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Starting a startup at 25, 35, or 45 is not the same decision

alx_sukhanov Friday, January 23, 2026

Hi everyone,

Starting a startup at different ages leads to very different financial outcomes, even with the same exit. I modeled a FAANG engineer’s career using real compensation data and conservative assumptions. The post includes some detailed scenarios on how a "weak exit" (the most common outcome) affects retirement age and net worth trajectory.

https://nauma.ai/blog/p/starting-a-startup-at-25-35-or-45/

Feedback is welcome!

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