Frühstarter

Frühstarter is a German noun formed from Früh ('early') and Starter ('starter'). It denotes someone or something that begins an activity earlier than usual. In everyday language it can refer to an early riser, a person who acts or engages in something before peers, or to something started earlier in a project or career.

In education, the term is used to describe children who start school at an age earlier than the standard cohort. It can also apply to early entry into vocational training or specialized programs. Debates around Frühstarter address readiness, social development, and potential long-term effects on achievement and wellbeing. Policies on school-entry age vary by region and country.

In business and entrepreneurship, a Frühstarter is someone who launches a venture at a young age or begins activities ahead of peers, often associated with initiative and risk-taking. In sports and the arts, it can describe individuals who begin specialized training early; experts caution about risks such as burnout, overuse injuries, and imbalanced development.

The term is largely neutral; the connotation depends on context. Etymologically, it is a straightforward compound, and in English-language contexts an equivalent would be "early starter" or "early bird," though Frühstarter has broader usage in German to cover various early-entry situations.