Start your startup: how long you could try it, and whether it's too late
Most people who want to start something wait for the right time. This shows how long your own savings would let you try, and what research says about age and experience.
Your numbers
Common answers are filled in. Change the ones you know.
Typical: ₹3,00,000. Put in yours.
Your own living costs plus what the work itself costs.
It only changes the order on your statement.
What waiting costs you
7 months of runway
You could try it for about 7 months
You're 30. The average founder of the fastest-growing new firms started at 45, so it isn't too late. Your 3 years in this field count: experience in the same industry made success much more likely.
Your small stepWrite your idea in one line, and ask 3 people who'd use it what they think this week.
How we worked this out
- Runway: ₹3 lakh ÷ ₹40,000 a month = 7 months.
- You've been meaning to start for 1 year.
- These are your own numbers. Runway is how long you could try before the money runs out, not a promise of anything.
- How much it matters to you: 7 out of 10. It only changes the order on your statement.
Sources
- Azoulay, Jones, Kim & Miranda, AER: Insights (2020): The average founder of the fastest-growing new firms started at 45. Experience in the same industry made success much more likely.
How it works
Runway is simple: the money you could set aside, divided by what you'd need each month. It's how long you could try before the money runs out.
A large study of new firms found the average founder of the fastest-growing ones started at 45, and that experience in the same industry made success much more likely.
India has about 2.23 lakh startups recognised by the government, so you'd be in good company.
Sources
- Azoulay, Jones, Kim & Miranda, AER: Insights (2020): US data on the top 1 in 1,000 fastest-growing firms. It shows age isn't a barrier, not that waiting helps.
Questions people ask
Is this telling me to quit my job?
No. It only shows how long your own numbers would last. Many people start on the side first. That choice is yours.
What counts in the monthly amount?
Your own living costs, plus what the work itself costs each month, like rent, tools or travel.
Putting off more than one thing?
Pick up to five and get your Delay Statement: what to do first, what can wait, and one small step for today.
Want a nudge to act on it?
The app turns what you're putting off into a short list for each day: your Top 3 and one small step at a time. It's free.
We show what waiting costs on your own plans. We never tell you what to buy or invest in. Rules and averages change, so check the official pages before you plan anything.