I think 2 of these myths are applicable to any experience programmer, and 3 of them are about the trade-off between using existing knowledge and learning new th

I think 2 of these myths are applicable to any experience programmer, and 3 of them are about the trade-off between using existing knowledge and learning new things. Myths 1 (old guys are expensive) and 2 (old guys don't work 80 hours) are the same for any "senior" (read 5 years + experience) programmer. Young programmers will work 80 hour weeks while they build experience and find a better job, but once they become valuable workers (and figure out how to get paid for this value) then they get better jobs. The problem with hiring easily exploitable workers is that they jump ship the minute they figure out that they are being exploited, and replacing them is really expensive (both in fees, and getting the new guy up to speed). Points 2, 4, and 5 all relate to older minds using existing solutions, rather than figuring out new solutions. This has strengths and weaknesses, but it's generally a strength. The reason older minds use existing solutions is that it's generally cheaper. A friend of mine studied that, and found that when older people are learning a completely new technology, there is a period in which they are not productive (while their brain refuses to switch into learning mode, and tries to find an old model that works OK), then they start ramping up just as good as young people (minus the delay). The reality is though, there aren't that many completely new technologies. Older people are faster at learning new technologies if they use the same model as an old technology that the young people hadn't learned before.