I'm in my early 40s 👋 I've never had a "job" as a programmer but it has been a hobby of mine for ages. I have only gotten serious about it during the last few years. I built minestr.app and nostr:nprofile1qqspvmlq75689xnttagp50dx97yc0czck27gca49ua3vj5z8j9yxt6cpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhsz9mhwden5te0wfjkccte9ec8y6tdv9kzumn9wshsz9mhwden5te0wfjkccte9ehx7um5wghxyctwvshsgkr3ft more recently.

If you can get yourself up to speed with the current trends and learn the popular languages in the fields you're interested in, I think you'd be in with a chance. But if you're starting from scratch, this could take you a year or more imo, and young people can learn faster that you and probably spend a lot more time doing it than you, so you're up against it. So I think it would be difficult to compete against them in a company recruitment situation.

In the nostr/bitcoin space I think rust, python, go and js are popular choices. I only use js though, and it's been enough for me. There's no problems specialising in one imo. If you can start contributing to a project it's a good idea. Or build something yourself and hope that it becomes popular. Or try and win some short time contracts. You might have to offer to do it for a low price to get it. These can be "ins" with potential employers online that notice your work. Or if you have any more local connections/contacts, that can also help. Both of these, however, have a lower chance of landing a job compared to applying for a position directly (assuming all else equal).

Good luck and feel free to ask any more questions you have! (I'm not an expert though 😊). If you're in a position where you have the time and money to spend, I'd say follow your heart and give it a try 💚