Poll: how old were you at you first startup? | Hacker News Reader

Poll: how old were you at you first startup?

82 pointsriffraff74 comments

inspired by the "I feel so old" comments in the facebook/skype discussion, age ranges from http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2175588

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I interned at a 1.0 bubble company the summer prior to my freshman year of high school. I built a website for the church I attended for no particular reason, the CEO happened to be a member, and he thought it would be fun for me to come work for him. I couldn't agree more, because the alternative was carrying around heavy golf bags for another summer.

I had a really great summer working long hours writing ASP all day, befriending the college interns that also worked there (whom I still keep in touch with), and generally feeling all grown up and respected even at age 14. The only real disappointment was when I found out my boss made $70k/yr for doing more or less the same thing I did, but I was making minimum wage. That may have been the same moment I realized I needed to be my own boss.

As an aside, being a golf caddy (especially in scotland) was a pretty awesome job to have as a kid, you earned more money than you should be allowed to at that age for a nice walk in the fresh air.

According to this[0] page on his website, pjhyett grew up in the Midwest. As a fellow Midwesterner, I can tell you that you do not want to be outside all day, every day during the summer carrying golf bags, because it is burning hot.

0: http://pjhyett.com/2008/07/23/i-%3C3-san-francisco.html

My salary peaked when I was 17. What a ride.

This is a good question.

  10: First entrepreneurial effort selling lemonade.
  13: First software entrepreneurism selling a game on floppy disks.
  16: First founded a company, ostensibly to make games.
  18: First made a living contracting for myself.
  25: First founded a company that became profitable and hired people.

Which one counts?

IMVHO, I'd say it's like asking what was your first kiss. You may discount the one you don't remember, the one with open or closed mouth, the one where you were interrupted half way and many other factors.

In the end your choice is what matters to you and thus what should matter to the poll :)

I usually consider a first company as when it trips the full time mark: either hiring a full-time employee or working in it full-time yourself.

So the web design gigs at 15 and forming an LLC for part-time consulting don't count.

I came up with this definition after reading a book where the author bragged he'd started 10 companies by age 21... by the above definition the number was actually 2 -- still impressive.

Even I started Pencilcoders at 18 , helping businesses build great social web experience ! We create Websites , Social Media Marketing for startups and are involved into Consulting ! We are about to Incorporate , so Does my startup count here ?

Well, it depends on you. Everyone defines start-up in his way. For example, if it was me, I'll consider it at 10.

You're a stud.

Growing up on a farm meant I learned very early that you could do a massive amount of work, and earn very little from it :p.

The first startup I worked for was in 1993, and it was an amazing experience. While it's been fun watching the Internet change over the last 2 decades, it's been just as much fun watching how much of it stays the same (like DNS, is DNS configuration ever going to be anything short of magic?).

I'm proud to say that first startup is still going: http://www.yourlink.ca/

I'm not sure what to count as my first business:

At about age eight I did the lemonade stand thing, but quickly noticed that most people driving by my stand didn't purchase. So I took my lemonade operation mobile, in a red flyer wagon. By visiting a couple local parks I was able to sell easily 5x as much lemonade as I could staying in one place. It was a fun homeschooling project, as my parents gave me "investment money" and I had to keep track of my expenses and income and pay them back.

After that the next thing I would count as a startup would be Amazon Affiliate Script, when I was 19. It was basically a wrapper script for Amazon Affiliate which displayed products automatically based on page keywords and the visitors geographical location. It served nearly 10 million ads, and made about $500 dollars total, before Amazon adopted a similar feature and rendered my idea not very useful.

Currently, at age 21, I run BookFlavor (http://bookflavor.com), a book search engine that generally makes $75-$100 a month. It's a cool side project that I show off and which gets me 2-3 job offers a month.

However, I don't have much time for other projects or even my own projects these days as I am working full time for StoryDesk (http://storydesk.com), a startup creating a web authoring tool that helps sales teams create their own iPad apps using simple drag and drop, WYSIWYG editing without writing a line of code.

Age 8: Started a friendship bracelet company, but never could make a quality product, sales ultimately plummeted

Age 12: Started a lawn-mowing business that paid approximately $2/hour

Age 15: Started http://www.AUsedCar.com that enabled me to quit my job 13 years later at age 28 (startups can take time! keep trying!)

Age 11: raking leaves for about $6/hr

24, and I was terrified that no one would take me seriously. It turns out that this is one of those worries which we exaggerate the significance of.

7: I made a business shaving pencils for .10 each. We made $20 before I sold the company at $5.

