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The Tyranny of Thirty
The Artificial Deadline That’s Ruining a Generation
The tyranny of thirty has become the most pernicious deadline of our culture — a guillotine over the necks of ambitious twenty-somethings at tech startups in Silicon Valley, artist studios in Bed-Stuy, and influencer houses in West Hollywood.
All of them chanting the same frantic mantra:
“I gotta make it by thirty.”
Thirty is the line in the sand — the point beyond which “high potential” resolves into undeniable achievement or probable irrelevance.
And there’s a hint of truth in their words. Early success enables you to compound your gains and many of our culture’s most iconic figures got their start at a young age:
- Taylor Swift won her first Album of the Year Grammy at age 20.
- Mr. Beast became the world’s most subscribed YouTuber at age 26.
- John and Patrick Collison became the world’s youngest billionaires at ages 26 and 28.
- Kehinde Wiley began his iconic Rumors of War series at age 29.
Tech, art, and pop culture have long had young prodigies. That’s nothing new. But the tyranny of thirty, the pressure to become “somebody” by your third decade has intensified in recent…
