Instagram's Mike Krieger Reveals A Surprising Key To Startup Success—'Not Every Step Needs To Make Logical Sense'

The idea that youth holds the key to innovation isn't new, but Instagram co-founder and Anthropic Chief Product Officer Mike Krieger is making a case for why entrepreneurs in their 20s might have a unique edge. 

While some industry veterans agree, others argue experience and grit—not age—are what separate game-changing founders from the rest. Krieger believes young entrepreneurs are in a sweet spot—old enough to execute ideas but still connected to the trends shaping younger audiences. 

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“It's a very special time in your life,” he said in an interview on the "EO" podcast. “You're at the intersection of being a teenager, being really tuned into that, but also being able to create.”

Does Youth Equal Innovation? Not Everyone Thinks So

This perspective has faced criticism, as some argue that experience plays a more significant role in entrepreneurial success than age. 

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that investors increasingly recognize that older entrepreneurs have advantages such as industry connections, credibility, and deep expertise. This aligns with findings from an April 2018 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research indicating that the average age of successful startup founders is around 45 years old.

The study analyzed 2.7 million startups and concluded that older entrepreneurs tend to build more resilient, scalable businesses. Still, Krieger's argument holds weight when considering consumer-driven industries. 

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Younger entrepreneurs, deeply embedded in digital culture, may be better positioned to identify trends before they peak—something Mark Zuckerberg proved when he launched Facebook at 19.

Historically, the debate isn't new. In the late 1990s, Steve Jobs famously criticized older executives, saying, “Innovation has nothing to do with how many years you've been around.” Yet, decades later, Amazon's Jeff Bezos built his empire in his 30s, and Warren Buffett didn't make the majority of his wealth until his 50s. The pattern? There isn't one.

Despite the age debate, one point most experts agree on is the value of relationships. Krieger recalled how interning at a startup solidified this for him. “It was full of people in their late 30s who had worked together three or four times since they were 20,” he said. “The relationships you build in your career will be the relationships you have over and over again.”

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Silicon Valley is a prime example of this. PayPal's founding team, dubbed the “PayPal Mafia,” included Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman—who later built Tesla, Palantir, and LinkedIn, respectively. Their success wasn't just about youth or experience; it was about shared connections and learning from failures together.

Krieger also champions side projects, stating that they often fuel future success. “Not every step needs to make logical sense,” he emphasized, noting that seemingly unrelated experiences can later prove invaluable. 

“There were definitely things I did where I thought, ‘Am I wasting my time here?' but later, they connected to the next thing I did.” 

This aligns with how Slack started as a failed gaming company or how X emerged from a struggling podcasting platform. Unconventional paths often lead to groundbreaking ideas—whether you're 22 or 52.

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