How many years of experience did you have before starting your own business?
Some of the most notable examples of today’s wealthiest entrepreneurs started relatively later in life. (e.g. Jeff Bezos in his 30s)
But the speed of today’s world (driven by technology and information) is changing that.
We’re now seeing teenagers, sometimes as young as 15 – 16, building real businesses. In some cases, it almost feels “illegal” compared to traditional expectations. :D
A lot of students are choosing summer projects over internships, partly because trust in traditional employment feels less stable than before.
Frequent layoffs and rapid shifts in industries seem to have changed how people think about career security. TBH, I wouldn't trust a "regular job" either.
So their “experience” with business is often minimal, but they start anyway, learning as they go.
I’m curious:
Can you share your own journey?
When did you start building experience, and how long did it take before you felt ready enough to start your first business?
Replies
20 years of experience ending in a C-Suite position when I decided to go on my own. I had years of data at what works and what does not. Years of experience and intuition in understanding the market and building something that could sustain. I invested every cent I had and made it work, I did not give myself the option to fail. A huge risk which paid off probably because experience taught me and I had a lot to lose.
I think for kids starting as early as 15 or 16, they have tons of data available out there. They have room to make mistakes, fail and get up back again, improvise when needed and learn along the way. It works in there favor, absence of crucial responsibilities or putting food on the table.
Well, I've been working for myself for a very long time but I still lack the courage to turn it into a full-on business project :) Right now I am working on refining my proposal and marketing strategies.