Are Young Entrepreneurs Overhyped? 'The Press Loves To Sensationalize The Young Guys'

Teen entrepreneurs and business owners in their 20s are harder to find than entrepreneurs who are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. However, this rarity has also turned this cohort into a popular group for media stories, according to an entrepreneur on Reddit.

"The press loves to sensationalize the young guys, ” the business owner said in the Entrepreneur subreddit. "Age brings more experience, better judgement, [and the[ ability to weather [the] ups and downs."

The post got hot and ended up with plenty of comments. 

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Peak Earning Years Happen Later In Life

A few entrepreneurs mentioned that peak earning years take place in your 40s and 50s instead of in your 20s. While some teens and people in their 20s build seven-figure businesses, they are an exception rather than the rule.

"They only show the most extreme things possible to keep people engaged," the commenter said. "It’s not a reflection of reality. A majority of real entrepreneurs don’t have much of a social media presence, but posers always do."

It's far more common for entrepreneurs to start businesses later in life. They may have experience working for other companies, which gives them the expertise to solve specific problems and organize systems. Not every employee gets those skills by working at a company, but that experience can give corporate professionals an advantage over young professionals who have less experience.

"The average business owner starts at 40," another commenter said. "Ignore the media idealizing young rich people and the social media narratives."

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It's Hard To Start A Business In School

Starting a business in school isn't easy. Students have to contend with classes, extracurricular activities, homework, and their social lives before doing anything for their companies. It's akin to someone who works a nine-to-five job and finds some extra time to work on a side gig.

However, it's more rare for teenagers to follow this route than professionals in their 30s and 40s who have long-term financial goals. The media likes rarity, and that's part of what results in entrepreneurial teens and young adults receiving plenty of coverage.

"The hype around teenagers making six or seven figures is very deserved," one entrepreneur said. "There's a reason why not everyone is successful. Starting a business is extremely difficult, especially for teenagers who are still in school."

However, that doesn't mean every teen or young adult who is portrayed as a business owner actually has a successful business. Multiple commenters made this point, with one entrepreneur summing it up.

"The vast majority of young people who have ‘businesses' are more talk than action, and I treat them with a high degree of skepticism," the entrepreneur said. "That is not to say they are all fakers, but I think it is upwards of 95% among people under 25."

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The Privilege Debate

Multiple people feel rubbed the wrong way about teen entrepreneurs getting the spotlight due to the concept of privilege. The same entrepreneur who said that starting a business is difficult for teens who are still in school ended up triggering an argument in the comments among other entrepreneurs.

"Most of them have advantages not available to the average teen – either family support or money or connections or knowledge or all of those," one commenter said. "Privilege is [often invisible] in success stories."

However, it can be a sense of jealousy and a desire to avoid self-accountability that fuels this sentiment. One commenter made that point and got some downvotes in the process.

"Privilege is irrelevant, and thinking about privilege as a defining factor in the success of others just prevents you from being hard enough on yourself," the entrepreneur said. It’s going to be hard for everyone in the race. The grass is always greener until you realize it’s not. If you spend your time counting the advantages or privileges of others, you will always be complaining about a runway some may or may not have had."

"Your own privilege is showing," the same commenter responded.

Privilege came up several times in the comments, demonstrating how heated people are on this topic, especially when it comes to young entrepreneurs getting the spotlight.

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