Company Longevity

Discussions focus on the lifespan of companies, especially how long large or established businesses survive, with examples of slow declines, failures over decades, and skepticism about any company's long-term endurance.

📉 Falling 0.4x Startups & Business
2,402
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#7323
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
10
2008
28
2009
32
2010
50
2011
74
2012
83
2013
100
2014
80
2015
78
2016
114
2017
119
2018
168
2019
175
2020
218
2021
174
2022
228
2023
260
2024
220
2025
178
2026
15

Keywords

IBM LAX EWR BS IAD BMW ORD MSFT HN Pets.com companies 50 years company decades long long 50 ago sell data survivor 50 years ago

Sample Comments

beambot May 1, 2023 View on HN

Many of those companies no longer exist...

bobthepanda May 28, 2024 View on HN

it takes a long time for companies to die. it took sears decades even though everyone could see that coming from a mile away.

stewie2 Jan 16, 2013 View on HN

I still have 50 years to live at least. how many companies can last that long?

rocky1138 May 15, 2019 View on HN

Find a company that has been massively successful but is on the verge of irrelevance.

scottedwards May 29, 2014 View on HN

These are well-established companies founded decades ago. if they were startups, I'd understand...

izzydata Aug 24, 2023 View on HN

Does any company remain being the same company after ~20-40 years then?

FirmwareBurner Jul 26, 2025 View on HN

Those companies have been alive for a long time. Where's the proof they're going after them?

jayjay71 Feb 13, 2017 View on HN

How many companies will still be around in 50+ years?

arcanebook Sep 18, 2011 View on HN

It can take a long time for large companies to die.

csallen Nov 25, 2013 View on HN

There is a long, long history of other companies and products closing down, too.