http://www.behance.net/gallery/India-at-Black-and-White/4451175

Another day, another teen who gets hundreds of thousands of dollars in investment for an iphone app they built. But what about the women and men in their fifties and sixties who are starting companies? In my book, these folks are far more worthy of media coverage and attention. The risk is often higher, the acceptability among peers is usually lower, and the mental/physical toll can be far more overwhelming for a person who has spent the last few decades forming rituals and perceptions about how life should work.

Kudos to the kid who who is being backed by risk-tolerant investors,but I want to encourage the latter half of our species (in terms of age) to use their wisdom to evolve industries they’ve spent half a century patronizing.

I think about all those people who in the last few years have been laid-off before retirement.

All those brilliant minds who earned a PHD and can scale their wisdom beyond one classroom at a time.

The women and men who have lost their partner due to age or illness and are looking for something to renew their sense of purpose.

Silicon Valley tries to make us believe that our elders don’t possess the elasticity to “disrupt” the status quo. That they have become too indoctrinated in their industry or lifestyle to build world-improving companies. These are ironically false perceptions.

Encourage your elders to pursue their entrepreneurial spirit, whether it be as a side project, or an alternative to sitting around and waiting for another job. Better yet, partner with them. Fuse your knowledge of technology with their experience.

It’s never been easier to start a company, for anyone.