[treelovinhippie]

I'm turning 35 this year. My first startup was at age 16. I've launched well over 100 startups in the past 19 years. They all failed. The only really successful one was a non-profit hackathon. Though about 3 years ago I started on a boring enterprise app marketplace startup after seeing a friend do well with one. First payment wasn't until 13 months in. Didn't make enough to cover my living costs until 25 months in. Now it's starting to make serious money.

I think my takeaway advice I would have given my younger self is to identify existing marketplaces where money is already sloshing around, and focus there. Enterprise app marketplaces are the most boring thing in the world, but it's an easier place to make money than alone in wild.

Now I'm starting to dial back, kick this startup into coast mode and focus on the big change projects I failed to get traction with in my younger years when money issues meant 3 months maximum runway.