Episode description

I wrote a blog post, that ended up Hacker News, called: "What's happening with founders over 40?" I got a lot of comments and reactions to the piece, so I thought I'd respond to those here.

Key moments:

• 0:00 - What was the blog post about?
• 1:28 - Discussion of cognitive changes and fluid vs crystallized intelligence
• 3:01 - Personal example of declining energy for late-night work
• 5:36 - Menopause and hormonal changes in aging
• 7:58 - Research showing the age of a successful founder is 45
• 10:15 - Personal life stage considerations
• 12:31 - Thoughts on ambition and different paths for aging entrepreneurs
• 14:04 - Discussion of taking health seriously in your 40s
• 15:44 - Example of shifting gears like Rob Walling
• 17:38 - Final example: Bob Dylan

Key Quotes:

• "At 44, I don't feel like I still have the raw horsepower in terms of creative mental energy that I did 20 years ago."
• "It's like gradually and then sudden. And there's actually research that shows that aging might happen in these bursts."
• "A 50 year old entrepreneur is nearly twice as likely to have a runaway success as a 30 year old."
• "Nothing sticks. I have to clear my schedule, concentrate, take supplements, stay up late, and take copious notes just to make a bit of progress on anything."
• "You can't have the same kind of energy or creative firepower forever. I did that. I can't do that anymore, but I can do other things now."

Links:

• Blog post: What's happening with founders over 40?
• Draft: I'm 44, and my brain is getting worse
• Article: How Old Are Successful Tech Entrepreneurs?
• Blog: Old founders do this better
• Research: How the Aging Brain Affects Thinking
• Article: Humans age dramatically at two key points in life
• Research: Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging
• Peter Attia: build muscle in your 40s
• Video: Bob Dylan, 60 minutes
• Book: From Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks