No, there are many of us with grey hair in the software industry. 42 is probably too old for the startup world, which is where the discussions on HN tend to fo

No, there are many of us with grey hair in the software industry. 42 is probably too old for the startup world, which is where the discussions on HN tend to focus, but that is really just one slice of the industry. There are a ton of jobs at larger non-tech companies, where ageism is not as much of a problem. It is slower-paced, lower-paid, more boring... and perfectly acceptable if all you are looking for is a solid stable job. The bigger challenge is the "junior dev" problem. There is some harsh reality there. But you can probably fight through that if you look for software work in whatever industry you are coming from, so that your couple decades of prior experience is relevant to the work being done by any team you would join.