I completely agree and the sad truth is that we software people do it to ourselves by devaluing the contributions of older/more experienced people. OTOH if we

I completely agree and the sad truth is that we software people do it to ourselves by devaluing the contributions of older/more experienced people. OTOH if we move toward a more professional / credentialed / high-status profession that won't be all roses, what with exams, high barriers to entry, slow/uniform career progression, etc. I don't like not having a plan after 40 but I do enjoy how meritocratic the industry is, and how it really does reward hard work more than just, say, years worked.