Trying to start a company that's focused on hiring older engineers is just as ageist as starting one focused on hiring younger engineers. I was a top engineer

Trying to start a company that's focused on hiring older engineers is just as ageist as starting one focused on hiring younger engineers. I was a top engineer for 25-30 years everywhere I worked. In my 50's I clearly encountered significant age discrimination in interviewing. From sitting and pairing on teams where everyone is half my age and being told the team didn't think I'd 'fit in' to interviewing at companies started by 20-somethings where literally 90% of the entire company of 100 people were all under 35. Age discrimination in engineering is real. Maybe not everyone has seen it because they haven't interviewed at companies where it exists, but there are many companies where it exists - especially smaller companies with highly homogenous employee bases. My recommendation? Continue learning and stay on the cutting edge, make sure you keep up with current interview strategies (like knowing your algorithms and data structures cold), and continuing to work hard. You'll encounter discrimination at more and more companies, but you'll find some where your skills will keep you employed.