> Problem is that a 40yo dev needs 2x the pay of a 20yo but doesn't bring 2x the value. I beg to differ. They may have the technical skills to match, but they

> Problem is that a 40yo dev needs 2x the pay of a 20yo but doesn't bring 2x the value. I beg to differ. They may have the technical skills to match, but they won't have the other skills that makes you truly able to deliver value. It depends on the type of work of course. If code correlates directly with business value, then you may be right, but that is just rarely the case.