What happens to the programmers who are closer to 40, but aren't managers? They have a choice: a) continue earning a living doing what they do with ever-dimini

What happens to the programmers who are closer to 40, but aren't managers? They have a choice: a) continue earning a living doing what they do with ever-diminishing returns, regular holidays, time with the kids, or b) go it alone, and risk a hell of a lot more than the young. I read somewhere that YC tends to steer away from engaging with generally older people who's risks/dependencies are obviously an issue. Would you want to hire someone older than yourself? Absolutely. But only for the job that suits both me and them. I may want someone who really has the experience to do a specific task with authority, and that is more often than not a greybeard, or enthusiastic experienced (40+) peer.