Why You Should Start a Business For Older Adults

The Underserved Opportunity

The hosts and guest John from Alive Ventures make a compelling case that older adults represent one of the most overlooked startup opportunities in the market today. While nearly every founder is chasing Gen Z and millennial attention, there are 46 million Americans aged 65 and older in the U.S. today, projected to grow to 90 million by 2050. And two-thirds of the country's wealth is controlled by people over 65. The hosts frame this as a classic contrarian play: "Everyone wants to build the new app for Gen Z," but the competition is fierce, while the older adult market is both massive and underserved.

Why Older Adults Are a "Go First Generation"

John from Alive Ventures explains that today's older adults are in many ways a "go first generation," similar to millennials. They grew up expecting to die around 68 or 72, and they counted on social infrastructure—long-term jobs, church communities, VFW halls—to provide their relationships and sense of purpose. That infrastructure has largely disappeared. Now they find themselves with 20 or 25 years of life left, but without a playbook for how to live it well. As John puts it: "They don't know how to spend their time in a way that they love. They haven't really cultivated what value means to them."