Yes, a startup would hire you. Perhaps not as easily in Silicon Valley, which is notorious for ageism. Get your resume to a recruiter that specializes in programmers.
In case this was on your radar at all: no, you should not found a startup. Most people who "should" found a startup can't imagine doing anything else. It drives everything they do.
So you're claiming that founding a startup can only be valid if it's a purely emotional urge rather than identifying a rational opportunity? That's black and white thinking.
There was an article a few years back that analyzed common traits among successful founders. There weren't many of them, but irrational optimism was one.
VCs are looking for people "with their hair on fire" for a reason. Starting a company is a painful, back-breaking, alienating grind, and if you don't have an intense emotional urge to get through it, you just won't.
It'd be nice if it weren't the case, but emotions are absolutely vital in understanding and making decisions.