The report is dedicated to the development of the earnings of start-up cohorts. Even if many of the surviving start-ups achieve increasing profits in the following periods, a large number of founders do not manage to generate income of more than € 5,400 a year even in the 5th year after the start-up. On the other hand, the people who have to bear losses in the founding year can usually break into the profit area after a few years. An analysis of the income of all self-employed people shows that many founders only take up part-time work or a small side job and also keep this as a form of employment in the long term.