Also, anecdotally false. The highest performers were often late 30s-55 yo at both startups I've worked (acquired and 'unicorn'). The young had tons of energy, but their output didn't meet any engineering rigor for working in a hardware startup. Maybe the mobile/web guys have a different story. But here in hardware, firmware, electrical engineering "The Best" had families, children, dogs, homes, heli-ski'd, bicycled from Mill Valley to SF, and were absolutely surgical with their work.
These people were exceptional and I would easily call them The Best any day.
the author almost realizes that hiring cheap talent is like looking for a stock to invest in ... the trick is to identify undervaluation. then he shortstops and overvalues the usual metrics like low age just as everybody else. some people miss the forest for the trees.
More charitably, someone who is older and exceptional has probably had a chance to find equilibrium with the market, i.e. they know exactly how much they are worth and as a little startup you're less likely to end up landing them.
These people were exceptional and I would easily call them The Best any day.