I not only feel more mature in my reactions and my thinking but also feel I am a much better coder and creative thinker. You don't need to be 20 to code or start a company. Age discrimination in Silicon Valley is real though. It has nothing to do with intelligence. It has to do with trying to hire people like yourself. Of course a 20-year old would not want to hang out with a 50 year old dad. Asking silly quizes in interviews to a professional engineer to judge decades of experience is beyond idiotic. The reason older people are not good at solving quizes is because that's not what we do in the real world so you don't develop that skill. That's what you do in school. The best ideas come after hitting the wall a few times. A good workplace needs diversity of skills, experience, cultural background, gender, etc. Startups who ignore this are not only breaking the law but are also missing out on great people. I would love to hear suggestions on how we can change this culture. Is it possible to prove age discrimination? Should companies adopt a standardized and open protocol for hiring?