
A lack of startups means half of all US companies are now more than 10 years old - lkrubner
https://qz.com/1452881/a-lack-of-startups-means-half-of-all-us-companies-are-now-more-than-10-years-old/
======
lkrubner
The last great era of startups in the USA was the 1960s, when many of the best
advertising agencies launched, and a great many fast food chains launched, to
catch up with the success that had already been demonstrated by McDonalds.

I've been collecting articles on this theme for awhile. Here is a chart:

The decline of USA investment since 1964

[http://www.smashcompany.com/business/the-decline-of-usa-
inve...](http://www.smashcompany.com/business/the-decline-of-usa-investment-
since-1964)

Here is a summary of the situation:

The decline of entrepreneurialism in the USA

[http://www.smashcompany.com/business/the-decline-of-
entrepre...](http://www.smashcompany.com/business/the-decline-of-
entrepreneurialism-in-the-usa)

~~~
lkrubner
Also important is that startups today are largely built in the hopes that
someone will buy them, whereas the startups for the 50s and 60s were built in
the hopes of remaining successful, independent companies.

------
oldmancoyote
Why do the highs and lows of companies that died trail those of new companies
by one year until about 2002, then they trailed by 3 years and more recently 2
years?

~~~
lkrubner
There is less of them. Entrepreneurs are takings less risks. It used to be
lots of people started a business that died after a year. Now there are a lot
less startups, but the ones that get launched tend to last 2 or 3 years before
dying.

