
Are Older Entrepreneurs Threatened By the Younger? - Sam_Odio
http://mindpetals.com/blog/2007/04/are-older-entrepreneurs-threatened-by-the-younger/
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vlad
That's a very, very difficult question to philosophisize about. When one
believes they've been criticized unfairly, they could think the other person
is older, shorter, or less confident than they are. But I think the biggest
predictor is the other person's mood.

And, anyway, the only external opinion that matters is your customers' (and
even then, not always). Spoken word has sometimes been enforced by many a
judge as a "verbal contract", which shows the power words sometimes have.
Therefore, why focus on the words of those who offer you nothing in return?
It's worth nothing. But words backed up by something are worth listening to.
If a banker says they will invest X if you twist your idea to do Y as well,
there could be something there. If a banker just says, I don't get it, just
walk away. Don't worry about their opinion. If a customer says "I really need
this feature so I can use your software," do it. If a customer tells you that
it would be cool if your program plays a sound when you click on a button,
don't do it. There's got to be something you can do with the same amount of
time where another person is willing to either put up or shut up. In this
case, you don't even consider whether button-push sounds are a good idea are
not--you just know that you can be doing something else.

So, by now, if I say "could you quit your idea for me?" you should say "no, I
won't unless you pay me X."

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zaidf
I personally really admire the folks who are pursuing their 3rd or 4th or 10th
hit. There are so many such guys who consistently keep churning out great
companies that don't necessarily make the press covers yet have great exits or
sales numbers.

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amichail
I am not threatened by the abilities of younger entrepreneurs. However, I am
very much annoyed by the fact that VCs are more likely to fund younger
entrepreneurs.

