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Welcome back to the Launch Key 🚀

Did you know that the average age of successful startup founders is 45? We’re told it’s wonderkids backed by Silicon Valley, but the facts are on the side of experienced professionals.

Many of the best things in life, are only better with age. And work experience can be one.

Let's get into it.

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Table of Contents

• Pull to Eject

  • 50 Years Young

• Modern Tools

• Old School Wisdom

• Free Knowledge

• Recommendations

• Visual Crapshoot

Pull to Eject

Great entrepreneurial achievement rarely happens in our 20’s.

Ageism is still the biggest startup ism - especially in tech - that anyone over 40 is not entrepreneurial. The reality is just the opposite.

Middle age is the sweet spot. And depending on your idea of ‘middle age,’ you have a lot more possibility of success after you’ve gained experience.

Don’t believe me?

Even TechCrunch admitted as much. The quoted study was conducted by Founders Institute of more than 3000 startup founders.

The short answer?

We’ve accomplished more complex projects. Like buying a house or raising a family on top of whatever crazy stuff you’re wrangling at work.

We’ve also developed a far better sniffer for crap that doesn’t work. The school of hard knocks is a helluva educator and helps older entrepreneurs identify and address more realistic business opportunities.

50 Years Young

Real talent also passes the test of time.

This article recently came across my feed about great rock-and-roll songs turning 50 this year. My first response? I couldn’t believe that was half-a-century ago. But I listened again to realize just how lucky we were in the 1970’s.

From acts like Aerosmith, Foghat, AC/DC, Bowie, Bad Company, the Eagles and Elton John. And 1975 delivered one of the greatest rock anthems of all time: Queen’s six-minute Bohemiam Rhapsody.

Previously, I thought those of us who were teens in the 70’s lived through an eclectic music period. Nothing stood apart. The anti-war movement but still Frankie Vallie. British invasion and Southern Rock. Don Cornelius and Soul Train. The end of Disco. The beginning of Punk.

Retrospect has changed my mind. We had great music, across the spectrum from unbelievable talent.

1975’s top R&B hits also created a Who’s Who list.

Gladys Knight, Barry White, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and of course Donna Summer all topped the charts in ‘75. But the year’s crossover star was probably Natalie Cole who topped 3 hit charts (Soul, Pop and Dance) with “This Will Be.”

No autotune needed. Enjoy.

Super groups like the Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Isley Brothers, Commodores, Kool and the Gang - all had multiple hits 50 years ago. I’ve personally owned The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol I, on Vinyl, 8-track, cassette, CD and of course digital.

And the enduring beats of the 70’s still hold our attention - even in the bitcoin economy.

The same is true of business experience. Good, bad or indifferent - the things you’ve gained from work stand the test of time.

• Have you learned how to manage up and down the corporate ladder?

• Have you solved problems in unique ways?

• Can you present ideas well?

• Have you made your team better?

• Have you worked around bureaucracy?

• Have you bounced back after a failure?

• Do you know the exact things needed to complete whatever project hits your desk?

• Have you made and won the bets that advanced larger company goals?

• Do you know when to say no?

Will your own school of hard knocks be worthwhile in the future?

I’d bet on it.

Now go launch something 🚀 

Modern Tools

Download The Solopreneur’s Guide: Structuring Your Solo Business

Many solopreneurs unknowingly lose thousands annually due to incorrect business structuring. Our comprehensive guide—LLC vs. S Corp vs. Sole Proprietorship—helps you confidently pick the right setup, optimize your tax savings, and protect your profits. Besolo has helped hundreds of solopreneurs like you to navigate the challenges of running your own business and get your questions answered.

Download

Old School Wisdom

Peter Drucker taught business management at New York University and Claremont McKenna Graduate University and lived to the ripe age of 95.

He largely eschewed number-crunching spreadsheets and algorithms – “Computers are morons,” he said – in favor of optimizing human relationships. He believed those relationships formed the key to business success.

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Free Knowledge

Ok – he wasn’t 50 (he was 40) when he co-founded Red Bull, but Dietrich Mateschitz’ ideas to build the marketing conglomerate was nothing short of genius. Based on his prior corporate experience with Unilever he built one of the world’s greatest brands. He maintained 49% ownership of Red Bull and left multi-generational wealth in his wake as a result of his vision.

This Founders pod on Spotify is a great look at the genius of this late-career success story.

Recommendations

🤖 AI Report : Learn AI in 5 minutes a day. We'll teach you how to save time and earn more with AI. Join 400,000+ free daily readers from Tesla, Apple, A16z, Meta, & more.

🗃️ Dealroom Business Success Uncovered : Learn directly from billionaire entrepreneurs on how to grow a business. Join a community of 2,000+ innovators.

👋 Huntrs : Join Hanna Larrson and learn how to build your personal brand and audience, monetize your knowledge, build multiple income streams and a lean, profitable online business.

📕 MGMT Playbook : Practical management insights straight to your inbox every Wednesday.

📰 Newsletter Operator : Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 30,000+ media founders, CEOs, creators.

🟢 Scalable : Helping early-stage founders launch products and grow startups, fast.

💼 Thriving Freelance - Gigs and Growth : Hundreds of job opportunities sent directly to your inbox each week, plus timely resources to support you as you grow and evolve.

Visual Crapshoot