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Ask Slashdot: Joining a Startup As an Older Programmer?

Posted by timothy on from the ask-slashtot dept.

First time accepted submitter bdrasin (17319) writes "I've had a series of interviews with a late-term startup (approx. 300 employees) and I think there is a good chance they will make me an offer. The technology is great, my skills and interests are a good fit for the position, I think the company has a promising future, and I like they team. Frankly I'm damn excited about it, more so than for any job in my career. However, I'm worried about what could euphemistically be called 'cultural' issues. I'm a few years over 40, with a wife and kids, and all of the engineers at the company seem to be at least 10 years younger than I am. Being at the company's office gives me a distinct old guy at the club feeling. I don't think the overall number of hours the team works is more than I could handle, but the team does a lot of young-single-guy-at-a-startup group activities (rent-a-limo-and-go-clubbing night, weekends in Tahoe, Burning Man, in-office happy hour) that I wouldn't want or be able to participate in; I need to be home with my family for dinner most nights and weekends and so on. I'm wondering if anyone else has had the experience of working at a startup with, or as, an older programmer, and how it worked out?"

5 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. Practice new cultural references by retroworks · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't try to make any jokes or allusions that would get modded funny on /.

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    Gently reply
  2. Startup? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    300 employees doesn't really sound like a startup to me.

    Are you sure they're not just leveraging the startup culture to sucker employees into working insane hours without compensation?

  3. Re:In my experience in that situation... by IV-Swamp · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well to be honest their antics were pretty tame compared to my past :)

    --
    Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition. - Adam Smith (1723-90)
  4. Re:You're supposed to be founding startups by Bill+Dog · · Score: 4, Funny

    Or you're supposed to be in management by now. And you've slowed down and can't possibly hope to keep up with the 20-somethings.

    Any other cliches we've missed that are impossible to apply to everyone who's a 40-something programmer?

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    Attention zealots and haters: 00100 00100
  5. Re:You're supposed to be founding startups by ubrgeek · · Score: 5, Funny

    Assuming I don't lose my dentures and my hip doesn't give out I'm sure I'll be able to come up with some right after my daily afternoon nap.

    - 43-year-old programmer

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    Bark less. Wag more.