"Maybe a first step YC could take is by taking the request for an age of founders off the YC application or creating a diverse funded pool." Absolutely. And no

"Maybe a first step YC could take is by taking the request for an age of founders off the YC application or creating a diverse funded pool." Absolutely. And not only are there people over 31 (I know you agree, just adding to it) with great ideas, ambition, and drive, there are actually people over 40, 50 and 60 with the same. Generation X fell into a terrible trap and I don't see it written about much. When the Gen Xers were of what is considered peak professionalism age now (early 20s), there were no jobs for them until they proved themselves by going into massive debt to get multiple graduate degrees. When they were finally done with that process, so they could "prove" their worth, they were tacitly told that they were too old to work starting at age 37 or so. As a Gen Xer, I've watched this happen to practically every accomplished person I know. Those who have not been crushed under the wheel, picked themselves and their two PHDs up off the floor and retrained themselves in tech only to be treated like they know absolutely nothing, or are a poor "culture fit". They seem doomed to have to prove themselves over and over again to be shoved aside. When we speak of college debt, we only speak of millennials, but GenX was the first suffering generation, and they got nothing at all for that debt. The only way for GenXers to get a decent job these days is either to lie about their age if they can or to depend upon connections and get a job that isn't based upon merit. Let's face it, everyone needs a connection, but the GenXers are surrounded by colleagues who are in the process of lying and other millennial colleagues who use Botox already. So many of these people are great at so many things, and yet companies pretend that if someone has not been VP of social media marketing, they have no idea how to write good copy. There is this strange need to have specialized in mico professions that aren't lifetime pursuits as though they actually are great art forms. It would be wonderful iif some of these accomplised folks could have opportunities to use their accumulated skills instead of gradually becoming homeless with advanced degrees.