I’ve been resisting writing about age bias for a long time, it’s such the ‘third rail’ issue.

No one seems to believe that we frequently place people 50 and older into compelling roles. And into startups, by the way.

But it’s true. The common denominator with these candidates is age is just a number for them. And like their young colleagues, they are often able to take risks that mid-career people can’t–they may be “empty nesters” and able to relocate, they may have a nice financial cushion for example.

They are very self aware, they refine their physical image in an age appropriate way but definitely contemporary. From hair cuts to eye wear to fitness.

They keep up with trends from trying Instacart to testing out the latest wearable.

They stay sharp on tech news, and new business models.

And because attitude is everything, they see ‘what could be’ vs. ‘all the issues’ and ‘what could go wrong’.  No lectures or negativity.