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Welcome back to the Launch Key 🚀

It doesn’t matter your age, last week was heartbreaking.

As a 40-year Charlottean, I was appalled at the brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska. But the assassination of Charlie Kirk was unfathomable. Senseless waste before they even reached their prime.

By the weekend, candlelight vigils showed us that goodness far outweighs evil. Turning Point has had 37,000 inquiries to start new chapters. And Erika Kirk’s powerful message will be the driving force for exponentially more young people to live a life of courage.

But, for those of us later in our prime, it’s also a message to get going.

Let's get into it.

• Gmail users may wish to read online since some parts may be clipped.

• Comment below and let me know if we’re on the right track.

Table of Contents

• Pull to Eject

  • The average age of successful founders is 45

• Modern Tools

• Old School Wisdom

• Free Knowledge

• Recommendations

• Visual Crapshoot

Pull to Eject

The Samaritans Purse folks claim the average age of their volunteers is 68. Or what might be described as late prime.

As many of you know, I started this newsletter because I believed I wasn’t quite finished at 60.

What started with a few dozen friends and family, is today almost 20,000 total subscribers. Good begets good as our growing tribe has pushed me along. I sincerely appreciate the feedback, ideas and introductions.

This week, I’ll join Gary Frey and Ben McDonald on the Anything but Typical pod touting the grey-haired cabal. 60 is the new 40 after all 😉.

There are far more late-career entrepreneurs than we’re led to believe. And the data shows that we have a higher probability of success.

A key takeaway is that it's never too late to reinvent yourself.

66-year-old Paul Tasner gave a poignant TED talk after being fired and starting his own business. By starting something new in his 60’s, he joked that he had shoes older than his competitors. But he also shared how people with decades of experience have a 70% success rate as entrepreneurs.

The average age of successful founders is 45

The ‘startup’ articles all seem to cover the headliners who started in a dorm room – Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. Steve Jobs founded Apple at 21.

And while those stories get the majority of attention, in reality they are the outliers.

Research from Wharton management professor J. Daniel Kim shows they are exceptions to the rule, and that the average age of successful entrepreneurs is actually a lot older. The study, “Age and High-growth Entrepreneurship,” determined the most successful founders in the United States are in their 40s.

“The mean age at founding for the 1-in-1,000 fastest growing new ventures is 45.0.

The findings are similar when considering high-technology sectors, entrepreneurial hubs, and successful firm exits. Prior experience in the specific industry predicts much greater rates of entrepreneurial success. These findings strongly reject common hypotheses that emphasize youth as a key trait of successful entrepreneurs.”

We may have lost a step, but we have all the business advantages over youth.

Get going now, while you’re still in your prime.

Now go launch something 🚀 

Modern Tools

Discover the power of an easy video maker.

Use the platform available online and as an iPhone and Android video editor app, get access to hundreds of professional tools including video effects, filters, transitions, and more. Free to start.

Old School Wisdom

Rich Karlgaard’s book shed’s light on why it’s never too late to start a new career. Or add to your career portfolio.

Growth unlocks straight to your inbox

Optimizing for growth? Go-to-Millions is Ari Murray’s ecommerce newsletter packed with proven tactics, creative that converts, and real operator insights—from product strategy to paid media. No mushy strategy. Just what’s working. Subscribe free for weekly ideas that drive revenue.

Sign up now

Free Knowledge

Research co-authored by Wharton’s Daniel Kim busts the popular myth that the most successful startups are founded by whiz kids.

Free podcast interview with Kim as fodder for your own late career start.

Recommendations

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

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

💼 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