If you're a successful engineer in your 40s and have a full-time job, a family, and a mortgage in the developed world, you probably don't need $12k. That's at most two months' worth of regular salary for an experienced engineer in the U.S, and more likely just one month. You can easily save up or take out a loan with favorable interest rates if you're really passionate about doing something.
The problem is that since you already have so many long-term obligations, you cannot afford to fail and then not go back to your previous position. It doesn't matter whether the grant is $12k or $240k. That grant is gonna run out in a few weeks or months, and remember, most startups fail. And then what? There's no guarantee that your previous employer will want you back.
The need for stability, not the amount of the grant, is what's keeping older people from getting involved in startups. A startup is a risky investment, not just of money but of your life in general.
The problem is that since you already have so many long-term obligations, you cannot afford to fail and then not go back to your previous position. It doesn't matter whether the grant is $12k or $240k. That grant is gonna run out in a few weeks or months, and remember, most startups fail. And then what? There's no guarantee that your previous employer will want you back.
The need for stability, not the amount of the grant, is what's keeping older people from getting involved in startups. A startup is a risky investment, not just of money but of your life in general.