his 70s.
4. Mary Delany – Started creating her “paper mosaics” of flowers at 72, which are held in collections including the British Museum.

These inspiring entrepreneurs show that the 70s can spark new beginnings, proving it’s never too late to pursue passions and turn them into successful ventures.

Entrepreneurs Who Started in Their 80s:

Barbara Beskind – Started her career as an inventor and designer focusing on products for the elderly at 89.

Barbara Beskind’s venture showcases that even in your 80s, you can start impactful and meaningful business ventures, challenging the conventional norms about age and innovation.

Entrepreneurs Who Got an Early Start

On the flip side, let’s take a stroll through entrepreneurs who got early starts:

1. Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) – 19 years old
2. Michael Dell (Dell Technologies) – 19 years old
3. Bill Gates (Microsoft) – 20 years old
4. Richard Branson (Virgin Group) – 20 years old
5. Steve Jobs (Apple) – 21 years old
6. Evan Spiegel (Snapchat) – 21 years old
7. Daniel Ek (Spotify) – 23 years old
8. Drew Houston (Dropbox) – 24 years old
9. Andrew Houston (Dropbox) – 24 years old
10. Phil Knight (Nike) – 24 years old
11. Larry Page (Google) – 25 years old
12. Sergey Brin (Google) – 25 years old
13. John Mackey (Whole Foods) – 25 years old
14. Tony Hsieh (Zappos) – 26 years old
15. Kevin Systrom (Instagram) – 27 years old
16. Brian Chesky (Airbnb) – 27 years old
17. Joe Gebbia (Airbnb) – 27 years old
18. Sean Rad (Tinder) – 27 years old
19. Pierre Omidyar (eBay) – 28 years old
20. Elon Musk (X.com, which became PayPal) – 28 years old
21. Fred Smith (FedEx) – 28 years old
22. Ben Silbermann (Pinterest) – 29 years old
23. Jeff Bezos (Amazon) – 30 years old
24. Howard Schultz (Starbucks) – 34 years old
25. Jack Ma (Alibaba) – 35 years old
26. Tim Westergren (Pandora) – 35 years old
27. Jan Koum (WhatsApp) – 33 years old
28. Larry Ellison (Oracle) – 33 years old
29. Travis Kalanick (Uber) – 33 years old
30. Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn) – 36 years old
31. Brian Acton (WhatsApp) – 38 years old

5 Habits to Grow More Creative as You Age

In the book, Create in a Flash, Roger L. Firestien, PH.D., shares the 5 essential ingredients for becoming more creative based on Dr. Jennifer Gippel, who researches creativity and aging:

1. Imagination
2. Attitude
3. Knowledge
4. Environment
5. Time

The practice of and the combination of these habits can turn into profound results.

Imagine the new, more creative you.

For a description of each of the 5 habits, see How To Be Creative at Any Age.

The One-Person Business Model

We’re in a creator economy where you can share and scale your expertise with the world.

No big business required.

If you embrace the idea of a One Person business, you open a lot of doors for the rest of your life.

Dan Koe has a good walkthrough of the One Person business model:

3 Strategies of the One-Person Business Model

Dan Koe discovered the secret to working less, earning more, and enjoying life more.

These 3 strategies have transformed his life and given him the freedom he always craved.

Want the same freedom?

Try these 3 simple lifestyle changes:

1. Strategy #1: Work Less
2. Strategy #2: Earn More
3. Strategy #3: Enjoy Life

According to Dan, each strategy below takes less than an hour.

If you do them consistently, you’ll build a lifestyle that absolutely changes your life

Strategy #1: Work Less

Working Less

Working less is about building systems that allow you to do more in less time. It’s about quality, not quantity.

Check out the 4-Hour Workweek, if you never read it.

Tim Ferris built a lifestyle around this principle and is living proof it works.

ACTION ITEMS

Build 3 lists:

1. Tasks you do often
2. Tasks you can delegate
3.  Tasks you can automate

Go down these lists for an hour. Find ways to work less but do more.

Strategy #2: Earn More

Earning More

Earning more is about providing value and leveraging your skills, interests, and expertise.

People like Gary Vee have mastered this.

They’ve built empires around what they love and earn more because they provide immense value.

ACTION ITEMS

Make a list of your skills, interests, and expertise

Spend an hour a day finding ways to monetize these. Look at what others in your field are doing and learn from them.

Strategy #3: Enjoy Life

Enjoying Life

Enjoying life is about having the freedom to do what you love.

People like Richard Branson embody this.

They’ve built businesses that give them the freedom to live life on their terms.

ACTION ITEMS

Make a list of what you love doing

Spend an hour a day doing these things. Find ways to incorporate them into your daily life.

A lot of people are working harder, not smarter.

That’s a big mistake.

It’s about creating a lifestyle that works for you, not against you.

Take these strategies and make them your own. Watch how everything changes.

It’s Never Too Late to Start All Over Again

Here are a few quotes to help you frame or reframe your journey through life:

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
– Carl Bard

“Rock bottom is the end of what wasn’t true enough. Begin again and build something truer.”
– Glennon Doyle

“Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be.”
– Marsha Petrie Sue

“Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us
and new beauty waiting to be born.” 
– Dale Turner

“You can learn new things at any time in your life if you’re willing to be a beginner.
If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you.”
– Barbara Shur

“It’s never too late to become who you want to be.
I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sometimes I heard the words from Steppenwolf’s song, It’s Never Too Late, echo in my mind:

“It’s never too late to start all over again
To love the people you caused the pain
And help them learn your name
Oh, no, not too late
It’s never too late to start all over again”
— Steppenwolf

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