Yes, I too have learned that I'm happier being a dev than being a manager.
This is very much broad-brushing and there are plenty of exceptions, but in general I've found that startups, FAANG-style companies, and companies that seem more focused on making products as a vehicle for using new technologies (as opposed to using appropriate technologies to make better products) tend to have a greater prejudice in favor of younger developers.
If such a company interests me, I'll absolutely apply to work for them -- but I don't really expect I'll hear back from them past the initial interview.
Although I have had good experiences as an older dev working for software companies, I've found that I have the best experiences working for companies that aren't overtly software. My current job, for instance, is at a company that makes industrial equipment. The software isn't the product, it's one of the components that makes the products work. It involves several currently-fashionable technologies, though, such as machine learning, so it's not like I'm working in a technological backwater.
My general approach, really, is more about setting proper expectations in my own mind rather than trying to pinpoint "older dev friendly" companies. If a company is doing something interesting, and appears to be the sort of place I'd enjoy working at, I'll toss my hat in the ring even if I suspect they'd consider me to be too old. I just won't get my hopes up with them.
I've also found that a big indicator is when I physically visit their offices and see the makeup of the other devs working there. Even a casual glance can reveal much in terms of how youth-oriented the company is. If I'm the oldest person in the building, they're probably not going to hire me.
I don't know if any of this helps. I'm a believer in not prejudging things too hard and don't really let my perception of their age culture be a significant factor in my decision-making. There are no hard lines here, and I have been hired and welcomed into companies where I was the oldest dev in the place by a large margin.
This is very much broad-brushing and there are plenty of exceptions, but in general I've found that startups, FAANG-style companies, and companies that seem more focused on making products as a vehicle for using new technologies (as opposed to using appropriate technologies to make better products) tend to have a greater prejudice in favor of younger developers.
If such a company interests me, I'll absolutely apply to work for them -- but I don't really expect I'll hear back from them past the initial interview.
Although I have had good experiences as an older dev working for software companies, I've found that I have the best experiences working for companies that aren't overtly software. My current job, for instance, is at a company that makes industrial equipment. The software isn't the product, it's one of the components that makes the products work. It involves several currently-fashionable technologies, though, such as machine learning, so it's not like I'm working in a technological backwater.
My general approach, really, is more about setting proper expectations in my own mind rather than trying to pinpoint "older dev friendly" companies. If a company is doing something interesting, and appears to be the sort of place I'd enjoy working at, I'll toss my hat in the ring even if I suspect they'd consider me to be too old. I just won't get my hopes up with them.
I've also found that a big indicator is when I physically visit their offices and see the makeup of the other devs working there. Even a casual glance can reveal much in terms of how youth-oriented the company is. If I'm the oldest person in the building, they're probably not going to hire me.
I don't know if any of this helps. I'm a believer in not prejudging things too hard and don't really let my perception of their age culture be a significant factor in my decision-making. There are no hard lines here, and I have been hired and welcomed into companies where I was the oldest dev in the place by a large margin.