
Yes, Ageism Is a Problem in Tech. But Vanity Is a Bigger One - commandlinefan
https://www.inc.com/matt-haber/silicon-valley-vanity-ageism-startup-founders.html
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ChuckNorris89
The author of _American Psycho_ said if it would have be made today it would
star Silicon Valley workers instead of Wall Streeters.

[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-
entertainment/films/news/...](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-
entertainment/films/news/patrick-bateman-would-be-working-in-silicon-valley-
with-mark-zuckerberg-now-says-american-psycho-a6897466.html)

The _vanity_ described in the article is not something I've seen in European
tech scene were tech wages are lower and more on par with all knowledge based
jobs, outside of management consulting, medicine and law. I feel people here
get into tech because the enjoy it, not because it's a quick way to get rich,
because it definitely isn't.

To me, it seems like vanity just follows the money and has nothing to to with
tech specifically, making such articles fairly pointless. 30 years ago it was
Wall Street now it's SV and with all that VC money floating around it's bount
to attract various types of personas.

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djohnston
It's a problem but it's also an opportunity. Maybe I should only look at
pitches from founders under 6ft, since I'll get a bargain playing off of
people's dumb instincts.

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wrnr
That called being a contrarian investor, a successful strategy at times, but
investing is "Keynesian beauty competition". To win such a game, one must bet
on the contestant that one thinks is considerate most fair by all, not one's
personal preference.

~~~
vhvjkyhkogvv
There are key differences between startup investing and that model. You just
have to get sufficient amount of investors to recognize the diamond in the
rough. Not a majority or anything near that. With enough money you don't have
to convince anyone else.

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tempsy
I'm not surprised that attractive people, all else being equal, are likely to
be more successful in life than someone who is not, but that applies to almost
everything and has nothing specifically to do with "tech."

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BossingAround
Surprisingly shallow article that focuses on the ageism amongst startup
founders.

What I wanna know is how difficult it is for that 50+ veteran with 25+ years
of experience to find an engineering position in today's market.

~~~
aguyfromnb
> _focuses on the ageism amongst startup founders._

Shallow, perhaps. But the article isn't even _about_ ageism; it's about vanity
in the tech world. And it says as much in the title.

The best part:

"Neumann would be Odin, striding around with his retinue. He does look rather
like a Viking."

Neumann is 6'5, skinny and "nerdy". Is that what the stereotypical viking
looks like nowadays? The idea that being above average height makes you some
physical specimen is absurd.

~~~
k__
lol, I didn't know what Neumann and his wife looked like, before I read this
article.

I looked them up, expecting them to look like actors from Vikings or LotR, but
they looked rather average to me.

But I also couldn't understand the hype about the Snap CEO, who looked to me
like an average nerd put in some fancy suite to me.

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notlukesky
There is reverse ageism in enterprise tech where experience counts for more
than youthfulness. All the senior folks at enterprise positions are over 50.
Companies that range from SAP, Oracle, IBM, Microsoft etc... tech is not just
consumer-facing apps or startups. Try to get funding for an enterprise startup
without having co-founders are 45 or older and have years of industry
experience.

~~~
Bubbadoo
Yeah, I think the ageism comes from engineers who, for no fault of their own,
have stayed in their positions for decades. All of sudden, they're 45 or 55
and earning senior comp at an 'enterprise tech'. These people are the usually
the first to go because they are the most expensive. The senior execs are in a
different position, where it may be viewed experience and seasoning complement
the younger staffs' vision. A senior exec--with exit event or public company
experience--tends to be very sought after.

