The Hardest Part of Being a Young Entrepreneur
When starting a company, several key elements come into play. These elements form its core, heart, and soul: a compelling idea, a team to execute it, and resilient founders to sustain momentum. From the first line of code to the closing of the 38th enterprise deal, these fundamentals are essential for genuine success. Age, whether young or old, often becomes irrelevant if the founder can deliver on every other front.
I launched my own company about two weeks ago with these principles in mind, determined to revolutionize my field and bring my ideas to fruition. What I was not prepared for, however, was the most challenging aspect of being a young founder: the lack of resources available to entrepreneurs under eighteen.
The Legal Wall
Legally, it is possible for someone under eighteen to start a company with parental consent. I had that permission, but the real obstacle was operational — getting the business up and running. From incorporation services to banks, lawyers, and even legal handbooks, nearly all denied service to younger founders.
Most people who start companies are over eighteen and can sign and consent to documents on their own. Experience and connections typically come with age. However, the complete lack of resources for younger founders is surprising. Many fields, such as gaming, could benefit from new ventures led by younger entrepreneurs, but the absence of references and documentation makes this difficult.
In my own experience within the gaming space, specifically user-generated content, it was challenging to find guidance on hiring or signing contracts with contractors when I lacked the legal authority to sign myself. As a result, I had to rely on a close friend to sign documents under my authorization.
Why This Matters
Despite these challenges, many successful entrepreneurs began their journeys at a young age. This should serve as encouragement for younger individuals to pursue new projects. It is time for this to change.
Younger people tend to be more creative and open to new experiences. They have the time and opportunity to explore new fields and launch ventures. For example, the founder of dimension.dev is under eighteen and has raised over 1.2 million dollars for a B2B tool. Students and young people online are exposed to countless businesses, and many aspire to start their own.
As a society, we should support this ambition by increasing the resources available to help them succeed. As the internet expands, the number of under-eighteen entrepreneurs will continue to grow. Within my own circle, I know several individuals who have started successful e-commerce companies before turning eighteen.
Moving Forward
If you are a minor founder, or any entrepreneur struggling with the legal aspects of starting a business, I recommend starting with handbooks.clerkly.com. This resource provides a solid foundation for understanding both the legal and practical aspects of starting a company. While they only serve founders over eighteen, you will likely need a startup lawyer who is willing to work with under-eighteen founders to move forward.
It is time to create better resources for young people who want to start companies. They are the future, and we should help them build it as effectively as possible.