The Average Founder of the Fastest-Growing U.S. Startups Was 45
The Fact
A study of U.S. Census data on 2.7 million company founders found that the average age of founders of the fastest-growing new firms was 45. A 50-year-old founder was about 1.8 times more likely to build a top-growth company than a 30-year-old founder.
What This Means
Experience is an advantage in starting a business, not a handicap.
Why It Matters
For people pushed out of jobs, starting something of their own is a real path — and the data favor them.
Sources
Azoulay, Pierre, Benjamin F. Jones, J. Daniel Kim, and Javier Miranda. “Age and High-Growth Entrepreneurship.” American Economic Review: Insights 2, no. 1 (2020): 65–82. https://doi.org/10.1257/aeri.20180582