I don't want to end the buzz around childhood memories, but business are legal entities/organizations, I really think lemonade stands and mowing lawns should not count as start-ups :/

Most articles I've read link successful startups to founders aged 30+. In fact, in this data from less than 2 months ago (from Founders Institute) - http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/28/peak-age-entrepreneurship/, the under 20s are less than 1%. This poll looks seriously skewed. Maybe the older, more successful entrepreneurs are busy with their work, and not here reading HN (oops)?

also, current poll data suggests that 37% of start-ups are founded by someone under 20.

The poll measures first startups, not all startups. Since successful founders have often started less successful ventures previously, the data makes more sense than you'd think.

I think it's more that HN commenters skew younger, so you see a peak in mid-20's.

But anyway, I disagree with lemonade stands/mowing lawns not counting. You can learn a lot from the simplest business. And that knowledge (hopefully) causes you to avoid making the same mistakes later when there's much more at stake. That, and remember that most startups aren't financially successful anyway.

They do count in this sense, but the term start-up is being stretched thin (not only here on HN). I guess a more appropriate question to these answers would be "what was your first business experience?"

12: Started selling pirated software and DVDs to classmates.

13: Illegal firecrackers to friends in high school (they're illegal where I live in Canada)

14: First internet venture - started a hosting company with a good friend of mine

15: Sold my first blog (Mac-software blog) and was hired to start another by a blog network

16: Started affiliate marketing with the SEO knowledge I gained at the blog

17: Hired by a local startup as their marketing manager

18: Started working fulltime as an internet marketing consultant

Turn 20 in a week. Not really sure if any of them would count as a startup.

First time I actually made any money through the web, I was 15. I had a fan site for my favorite NHL team and sold a couple of copies of (I think) NHL '99/2000/whatever it was at the time for Playstation through Amazon's affiliate program. I think I made all of 75 cents but it amazed me that you could build something over the web and have money trickle in like that. In a sense, it still amazes me.

I started my first company at 22 back in 2006, building myspacesurveyfun.com into the pre-eminent site for those viral surveys that used to be passed back and forth over MySpace (and still do to a lesser extent on Facebook, blogs etc.) along with a few other related MySpace profile add-on sites. Although I wasn't able to scale it into more than just a profitable sole prop, I made a good chunk of change, learned product development & how to manage a team of freelancers. Plus I was able to leverage it into a full-time SEO gig and now a pretty healthy career in the business.

Now I'm 27 and setting the groundwork for something epic. But ultimately, ideas/execution are what win. Age is just a number.

10-13: Ran automated java bots which played game characters and gathered currency --> sold virtual currency in bulk --> Made $3000 my first summer "working"

13-17: Established a reputation on well known forums related to virtual goods / gaming --> bought in accounts at a lower rate from retired veteran players --> sold accounts for a premium to players with time constraints but still wanted to exceed in the game --> led to the creation of www.accountsden.com (which is for sale as I've lost the passion; still a profitable, fully functional business model).

17-Current(18):

Wholesale premium vehicles -- purchase directly from Lexus, BMW, Mercedes etc.. auctions as well as leveraging the CDN dollar to import vehicles in to Canada and sell for profit. Can save a buyer $20,000 on a new BMW in Canada in difference of Canadian MSRP.

Launching a niche job classified site targeted towards high turn over jobs/entry level positions. Accommodating the 15-28 age range -- launching within a month.

Want to connect? FB me @ http://facebook.com/mikeho.fb

Poll results in pie chart form http://hackernewspoll.appspot.com/2721141

oh this is a neat app, but wouldn't it be nice if it had th latest urls in the home page?

it's missing percentages

9, started a pokemon community site on Geocities, wouldn't count it as my first startup, but definitely my first project :)

I am 26 and am in the process of my first startup. Looking at all the young start-uppers makes me feel out of place. I am also just starting to code :| In fact when I was in college I hated writing code, but something about starting up wants to make me do it now.

What are the chances I will make it ? Low, I reason. High, I feel.

So does that make me stupid?

Inspiringly so.

I'd be interested to hear the same poll for 'first successful startup, for your definition of successful' as well. I've gone through 2 startups, but of which were unsuccessful (lack of funding / too far ahead of the market). Hoping this third time is the charm (and I'm now also 2 age brackets up).

So based on the comments here and the votes, "startup" now means any attempt to make money ever?

Buying big sticker packages and selling them individually in the school when I was about 9, I made a killing as a 9 years old :) From there to today did about ~20 different jobs, selling water in football (soccer) games, training police forces on computer security field, SaaS, making money from Adwords (when it was possible), penetration testing, selling t-shirts in bazaars, selling desktop software, etc...

