At the risk of being snippy....
Not too many billionaires under 30 (3?), and would say that they hire a sizable staff to run these companies who answer to a board.
As for football players, those 30 year olds have been playing in college and the pros for 12 years....seems to match with when most start the Strike Lead syllabus....
A syllabus for strike lead isn't just about getting people from a to b, but managing the risk and contingencies so that everyone gets from point a to b to c and back to a after accomplishing the mission and not making a tactical error that creates a strategic problem.
I don't suspect my reply will register, so I would recommend to see a CAG laptop and the questions that CAG asks, and maybe it will make more sense.
Experience matters, no doubt. Never implied or believed otherwise. And yet, when it comes to the crucible of war, it's amazing the leaders that emerge, regardless of age. WWII, Vietnam, and even our current conflicts saw men (and women) in their 20s thrust into incredibly complex combat situations (with only a few years of experience), having to manage multiple risks and contingencies both in the air and on the ground. Part of this was due to the death of superiors, part was due to the inability for some seniors to meet expectations, some was simply due to emergent situations where there was no one around to take charge. To be sure, many senior officers perform admirably, and their experience is a boon (and occasionally an impediment). Junior and Senior (true, not FITREP superficial) superior combat performance is not mutually exclusive.
My broader point is that if you expect minimal results from your most junior people, that's what you will get. If you believe they are capable of great things, and empower them to realize their potential, then you will likely get that as well. I've seen a "soft bigotry of low expectations"* far too often in our military based merely on the rank one sees on a collar device or shoulder patch. Which is why the events I run explicitly ban uniforms, to remove the psychological impediment of "knowing" and dismissing the ideas of junior folks simply because they wear a specific device. Senior leaders are blown away when they realize the guy or girl with a transformational ideas is "only" a LT...or an E-5. This surprise is nice, but also a bit disconcerting...
Some peers and friends in other industries who are younger than I (I'm 33) who have been given the chance to excel, worked incredibly hard, and have realized success early on:
-A lawyer who argued in front of SCOTUS -- and won a landmark case last year
-Multiple business owners who grew their companies from nothing to hundreds of employees, navigating the complex risk and contingencies all entrepreneurs face (after all, Squadron COs and Admirals all have "sizable staffs" that have to report to a "board of directors" -- namely their reporting seniors, and ultimately Congress...the best leaders mitigate risk by delegating to specialists, especially those smarter than themselves)
-Chief speechwriter for the President up until 3 years ago
-Deputy Campaign Manager (#2 in the campaign) for a current major Presidential candidate
-Best Selling New York Times Authors, both fiction and non-fiction
-Nationally syndicated radio show host.
-A scientist who has made the world of evolutionary biology rethink their theories
-A woman who is three years older than I, but is now an Asst Sec Def, and another about my age who is a DASD for Readiness. Even in the DoD civilian community, as sclerotic as they are, there is the path to reward competence rapidly.
There may be no reason in peace time for a military to accelerate promotions or give opportunity based on merit rather than seniority. We may be content with having "people wait their turn." That does not mean they are not capable of engaging on the hard topics -- including a CAG Laptop. Give people a chance to excel, and you'd be surprised what gems emerge.
*-repurposed Michael Gerson quote
