It's similar to how Paul Graham compares like working really hard for a few years in a startup vs working slower at a traditional job. How hard one works in a compressed amount of time, and the results one achieve in the same amount of time can equate to something.

I never would put 20 years of experience on my resume. Can't fake it till you make it in tech. :) Years of experience, again aren't the metric alone, its the quality of those years does matter.

If someone has 10 years of experience, and their achievements and skillset are mature and are on par with someone at the top of the pile with 20 years of experience, that might be one way. Does that help clarify?

Either way, I'm not sure where this new literal HN is coming from, and maybe I haven't done a very good job of explaining much.