[matthewsimon]

You're definitely not too old -- I'm 36, and my co-founder is in his forties.

Possible drawbacks to older founders include: - may not be able to work for free (or nearly so) for as long a time, because they have families to support (or have simply grown accustomed to a higher standard of living than ramen and crashing on someone's couch). - may not be able to work for as many hours per week, again because of families, accustomed comfort, etc.

On the positive side, older founders are: - more likely to have the business and professional relationships that will facilitate customer sales and/or investor deals. - may be able to work more efficiently and effectively, because of the things they have learned (technology, management, specific domains, business, etc).

There might be some business plans that can best be executed by college-age folks, but there are others that are best executed by someone older -- figure out how to make your idea work for you, and go for it!