What Older Tech Employees Face in Silicon Valley with Matt Curtis

It Gets Late Early: Ageism in the Workplace

As we continue to explore what it’s like to get older in tech, we’ll get stories and insights from people who have seen and experienced it firsthand while working at a range of companies in many different cities and regions. Today’s show features a conversation with my friend, Matt Curtis. He is essentially a Silicon Valley native who started his career in tech 25 years ago. Matt is now 46 years old, and he reports widespread anxiety for older peers looking to interview in tech companies right now, especially in the Bay Area.

In this episode, Matt takes us back to the glory days of the dot-com bubble and contrasts that period with the current tech landscape facing widespread layoffs. We discuss the difficult path of individual contributors who don't want that promotion in terms of their ability to stay in their careers. We also give some of our hypotheses to answer this question: “Why do tech employers disproportionately hire younger people?” In addition, we examine a trend in venture capital - the funding of a specific type of founder (the Sam Bankman-Fried, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg types).

If you're an experienced tech professional concerned about what the future holds for you, this episode will resonate.

“The hardest working people I know are those that have been there, been around.”

- Matt Curtis

In This Episode:

-What Matt thinks about age diversity and inclusion in tech

-Why is the issue of ageism in tech worse today than in the early days of tech?

-Are the more senior people in tech striving for higher positions as a means of self-preservation? How many worry about being seen as less desirable when they stay in the same role for some time?

-How can older people in the tech industry showcase their expertise?

-How can older people buffer against the reality that younger generations are inherently skilled in technology?

-How the pandemic impacted people in different ways

And more!

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