First consultancy job at 15~, 2 failed companies between 18-22, about 5 failed web project around the same years.

Started my own company again at 26 again, been 2 years now, became profitable in first 6 months of starting to sell and so far so good ever since.

Good question. Depends on which one you "count." I started my first computer related business back in like 94 or so, doing in-home PC repair / maintenance stuff in the hicksville I lived in. I would have been 21 or so then.

But what I consider my first "real" startup is the project I'm working on now, Fogbeam Labs. IIRC, I was 36 when I filed the papers to create the legal entity... but the legal entity was actually originally created for what was going to be a consulting business... I just kept the name, structure, website, etc. when I decided to go the product route. By that definition, I guess I was 37 when I started my first startup.

I used to go on business trips and to trade shows with my Dad's electric vehicle startup in the 80s/90s. I was under 10 then. However, I'm putting down 24 since that is a little more realistic.

When I was in 3rd grade, I took a small safe to school and tried to convince my fellow students to deposit their lunch money with me. I was completely serious. so while the venture sadly was not a success I believe it counts.

You would have done better if you were able to convince the local bully to shakedown the kids that didn't bank with you... ;)

Age 7: Lemonade stand

Age 9: Created a 'museum' in my bedroom comprised of all the interesting things I could collect (geodes, baseball cards, trophies, shark's teeth, etc.). I charged $.50 for admission.

Age 10: I made and sold various Origami pieces in school. Prices ranged from $.25 - $5. It became so busy and disruptive that at one point, the teacher instituted a classroom-wide ban on Origami.

Age 18: Created and sold hemp jewelry ranging from $15 - $50.

Age 25: Began freelancing graphic design / front end design. Made enough to live off of for about 18 months.

On my 27th birthday, I joined a profitable startup as the 10th employee. We're now very profitable, and have 33 employees.

I was 12 or 13. I had a Soviet ZX spectrum clone. I was writing BASIC programs for my friend's dad who ran a local home-based bootleg movie broadcasting station.

My programs displayed the upcoming shows and announcements. There was a calendar, a database, graphics, animation, a back-end menu. It was good stuff. Mostly BASIC but essentially had a lots of memory PEEKs and POKEs as well... It was delivered on cassette tapes. The payment was computer books, electronic components, tools (volt meters) & music. Good times.

I picked up a paper route when I was 12. At 14, I ended up taking on three more routes then promptly hired some neighborhood friends to run all four, all for nickles and dimes per house. Realized then that "free money" is the best kind.

I made a bunch of icons in Paint when I was 18. Sold them for $20 in AOL chat rooms. Received checks by mail. Looking back, it was a lot of hustle / border-line spam for little return.

Started two companies since then. Mostly consulting, freelancing, web programming, etc.

Started selling baseball cards at 8 years old. I had this database I'd put together with a software package called Q&A and I'd input the monthly data from Beckett's to see how cards were trending. It was all cash, of course, and I remember my mom being a little shocked when she found my money stash.

I used the same database, Q&A, to track where I caught fish on the lake we lived on to figure out the best spots given time of year, temperature, bait, etc.

I can't remember the first thing I did. It was one of two things. Either outsourcing paper routes to my mates. Or another one with a friend.

A friend and I sold soft drinks to fishing people, then sold them fish at the end of the day when they couldn't catch anything.

Raised the investment from my Dad, but went bankrupt weekly by spending it all on video games and lollies.

Around the same time I also had little businesses fixing bike tire punctures, and mowing lawns.

Joined at 22 as a junior sysadmin. 4.5 years later we've sold to google and the possibilities are endless. It was a "hit the ground running" kind of job that never limited me and was filled with more responsibility than I could have ever dreamed of in a first job. Because it required me to be a master of duct tape there are some gaps in my knowledge but I hope to fill that at google.

My first startup was started by some classmates and was at an incubator on my college campus. It was before I started studying computer science. In fact, it was the reason I switched my major.

Up to that point, it was the highest skill position I'd had. I earned $8/hour as a PHP developer, and it was the lowest paying job I've ever had. I made more working at my second job (Pizza Hut).

I was 19 when I started.

I still have some hosting clients from 15 years ago when I was 14, if that counts :-)

To be honest, I spent most of my childhood and teenage years building and making stuff, just not for money. Lots of programming, etc, that I make money off now rather than pennies on the dollar as a kid. I guess this squarely puts me in the geek camp rather than entrepreneur though.

My first startup was in 1995, in Silicon Gulch - we were at 665 Third Street in San Francisco. I was 24 years old.

I still haven't shaken the bug.

