The Chicken or the (Nest) Egg

June 28, 2009

The age old quandary over the chicken or the egg applies beautifully to risk in business and entrepreneurship. With the explosion in baby boomer entrepreneurs, I was wondering at the new figures.

The Chicken = The Business
The Egg = The Nest Egg
Which comes first…in 2009?

Society has taught us that the closer we get to retirement, the less risky our investment profiles should be. But with the current economic situation turning some 60-somethings 401ks into “101ks”, pushing through retirement successfully could call for a little calculated risk. Here comes the chicken.

It’s a perfect combo:

• Experienced people

• With time on their hands

• Being told by “the corporation” that they’re done

• With a reason to take a risk for themselves

• At a time when business appears to be Waiting for Godot

The stats on the “Entre-Boomers” as they are called, is plentiful. And, the numbers might surprise you. The average age of the founder of a technology company is 39. How about that?

And for all you people that think 60 is old, there are already indications that with lifespans increasing, the 70-something entrepreneurial boom is right around the corner. What would they have thought 100 years ago? Thomas Edison, who invented up until he was 84, would have loved it. He would have had some peers!