I am not clever enough to notice a decline but some have argued that there has been a shift from founders to employees in the HN audience. Please don't take it

I am not clever enough to notice a decline but some have argued that there has been a shift from founders to employees in the HN audience. Please don't take it as an insult, but how do you know that you are clever enough to recognize if there had been a decline? What I have noticed in your comment: >I see this pattern repeat over and over again That's not a proof that there hasn't been a decline. It could as well be that each new generation is less competent.