These guys can't. They're over 40 and we all know that unless you're 20-something you cannot do anything startup-related.

Hmmm, Reid Hoffman is a very interesting example. LinkedIn is technically not easy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Voldemort#SNA_LinkedIn), and he and it have been quite successful. (From my viewpoint it is by far the most useful social network.)

Skimming his resume and recommendations (on LinkedIn :-), it's clear he's very good with people and social stuff (surprise!) ... and I would suspect that transferred to dealing with the technical people who built LinkedIn. His history prior to it would have also given him a chance to learn about them, learn to respect them, etc.

Exactly, that's the point. You are extremely correct. Of course a non-technical founder can run a startup. However, there is this stigma that business guys have no place in a startup,and I wanted to show that depending on the type, of course they do.