

We're grandparents doing a startup and Logan's run can bite me - disgruntledphd2
http://www.thejuliagroup.com/blog/?p=3008

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benaiah
I'm really tired of the arrogance prevalent in startup culture. H;onesty is
great, brutal honesty is usually quite helpful, but bragging and putting other
people down under the guise of honesty is not.

This is particularly bad when combined with prejudices such as the one
demonstrated by @techstepper. He makes these comments about "old people" like
he is so wise and understanding. He hasn't been there. He's not "old". If he's
anything like most of the people that talk like him, he probably doesn't even
know very many "old people".

So how the hell would he know shit about being "old"?

I'm not trying to argue that I know any better. (I'm 17, so that would be rank
hypocrisy). But I at least know not to disparage my elders and usually betters
because of what the hip 20-somethings that the tech scene is filled with say.

You don't think that a lot of these "old people" used to be like you? Of
course they did. They know what it's like to be 20-something, but you don't
know jack shit about what it's like to be 40- or 50-something, so shut the
fuck up about it.

I find nothing wrong with pointing out that people with families _usually_
can't take the risk of working at a startup, and people who have made a lot of
money their whole lives _usually_ can't take the pay drop that comes from it.
Is that true of all those people? Of course not! Are all "old people" like
that? No!

It's stupid to cut yourself off from the experience of entire generations
simply to be cool and hip. Companies that embrace "old people", rather than
categorically dismiss them, while still acknowledging some of the _potential_
and _not always present_ challenges that can sometimes exist more often with
them are going to do much better in the long run, because they can learn from
the "old people's" mistakes and experience, rather than having to go make
those mistakes on their own. It's great for character to make your own
mistakes - not so much for building a company.

/rant. I don't usually swear, but sometimes people need to be called on the
carpet. This practice (I hate the word "ageism", and I'm not entirely sure
why) is stupid, petty, and destructive.

Good on AnnMaria for standing up to these people and calling them out. This is
a problem that needs to be addressed more than it is, rather than being shoved
under the carpet and ignored.

EDIT: I meant to point out that I'm using scare quotes around "old people"
because calling 40- and 50-somethings "old" is patently absurd, and comes from
this myopic view that looks at the 20s and 30s as the only time that really
matters.

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mindcrime
Good stuff. Being a 39 year old, I feel this issue more and more lately.
Luckily, I haven't encountered a lot of overt / obvious ageism. If anyone has
discriminated against me because of my age, I didn't recognize it as such. But
maybe you never do, who knows?

Not sure if there's any "West coast / East coast" dichotomy or not though. It
seems that you hear more stories about "ageism in startups" from the West
coast, but, then again, there are more startup stories of any kind from the
West coast, best as I can tell. Me, I'm on the East coast (NC) and I feel like
the startup culture here is a little bit different. Ironically, it seems a bit
more laid back, at least going from what you read / see / hear about WC
startups.

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michaelpinto
54 really isn't that old, in fact back in the day (say the 90s) a typical
entrepreneur would be at least a fortysomething who had cut their teeth at a
previous company.

