You make it sound like programming is some sort of competitive sport where you can't reasonably compete anymore when you're past your prime. There's clearly no

You make it sound like programming is some sort of competitive sport where you can't reasonably compete anymore when you're past your prime. There's clearly no obvious reason why someone in his 40s shouldn't be able to develop software just as well as someone in his 30s. Apart from a more or less healthy lifestyle, staying competitive in this line of work is more about mindset than about age. You stay young by exposing yourself to new ideas and challenges. I've met 30 year olds who act twice their age because they've settled into a cosy big corporate job that doesn't require anything but will get them safely to retirement. I've also met 50 year olds who're still avidly learning new stuff and who've managed to remain quite competitive in the software consulting business. Another thing to keep in mind is: Level up. When athletes in competitive disciplines can't keep up anymore they often become trainers and mentors. For various reasons this makes sense in software development, too. Coaching / mentoring / teaching is a rare skill, as is competent management. Then there's always the opportunity to create your own software product (I know, easier said than done but much more doable still than in many other disciplines) and sell value instead of your time.