[flashgordon]

So there is "programming". And then there is software engineer at big cos - "The Job". Programming is about building and I personally feel age is not a barrier. I still code and can crank out a lot of stuff in my personal projects (in multiple languages). I, touch wood, don't see this changing.

The Job. That's a different story. I have witnessed our industry get beseiged by level mania. Follow rubriks for a particular level to get certain ratings and promotions. Programming alone wont help you grow/level up beyond the terminal level. So there is a lot needed in terms of influence, project management, leadership (and the related artifacts to boot) that need to be presented and that to at a very regular cadence (binnual perf reviews). I don't know this is sustainable when not young?