There's a vibe in the investment community that only ventures started by young people are worth backing. After all, a 22-year-old "boy wonder" fresh out of Stanford can work 100 hours a week on a startup and doesn't have parental responsibilities or outdated thinking.
I can see the logic. But I also think that middle-aged people have their own advantages and efficiencies, ranging from domain expertise (including specific technical abilities or industry networks) to management smarts (including hiring and team-building skills). The data on the success of young vs. old founders is mixed, but I am heartened by the success stories, including many companies started by middle-aged graduates of the mid-career MBA program that I attended. HubSpot, E-Trade, and A123 Systems are the most well-known, but there are many more up-and-coming ventures such as Buzzient and mob376. In addition, Bill Aulet, the managing director of the MIT Entrepreneurship center, started or joined several new ventures after completing the Sloan Fellows program -- and he has four kids!
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