Age and the entrepreneur, part 1: Some data

Re:Age and the entrepreneur, part 1: Some data by dfranke on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @05:36PM (#40641)

Conjecture: the fields with late peaks are those where success requires insightful planning and consideration, whereas the fields with early peaks are those which require discrete strokes of inspiration. The distinction between the two skills is similar to PG's description of the distinction between intelligence and wisdom.

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Re:Age and the entrepreneur, part 1: Some data by nostrademons on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @06:27PM (#40656)

Another conjecture: fields with late peaks define success in terms of "convincing people of what they already know", while fields with early peaks define success in terms of "convincing people that everything they know is wrong."

I'm thinking in terms of authors vs. physicists: you absolutely cannot write a novel until you have the life experience needed to write a story that resonates with readers. However, performing an experiment that resonates with other physicists isn't a paradigm shift; it's normal science. Valuable, but not world-changing.

It seems like it applies to many other fields though. CEOs peak in their 60s; their job consists of internalizing the culture of their organization and making wise decisions based on that experience. Lawyers peak in their 40s and 50s; their job consists of internalizing court precedents so they can predict how a judge or jury will rule. Musicians peak in their late 20s and early 30s; their job consists of internalizing the conventions of existing musical forms and turning that into something new and fresh. Entrepreneurs peak in their 20s; their job consists of recognizing ideas that others have overlooked and convincing the world that those are good ideas.

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