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Done with YC: Age Discrimination

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#101

Post by caddemon »

brudgers wrote: post #86
blagie wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's precisely why being an older person helps. You have experience under your belt. If you're 55 and have never done anything, that's a strong signal to not invest in you, since you're unlikely to do something now. 20-year-olds are risks. 55-year-old have track records.

Yes. Twenty year olds have unrealized potential. At fifty-five, it is not unfair to call it wasted potential.

You know there are other career paths besides start up, right? Is it wasted potential for someone to be a doctor for 25 years and then decide they want to pursue some idea for a new medical device? Hell, I think certain spaces could use more entrepreneurs that have spent time on the ground first - edtech is a prime example.

I don't know if OP is qualified for YC but I'd hardly call the career he describes a waste.

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#102

Post by dang »

over50 wrote: post #88
dang wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's getting upvotes because indignation + sensationalism always gets the most upvotes (this is the weakness of the upvoting system [1]), plus the meta aspect is a force multiplier. Also age discrimination is a perennially hot topic here. It's also getting a lot of flags, which is why the post is not on HN's front page. Just in case anyone is wondering, there's no moderation penalty on it. The tug of war between upvo…

Pretty interesting that a YC person would come out and label this "indignation + sensationalism". It is neither. It's someone (me) sharing an experience and a personal decision while --if you actually read my post-- praising YC for all the good they do. My only intent is to perhaps shed some light on the plight of older engineers in the technology ecosystem. Change the subject if you want. I could not care less. How…

I certainly didn't mean anything personal by it! The title alone was enough to count as that. If you hadn't put "Done with YC" and "Age discrimination" in your title, I doubt it would have gotten nearly as much attention. That's the way these things work.

I appreciated the nuances in the body of the text, but those have much less influence, the internet being what it is.

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#103

Post by dang »

over50 wrote: post #95
newbamboo wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that might be the point op was making. “Done with YC” == “Done thinking YC is the only way.” I’m not sure though.

That's it, kind of. I would say "Done thinking YC is the right fit for me" could be more accurate. Of course, now they've flagged the thread, so not sure if any of this discussion matters. Instead of cancelling the discussion, it should be actively promoted. I am not accusing of YC doing anything explicitly. I think they make the right decisions when it comes to what you need in a young team in order to succeed. An e…

> now they've flagged the thread

Just to be clear, users flagged it, not moderators.

When you see [flagged] on a submission, it nearly always means that users flagged it (this is in the FAQ: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html).

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#104

Post by [deleted] »

caddemon wrote: post #101
brudgers wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Twenty year olds have unrealized potential. At fifty-five, it is not unfair to call it wasted potential.

You know there are other career paths besides start up, right? Is it wasted potential for someone to be a doctor for 25 years and then decide they want to pursue some idea for a new medical device? Hell, I think certain spaces could use more entrepreneurs that have spent time on the ground first - edtech is a prime example. I don't know if OP is qualified for YC but I'd hardly call the career he describes a waste.

[deleted]

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#105

Post by brudgers »

caddemon wrote: post #100
brudgers wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A fifty five year old has more track record upon which to form a judgement. A twenty year old who can't find cofounders is more likely to be a positive outlier than a fifty five year old who can't. There are another thirty-five years of adult people skills there. If a person knows a cofounder would help but eschews finding one, it's not a strong positive signal.

I'm not sure that's true, a 20 year old is among their peers when trying to find a cofounder. I would expect it to be harder for a 55 year old to find a cofounder. I understand judging on not having a cofounder period, but age shouldn't come into it directly. It's true an older person has more past, but if they were in a different line of work before there is only so much info that can be gained from it. It shouldn't…

No cofounders is a known problem when it comes to YC applications.

Finding a cofounder is not going to be among the hardest problems either will face.

It is not unreasonable to expect significantly greater resourcefulness from a fifty-five year old than a twenty year old when it comes to any particular problem.

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#106

Post by brudgers »

caddemon wrote: post #101
brudgers wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Twenty year olds have unrealized potential. At fifty-five, it is not unfair to call it wasted potential.

You know there are other career paths besides start up, right? Is it wasted potential for someone to be a doctor for 25 years and then decide they want to pursue some idea for a new medical device? Hell, I think certain spaces could use more entrepreneurs that have spent time on the ground first - edtech is a prime example. I don't know if OP is qualified for YC but I'd hardly call the career he describes a waste.

Yes, of course. Indeed I consider parenting and friendships better metrics of success than career.

In terms of a snap business decision, the hypothetical fifty-five year old doctor who cannot get anyone to jump off the bridge with them is probably not worth making a bet on. Between friendships and personal relationships, nobody who knows them is willing to make a leap of faith. Or the doctor is unwilling to work with someone else.

If not having a cofounder was not a known problem, things would be different. But it is a known problem. A mature adult who cannot solve it doesn't get as much slack as a kid who can't. The kid is more likely to have extenuating circumstances. The adult not really.

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#107

Post by over50 »

dang wrote: post #103
over50 wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's it, kind of. I would say "Done thinking YC is the right fit for me" could be more accurate. Of course, now they've flagged the thread, so not sure if any of this discussion matters. Instead of cancelling the discussion, it should be actively promoted. I am not accusing of YC doing anything explicitly. I think they make the right decisions when it comes to what you need in a young team in order to succeed. An e…

> now they've flagged the thread Just to be clear, users flagged it, not moderators. When you see [flagged] on a submission, it nearly always means that users flagged it (this is in the FAQ: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html ).

> Just to be clear, users flagged it, not moderators.

I understand this. In this case "they" did not mean YC. Maybe I should have clarified.

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#108

Post by over50 »

skmurphy wrote: post #96
over50 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just did. I will only reply to messages if it seems a conversation is warranted. I've had the experience on HN and other groups of someone contacting you with something that looks interesting only to identify you and then go away. Not interested in that at all. I hope you understand.

I think you used the email field which is not actually visible to non-moderators. Please take a look at my profile and reach out if you are interested in a conversation.

Thanks for pointing that out. I added the email to the about box.

BTW, I sent you a connection request on LinkedIn.

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#109

Post by over50 »

jimhi wrote: post #21

They generally give feedback on your application. There is likely something with your traction or potential market more than your age. I do agree with you there are some elements that make it harder as you get older. That said: https://techcrunch.com/2009/09/07/when-it-comes-to-founding-... The average age of startup founders is older than the press makes it seem. I talk to people in each new batch of Y Combinator. T…

> They generally give feedback on your application

That has not been my experience. I can't find the email right now. If I remember correctly it had some boilerplate about to the effect that they can't give feedback on every application and not to feel bad because sometimes they have to make hard choices and it doesn't mean your startup idea is necessarily a bad one. I understand all of that. No issues at all.

Re: Done with YC: Age Discrimination

#110

Post by manigandham »

blagie wrote: post #38
the-dude wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You seem to have raised money before almost 20 years ago. That sure must help.

That's precisely why being an older person helps. You have experience under your belt. If you're 55 and have never done anything, that's a strong signal to not invest in you, since you're unlikely to do something now. 20-year-olds are risks. 55-year-old have track records.

This doesn't make sense. What is "never done anything" supposed to mean?

I've worked with people in their 50s who have never raised money or started their own business but are incredibly capable with knowledge, experience and connections that would give them a massive advantage if they were to compete against younger founders.

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