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Comment by vidanay | Hacker News Reader

Another literal 50+ greybeard here. I'll offer a counter example: In the Fortune 500 company I work for, we are absolutely FILLED with greybeards. I's say that the average age is pushing 40 and the average tenure with the company is 10+ with a significant percentage being 20+ y.o.e. (including me).

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> we are absolutely FILLED with greybeards. I's say that the average age is pushing 40 and the average tenure with the company is 10+

Taking your observation in isolation, there are two implications:

1. that those 40+ years old were, in average, hired when they were in their 30s, when they weren't grey beards;

2. a possible factor that causes their long tenure is that they now struggle to find other jobs.

Also people have to work somewhere.

Do you think different companies at different stages have different biases? mojuba's comment that age discrimination is initially investor driven might no longer apply at a fortune 500 company. Or perhaps other cultural factors (e.g. about the industry/domain) pull in a different direction?

I came from a big bank with lots of graybeards to a small startup were I'm 10 years older than the oldest person (who's the cto). It's been fine here though a little awkward at times with contexts I don't know about. Not a big deal though. Now as I continue to get older, I do worry I'll have to go back to those mega companies when it's time to move on and I start to really look the age.

Most Fortune 500 software jobs are poorly compensated line-of-business app building. Decent work for a certain sort (not speaking of intellect or ability, but personality and similar other factors), but hardly challenging or technically sophisticated for the most part

"Greybeard" scratches my ear as sexist.

I see, but it can be explained by the aging management (middle or high or both) at your company. Correct?

No.

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