Is There A Peak Age for Entrepreneurship? (techcrunch.com)

Side note: those pie charts are a rather poor choice for visualizing the data.

It does become more difficult to risk it all when you have a family/are married, so this probably plays into it.

Instead of peak age, ask about peak condition.

  Manageable distractions / rest of life.

    No kids yet.
    Kids out of nest.
    No debt.
    Debt (e.g. school) deferred.
    Etc.

  Health

    In good shape, endurance.
    Youth means good blood flow to, plasticity of brain.
    Exercise, training means good blood flow to, plasticity of brain.
    Etc.

  Experience
    Academic environment places you at "leading edge", seeing and undeveloped opportunity.
    Cultural currency... [ditto]
    Extensive experience gives you insight into an undeveloped market, niche, opportunity.

  Motivation
    Whatever it is, whenever it is, you *really* want to do it.

  Toolset(s)

    School/training has you current.
    Work experience has you current.

  Network
    School buddies (and staff)
    Colleagues and business contacts

hear hear! if there is a tried and true formula for successful entrepreneurship, then VC returns would not be as miserable as they are. it is not youth per se, it is not even naivete that is required for successful entrepreneurs, but unremitting and relentless optimism. people with optimistic outlooks can be found at every age cohort, but will not be found in every Stanford engineering grad. as winston churchill said, success is measured by our ability to maintain enthusiasm between failures. some young people haven't learned that yet because they haven't really failed enough times. some old people have that in spades. thanks for posting.