EDIT: That was my first tech startup. If we're talking _any_ startup, it was in 1991, at age 20, starting a print magazine that became my full time job for the next 4 years.

I was dropping out of college before it was considered a good career move!

My first job at a startup was when I was 17. I was hired as their first design and within 2 months was labelled as their lead designer when they began to hire more designers. Considering it was also my first job, it was very strange leading people who were 5-8 years older than me.

First "startup" was a music company I made which lasted 1996-1998. I had been composing music since 1994ish and got really good so decided to get a few people and make a music company. That is, multiple "artists".

We actually got quite popular on the Internet but then I got a girlfriend.

In 1999 I worked for a startup and was about to go to college. I was asked by the CEO to drop out of school and get a huge salary - I opted not to take the option and go to school instead. Turned out to be the right choice as they were out of business 6 mos. later.

Hm. Going to school 6 months later, with a wad of cash in your pocket, would have been a bad idea?

Missing the first week of first year is a bad idea. 80% of college is meeting new friends. Initiation week (frosh?) is pretty awesome experience you will never get again. Money alone isn't everything.

Agreed. I'd rather wait another term than missing the first few weeks.

Hmm.. Maybe if you had worked for them, they would have succeeded!

18, and i just joined two well-funded startup founders (both also 18) and moved to silicon valley to work for the summer. PS: I think this poll should be 'how old were you at your first funded startup.

that would also be interesting, but I was also interested in knowing about people who first got into the world of startups by being hired/joining after start.

So many interesting things to ask in a single monodimensional poll!

I'd done the basics prior (selling things to friends, trading) but my first real startup was at 16. Like the general comments here, the biggest fear was that I wouldn't be taken seriously.

Age 15 : I had a porn website and was making 200$/m

Age 17 : Humour website, 30$/m

Age 21 : Facebook like website, 5000$/m

I'm 22 now, soon to be graduate in mathematics. But thinking about leaving math and launching a web start-up...

Sounds about right.

Age 16: began doing contract work for friends of family

Age 19: registered a company for custom software development, part-time

Age 24: got University diploma, quit my full-time job and went full-time in my company

Age 26: incorporated same business. http://ParadiVision.com/

Age 34: started a second venture in parallel with another guy. Didn't work out.

Age 39: co-founded third startup with 2 co-founders. Wife is in charge of first company. Now full-time on http://buyosphere.com/

My startup life: I made way more money doing consulting between age 24 and 30 but I'm now having way more fun building a consumer-facing company

I did some entrepreneurial kid stuff at 12 but first real company was at 16. That said, the option for 16-20 and 20-25 are messed up. I assume it was meant to be 21-25.

fixed thanks

14 - 19: Involved with multiple start ups and web projects 19: Joined Ustream full time 23 (current): Left Ustream 2 weeks ago to start something new

Age 21 Started a web hosting and design company to build a portfolio as a new developer Age 28 Started a directory for a niche market

The worst bit it, I was 24, but my boss was 21!

started Tutoring Advantage jr year at UCSB - connecting future doctors, engineers, and executives with struggling high school students :) most revenue & profitable company i've ever run (bubble? - more recently co-founded venture backed co.)

Floppy disks around 12 for the MSX. Was making games, demos and utilities. I miss the 80s.

I am 18 when I started Pencilcoders . I screwed up my 2 semesters !

1st startup below 25 is irrational exuberance.

16. I started a business before I had sex.

15 - Started in high school selling home-made (non-drug) cookies, making $100 a week profit.

16 - Started a business selling cheap Chinese MP3s online, but it failed.

18 - Sang on the subway with a friend for $100 a day, 3 days a week.

19 - First SEO consulting job, made $400.

20 - Got job at a sustainable denim start-up as assistant director of marketing.

I'm not sure if any of these count by HN standards, of course.

21: Skype - basically my first real job. Still here. What a ride!

What.

You can have plenty of entrepreneurial fun from any age with a bit of street smart without selling lemonade, which would get you a kicking here in the UK.

I've managed to in the last 20 years, apart from my regular grind: clear out schools of old equipment, broker Sun kit on ebay, sell land rover bits, do structured cabling, fix people's laptops, build electronic kits for a fee, dig holes, build sheds, unblock drains, refit DIY stores, distribute fireworks, flatten boxes, skip diving + ebay, selling fruit picked off scrub land, destructive furniture testing, car washing, copper recycling and returning trolleys to a supermarket. Plus probably more things I've forgotten.

I've worked at two successful startups so far and TBH they weren't as fun as most of the above things.

17. http://myschoolog.com still alive, no development since 2007.

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