Ask HN: Is 36 too old to (re)start a career in tech?

Have been reading a lot of PG’s and Sam Altman’s writings and following the YC classes, and I can’t help but feel as if they’d see someone at my age as not worth an investment, someone who didn’t necessarily have the right launchpad or resources or educational / professional prestige to set their career off on the right trajectory.

Throughout the startup world, there is very little in the way of advice for middle-aged / mid-career folks who are looking for a fresh start, or even successful examples of people doing so. If you’re not young or haven’t proven yourself in any notable way by a certain age, the message seems to be that you’re damaged goods.

Maybe I’m deluded. Perhaps 36 really is too old and that’s the harsh truth that no one has the heart to express?

Does anyone else feel this way?

At 36 you're still in your thirties, only just done being a kid. Many new engineers bring skills from previous careers over (such as communication, which I would argue is the most important skill, at least in software). So in many regards, compared to someone just starting out in their early 20s, you've actually skipped a few steps.

That said, if you're not willing to put in time _practicing_ and _learning_ in your off-hours, it will be very difficult to break through and be successful on the job at work. And to be hired, you'll need more than a generic code boot camp portfolio.

I recently met someone who completely reinvented his career in his 40s, going from one very skilled artistic field (professional classical musician in NYC) to a specialized technical/construction trade in which he had absolutely no background when he started.

He said he didn't like the uncertainty of being a musician, which required constant auditions, as well as the ephemeral nature of the performances.

He started taking masonry classes, worked up to a certain grade in the specialized subfield, and pretty quickly started getting jobs. He now has more offers of work than he can take on, and is a qualified instructor.

He's 70, and he loves what he does.

It is never too late to start something you want to do. Never. Ray Croc was a an average mediocre salesperson until 52 when he got into the McDonald's franchising stuff. Colonel Sanders was 60+ when he started KFC. Eric Yuan was 40+ when he launched Zoom. For every example of a 20+ whizkid, there are plenty of examples of people in their 40s or later who have started something and became successful.

36, you have just graduated out of being a kid (Source: Age 42). You got plenty of time to do things. Age is not your issue. In fact, use the experience you now have to your advantage.

What have you been doing until age 36? Did you work in sales? Did you work in some other field that gave you some unique experience and skills?

Even if you feel that you have some weakness in technology, you might have some strengths that other people in technology won't have.